Denver Urban Spectrum June 2020

Volume 34 Number 3 June 2020

Celebrating

Black Music Month

COVID-19 Plays A New Tune for Musicians…4 Juneteenth 2020: A Virtual Freedom…8 UBC: An Antidote for Poverty…9 Scrabbling For Education Solutions…10 Coronavirus & Voter Suppression: A Deadly Combination…12

Thank You! The Center for African American Health wishes to express our heartfelt gratitude to the many organizations who have supported our ongoing operations or have donated to our COVID-19 Emergency Community Assistance Fund. Your support has allowed CAA Health to continue serving our most vulnerable and keep our community-based programs and outreach going! Thank you for your extraordinary act of kindness!

A special thank you to the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce and Denver Economic Development and Opportunity for donating personal protection equipment and sanitation supplies that CAA Health was able to distribute to more than 20 food banks, churches and shelters, and hundreds of residents throughout metro-Denver.

ring this Thank you so much for the funds du se difficult time. As a single mother tho ed. funds are greatly appreciated and need

Thank you SOOO VERY MUCHHH!!!

When I read the fr ont of the envelope and it said $600 my full rent payment. I cried w ith tears of joy. The Center fo r African American Health will always be a bles sing to me and my family.

Thanks so much fo r your help and su pport!

Statewide Youth Development Program (SYDP)

Your support is critical in helping our community members who have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 public health crisis.

FOR MORE INFO

caahealth.org / (303) 355-3423 / info@caahealth.org

PROUD MEMBER OF

MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Sweet Sound of Music Volume 34

Number 3

June 2020

PUBLISHER Rosalind J. Harris GENERAL MANAGER Lawrence A. James EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alfonzo Porter PUBLISHER ASSISTANT Melovy Melvin COLUMNISTS Dr. Erynn M. Burks Barry Overton FILM CRITIC BlackFlix.Com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Charles Emmons Zilingo Mwuke Alfonzo Porter Thomas Holt Russell Jamil Shabazz ART DIRECTOR Bee Harris MARKETING AND ADVERTISER Lorenzo Middleton

African-American music is an umbrella term covering a diverse range of music and musical genres largely developed by African Americans. Origins in musical forms rose out of the historical conditions of slavery, characterizing the lives of African Americans prior to the Civil War. Following the Civil War there has been ragtime, jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, rock fusion, disco, reggae, hip-hop, rap and others genres.

This month, music and the music world have taken a screeching halt due to COVID-19. There are no hymns being heard by church choirs, no bravos to theatrical musicals, no musicians rehearsing, no dancing to bands in nightclubs or clapping to singers in jazz venues, and there are no concerts in the park or at mountain festivals. Black Music Month has been put on hold, much like everything else, but just for the time being.

The internet and online meeting platforms have eased the discomfort somewhat as much needed messages are still being delivered through music, dance and song about togetherness, perseverance and love because of the simple belief, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”

Charles Emmons talked with local entertainers who shared how this pandemic has impacted their business and how they are improvising, staying resilient and persistent with their craft. Zilingo visited with the Juneteenth Music Festival organizers on how they will present a virtual festival as the community reflects on freedom. Jamil Shabazz tells us how a Universal Basic Income policy could eradicate poverty for everyone while DUS Editor Alfonzo Porter looks at how students might return to school this fall and the consequences. In November, the most important election of our lifetime will be held. Thomas Holt talks with State Rep. Leslie Herod on steps being taken to assure the voting process will go smoothly, accurately and fairly during this pandemic crisis.

Read what Greg Moore says on how COVID-19 is affecting the news business and, also how the Colorado Media Project has joined together several independent local news outlets to participate in the Colorado News Collaborative’s COVID Coverage Network.

And, if you did not see the premiere of Urban Spectrum NOW!, our first 60-minute webcast on COVID-19 and African Americans, check it out on our YouTube channel, Facebook page or DUS website. Coming in June – Music and Media!

So, while you are pursuing new projects, cooking, gardening, sewing, playing a new instrument or just reading, remember, there is still music in the quietness. You just have to listen.

Enjoy!

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jody Gilbert - Kolor Graphix

Rosalind “Bee” Harris DUS Publisher

PHOTOGRAPHERS Lens of Ansar Bernard Grant DISTRIBUTION Ed Lynch Lawrence A. James - Manager

Member The Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication dedicated to spreading the news about people of color. Contents of the Denver Urban Spectrum are copyright 2020 by Bizzy Bee Enterprise. No portion may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

The Denver Urban Spectrum circulates 25,000 copies throughout Colorado. The Denver Urban Spectrum welcomes all letters, but reserves the right to edit for space, libelous material, grammar, and length. All letters must include name, address, and phone number. We will withhold author’s name on request. Unsolicited articles are accepted without guarantee of publication or payment.

Write to the Denver Urban Spectrum at P.O. Box 31001, Aurora, CO 80041.

For advertising, subscriptions, or other information, call 303-292-6446 or fax 303292-6543 or visit the Web site at www.denverurbanspectrum.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR was still being enforced throughout the United States.

Without LBJ, none of that would have changed.

My dear brother and colleague Charles Herndon reminds me that “LBJ was judged a traitor to his race by many at the time, just as FDR was labeled a traitor to his class during the Depression. I take comfort that in times of great peril and strife this nation has often found leaders who understood the importance of doing the right thing; remember that LBJ realized that passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 meant Democrats would ‘lose the South for a generation.’ (He was right, but it was more than a generation.) He did the right thing, even though it came at a costly political price. I hope we can find such leaders again. We need them now more than ever.

How different things might be today if they had chosen to

In The Blink Of An Eye Editor: A lot of Black people, like my grandparents and young parents, voted for Lyndon Johnson for president in 1964.

He was a known racist, and even as president he enjoyed telling a good “N-Word” joke.

But my family and other Black voters closed their eyes, looked past his history and pulled the lever, figuring Johnson’s racism was not as bad as Barry Goldwater’s racism. It wasn’t a choice they wanted to make, but it was the choice presented to them.

In 1964, there was no Civil Rights Act, no Voting Rights Act. The Brown Decision was seven years old and had gained almost zero traction. Lynchings in the South went unpunished.

Blacks were barred from both the Democratic and Republican party conventions. Segregation

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

3

stay home, and let Goldwater win in 1964.

How different will our future be after November 2020?

I can’t tell you how to vote, my friends. All I can do is note the history.

I only know the hard choices my elders had to make – choices that made the kind of life I have been able to live possible, including attending a college like the University of Colorado, a school that likely would have shut its doors to my father despite his stellar academic record in Baltimore.

They closed their eyes. I am grateful. Now we stand in the shoes of past generations, faced, fairly or not, with uncomfortable choices.

What will our legacy be?

How will our children remember us?

What will we do?

James Michael Brodie Baltimore, MD

Resilient Persistent Improvisers…

Musicians in the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Charles Emmons

I

t’s a painful time for many of us. We can’t see loved ones graduate, weddings are out, family gatherings and reunions are a distant memory, and dancing in the streets is definitely out. In another time we might head out to our favorite musical haunt and be entertained by our favorite musician with a cool beverage. But those times are gone, and when they will come back is anybody’s guess.

Since March, and perhaps even before then, when we began our confrontation with the coronavirus, COVID-19, musical performances from cruise ships to festivals across the country have been cancelled, postponed into next year, or morphed into something somewhat unfamiliar, but quickly becoming the norm, the virtual performance. COVID-19 caught all of us off guard, especially now as we honor and celebrate Black Music Month – the month to recognize the musical accomplishments of African Americans.

In a culture driven by immediate gratification where our choices for entertainment have been abundant, we are looking for new outlets and modes to satisfy our need. Our local favorites have been closed because of the COVID-19 orders. Dazzle is closed, as is the Soiled Dove Underground,

“Unfortunately no one knows what the other side of the entertainment business is going to look like after this. What is for sure is that it will not look anything like what we use to know.

Social distancing is here to stay.

Even if you open, how do you regulate? Take every person’s temperature? Eliminate one half of your occupancy. I believe the old club and dance era are no more. The key will be to innovate and be a part of whatever the new social interaction will look like and be about it,” he said.

“And as far as our restaurant arm Uncle Bo’s, there is not enough revenue in take out and pick up to cover the overhead to operate the business. How can you compete with the drive-thru and Grub Hubs of the world whose business models have been into play for years? Without a vaccine, most businesses are simply wishing on a star.

“I am not a pessimist and there will be a rebirth in the food and beverage industry, I just don’t know what it will look like. For me, after 23 years – it’s retirement time. I have a wonderful wife and some beautiful kids and grandkids. So, on the brighter side, I’m going to be alright.”

Adjustments and cancellations for Alston and other musicians have been hard to take.

The weekend of May 16, the Five Points Jazz Festival was virtual. Alston performed at the 2019 festival, when nearly 100K attended, but this year organizers and online hosts (Tamara Banks, Amerykah Jones, Carlos Lando and Arturo Gomez) hosted virtual performers Ron

the Kasbah, as well as Live at Jack’s a favorite for local performers like Hazel Miller and Wil Alston.

In a near tearful announcement posted on Facebook on May 9, the day of the mayor’s re-opening of the city, Live@Jack’s owner Sandra Watts regretfully announced that Live@Jack’s would close. In her remarks she emphasized that they are a live music entertainment venue. With the stay at home mandates and pandemic orders they couldn’t support live music gatherings that were up close and personal that the venue had provided for 23 years.

“I really feel like how music is created and presented, may be changed forever because of this pandemic. I was heartbroken to hear of the closing of my go-to performance spot Live@Jack’s. And unfortunately, I don’t think they will be the only venue lost in the battle.”

–Wil Alston

Shelton Bouknight, owner of the Aurora’s long standing Kasbah shared his views on the closing of his club ownership of more than two decades.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

4

Miles, The 5 Pointers, Ritmo Jazz Latino, JoFoke, the Ben Markley Big Band and the CCJA Jazz Arts Messengers, as well as stalwarts Hazel Miller and Dianne Reeves. In a message to the community Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said that the festival always tried to provide “accessible and inclusive art.”

Five Points being the Harlem of the West has a deep musical heritage, and during these times it is instructive to tap into it.

The virtual festival also included remarks from one of Denver’s elders, Cleo Parker Robinson. The Five Points Jazz festival marked 20 years this year and Parker Robinson’s dance company will celebrate 50 years. These are true milestones in some trying times, yet Cleo retains optimism. “We come together through the magic of music,” she said. “We have to be jazz people … return to that essence, and be better improvisers.”

Music connects us, and this was evident when Hazel Miller performed “Quarantine Blues” and “COVID Blues” as well as “He’s Got The Whole World…

In His Hands.” She commented that because of the times there is pressure to create new work – but at the same time, provided a healing message.

Others in the community are improvising as well. The Purnell Steen Quintet performed in a studio at Classic Pianos; first streamed May 21 on YouTube. Billed as a reunion concert, Steen and his band

played classics like “Satin Doll” and “Take the A Train.” “We just wanted to turn some frowns into smiles,” Steen said to his virtual audience. “We miss you and love you.”

There is nothing like live performance, which serves as solace and escapism all at the same time. As I viewed Steen’s performance on my Android device it wasn’t hard to drift off in the music. You have to make a decision to just listen, or listen and watch. There is an energy to a drum solo and an energy in improvisation rooted in the music. In informally surveying musicians that have graced the Denver scene, it was heartening to learn that they are still energized and ready to improvise.

Here are some of their comments, to the following questions, on the impact of the pandemic.

What impact has COVID-19 had on your bookings and income; your growth and maturation as a musician? If you have been performing virtually, how has that been different without the interaction of the audience? How do you find solace in your music at this time since its other rewards ... money, fame and career are somewhat fleeting?

like the wind has been taken out my/our sail! Mind you, I do understand the severity of this Pandemic but there’s still the question of how and why?

It’s that feeling that the live entertainment and artistic culture has been “thrown under the bus!” Had I not been in a position that softened the blow financially and taken advantage of every available resource this could have ruined me in that respect. I am a fulltime and life-

time musician/artist...this is and was my livelihood.

Like many of my peers, this has brought a lot of ponderance, reflection and discernment about life and how easily it can be squashed in one swoop. It has impressed on me the value of better future planning economically. I have never taken what God has blessed me to do for granted without gratitude expressed in prayer for my gifts and endurance in this

The COVID19 (I hate even speaking it or writing the name) has impacted me personally that all my gigs to date have been canceled or postponed/rescheduled into 2021. I feel we’re no closer to knowing when private parties, bars and clubs will be allowed to reopen as well as not knowing who will show up inside of a month. My outside gigs or events for the most part have been put on hold until there is some clarity as restrictions and so forth. As far as income goes I’ve gone from 60 to 0 in a very abrupt period of time and feels Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

5

trade every single day. My love for my fellow brothers and sisters in this business, including those venues that I have been allowed to grace their stage, has deepened and saddened me.

I have been doing some virtual performing privately, shortly after the shutdown and it gives me some relative satisfaction and what I need as an artist. But it in no way close Continued on page 6

Musicians...Continued from page 5 replaces a live electrified audience. I have not come to terms in my soul and spirit to date to perform live, if the entertainment opened this weekend. This pandemic has personally dampened that for how long – I don’t know. I’ve spoken with others and there’s a sense of despair and still disbelief in their spirit and soul as well. One of my band mates has already decided not to perform live again until 2021 maybe!

Who knows what other artist are feeling at this moment, and mind you not out of fear, but because of the dampened spirit it has brought.

I find much solace when I am practicing, singing and playing alone songs I don’t or haven’t performed with the full band and tearing up on occasion because of the impact the songs have in my soul and spirit. One day I was driving on a warm sunny day heading west and could see the moun-

tain peaks and God’s glory...and then this. I’m quickly reminded by the mask of the driver next to me is wearing and I feel sick to my stomach. It’s then, I’m again reminded how fleeting fame and money can be.

I avoid the news and media as much as possible as I always have, and more so these days.

There is never a full day without bad news and this disease plastered in every uttered sentence, word and discussion. I stay in close contact with my family and positive thinking friends. I sing and perform whenever my heart gets too heavy and immerse myself with eyes closed in the vision of stage performing and my bands tearing it up. I have always been a solitary person and I would socialize at my leisure so on one hand I deal with this pretty well. Other days I get angry feeling confined when I need to get out. I’ve learned very well to live in the moment

so I amuse, treat, love and give of myself the best to others and again myself.

My improvisation in all this is I make me happy in whatever wholesome and positive way that gets the job done and me to the next hour as I remind myself, “this is not my war” and don’t give up your daydream!”

Ron Ivory www.ronivory.com Though I make it a policy to not put all of my eggs in one basket, COVID-19 has definitely affected both my bookings and my income.

And, hence, it has affected my touring band’s income as well.

It has not affected my growth as a musician. I feel that one can grow in various ways besides performing in a live setting. Being home has allowed me to write new songs, challenged my ability to think out of the box, and practice my instruments. So there have been some benefits.

Performing virtually is very different. The outcome of my live shows heavily depends on the energy of my audiences.

Without that energy, I have to “mentally pretend” that they are there. However, I have enjoyed doing virtual concerts, and seeing the strong viewership online. It keeps me in touch with my supporters, and they appreciate the music and the effort.

The pandemic has pushed me to improvise in a variety of ways. I have become more advanced in the technological and streaming aspect of the Internet. I had to make improvements to my home studio to accommodate being able to effectively perform virtual shows from home. So that has been a plus. Always learning!

Gerald Albright www.geraldalbright.com

See us for all your banking needs. · Checking Accounts · Savings Accounts · Online and Mobile Banking · Mortgages · Business Services · And Much More!

Visit us online or at any convenient location.

Shannon Jones Market President 303.696.2902 Shannon.Jones@efirstbank.com NMLS ID # 566143

efirstbank.com Member FDIC

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

6

Fortunately, I hadn’t yet scheduled out my performance goals for the year yet, so the impact on bookings and income has been mild for me compared to others. But it did cause me to delay the current studio album I was working on and forced me to pivot and put out a smaller digital project (called “The COVID Chronicles”) that speaks to the times we find ourselves in.

I really feel like how music is created and presented may be changed forever because of this pandemic. I was heartbroken to hear of the closing of my go-to performance spot Live@Jack’s.

And unfortunately, I don’t think they will be the only venue to be lost in the battle.

However, during this time “at home,” I’ve gotten a lot of song writing done and like many other artists I’ve been exploring new ways to use technology to record and perform.

I haven’t done any virtual performances yet, but I have utilized and pushed past recorded performances as content for my website and social media sites, and for virtual stages like the one Dazzle Jazz is providing for artists.

I like to work alone when I’m writing and creating as it helps me capture and frame what I see and feel around me. But there is absolutely nothing like the energy you get from sharing songs with an audience and seeing and feeling their reaction to it.

Music has always been therapy or sanctuary and not so much about the money or fame. Although, making a little money from my music would not suck! LOL! One of the ways I’ve had to improvise in this crazy new environment is in how I interact with my recording studio partner. I’m doing more of the

hings at home that I use to do in the studio and so much more of our communication is done via text, email, and video chats.

Wil Alston www.wilsgroove.com The impact of COVID-19 has had a devastating loss to my performance calendar.

My year was filled with band gigs and musical theatre performances that have all been canceled and a few postponed to next year. It’s very discouraging and heartbreaking.

This virus hasn’t deterred me by any means. I miss performing immensely but, I listen to music and sing everyday working on different projects. My goal is to work, study, and push myself to be better at my gift God has graciously given me.

There is nothing like performing in front of a live audience! The lights, sound, applause, pure emotion, laughter, happiness and the joy, I miss it all!! During this pandemic, I have enjoyed performing songs virtually. This experience has allowed me to still be creative while receiving responses from others.

However, I miss the adrenaline rush and showering of love from audiences and the infectious smiles.

I’ve been performing since the age of three...and professionally for a little over 30 years. Like a lot of performers, I’ve never experienced this complete shutdown of a whole performing arts profession. It has been challenging trying to adjust to this new normal. But, I have faith in the creative community that we will find new ways to push forward.

Music has always been special to me but now, I rely on its

strength, comfort and inspiration now more than ever to get me through those rough days.

Mary Louise Lee First Lady of Denver www.facebook.com/marylouiseleeband Since March 12, the COVID19 pandemic has affected my emotional, musical, and mental passage. I can’t pretend that not being able to visit my mom in a nursing care facility has not affected my mental stability, and my heart desires to run and see her since she entered mid-March. I can’t pretend to explain the void of not performing for over six years monthly with the John Akal Ultra Phonic 20 Piece Jazz Orchestra, as their solo vocalist; and I can’t pretend that not performing with my Trio HeartStrings monthly for the past few years has not taken a toll on my emotional and musical state of mind.

Even though there are monies attached to these performances, what I am affected by most is that my heart and my inner soul aches for my mom by not being able to visit her, and not being able to share my musical gifts live, and feel the acceptance from my many diverse audiences.

It will be a blessing when we all can gather again and enjoy the music, and find healing in gathering together and experiencing the gifts of these musicians. In the meantime search for and enjoy the various virtual performances and stay safe.

I know this is a temporary life-changing event, but we must continue to stay blessed, safe, and healthy. I love you and may God bless us all!

Linda Theus-Lee www.lindatheuslee.com

RECYCLE RIGHT CORRECT • Recyclables are loose • Cart lid is open no more than 45 degrees • Carboard boxes are flattened

INCORRECT

• Recyclables are bagged • Cart is overflowing • Cart lid is open more than 45 degrees • Cardboard boxes are not flattened For more information, visit DenverGov.org/Trash or call 311 (720-913-1311).

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

7

Facemasks, rubber gloves, Juneteenth Music Festival and hand sanitizer have been Celebration of Freedom Goes Virtual necessities around the world for the past few months.

Lockdowns being administered across the globe have forced people inside their homes.

Malls are shutdown, courthouses are closed, and gyms have been forced to lock their doors.

In fact, the only businesses that have been allowed to stay open are gas stations, grocery stores, hospitals and other businesses that have been deemed an essential. People have been prohibited from social gatherings of more than 10 people all over the planet. Despite the circumstances, JMF Corporation has managed to find a way around the pandemic to keep the celebration of Juneteenth, the celebration of African Americans freedom.

“People were really looking to be innovative and find solutions regardless of the situation that we are in. We understand that it is very important for people to understand the meaning of Juneteenth and that message will always be stressed regardless of what we are going through as a nation or as a world,” said the Juneteenth Music Festival organizer Norman Harris.

This year, considering the current circumstances with COVID-19, the JMF

By Zilingo Nwuke team.

The first Virtual Juneteenth Music Festival will present a Juneteenth Virtual Marketplace where visitors can shop and purchase wares and merchandise of their choosing. This marketplace will support small business owners, or any businesses, that has been forced to close due to COVID-19. It will offer them another platform of opportunity to raise awareness for their business on a national level, providing more opportunities to sell their merchandise.

“We are excited to offer to our merchant database, along with some non-profit organizations, a platform to interact with the community,” said Harris. “There will be available plenty of items on sale to commemorate this historically significant day.”

Juneteenth is a very important day. Even though it is significant to the African American community, it should be important to everyone. It provides an opportunity to remind and educate the community the obstacles and barriers that were needed to cross to end the era of slavery; while providing a new and different life for African Americans.

Corporation has decided to host a Virtual Juneteenth Music Festival in Denver, which will broadcast Thursday, June 18 nationwide. It will be an online celebration of freedom.

Included in the celebration will be a virtual comedy jam competition, a virtual barz cypher competition, a virtual buckdown dance competition and a virtual marketplace.

People from all over will be able to tune in from anywhere, as long as they have a mobile device, computer, or tablet. It promises to be a celebration for all ages. JMF Corporation hopes to pull off a miracle to make this possible during this unfortunate and deadly pandemic.

“Despite the pandemic, we have worked to plan a way not only to celebrate Juneteenth, but also to continue to support the people who make Juneteenth what it is,” said Harris.

In addition to bringing the virtual Juneteenth celebration to life, JMF Corporation will provide a platform to help small businesses who may have been affected financially by COVID-19.

“This year we will host a virtual marketspace for all of our vendors, so they can still showcase all of their merchandise,” said Chris Banks, a member of the JMF Corporation planning

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

8

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865. On this day, after almost two and half years since the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved African Americans were informed of their liberation from the slavery present in the former Confederate States of America. Texas was the most remote of the slave states, and the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, was not enforced there until after the Civil War had ended. The name of the observance is a blend of blend of "June" and "nineteenth," the date of celebration.

African Americans are faced with more obstacles than others in America and the constant reminder is needed and it’s important to remember the day African Americans were deemed as freedom and also are citizens. The history of our ancestors needs to be remembered. And what better way this year than to celebrate Juneteenth virtually and share the message with the world..

Editor’s note: The first Virtual Juneteenth Music Festival will be held on Thursday, June 18 with a full day of programing. Information for livestreams can be found on www.juneteenthmusicfestival.com.

For more information or to become a vendor, call Chris Banks at 720505-3274 or like them on their Facebook at Juneteenth Music Festival.

Universal Basic Income: An Antidote for Poverty

By Jamil Shabazz

T

here has been a convenient narrative around COVID-19 in the African American community. Countless television specials, webcasts and articles drive home the message that African Americans are more susceptible to COVID-19 because of underlying conditions like heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. It is true that African Americans are disproportionately dying from COVID-19. In Michigan, Black people make up 14% of the state’s population, but account for 41% of coronavirus deaths. In Illinois, Black people make up 14% of the population but account for 32.5% of coronavirus deaths. In Louisiana, Black people are about 33% of the population, yet they account for 70% of the state’s coronavirus deaths.

What remains consistently unaddressed is a forward plan on eradicating the circumstances that allow systemic viruses like poverty, institutional and structural racism; to decimate the African American community. For centuries, we’ve endured an America that has been indifferent about our existence, an America that has largely tried to ignore our ongoing suffering and deaths. As the Coronavirus has continued to devastate the nation it does not discriminate in whom it infects.

However the effects of the global pandemic are not being felt equally, our impoverished citizens bear the brunt of its impact.

“America is not a mature society that’s concerned about the weak and vulnerable. It’s a society that works with money, status and celebrity; and when it has time, through philanthropy and charity.

[America] might make some symbolic gestures in regard to suffering and misery among poor and working people. But it seems we don’t have the cultivated capability to be a full-fledged democratic society concerned about all of our citizens, especially the weak and the vulnerable.”

U.S. dropped for the third year in a row, except for one group– the wealthy. Poor and middle class Americans are dying earlier, while the wealthiest Americans enjoy unprecedented longevity, gaining an average of an additional five years of life expectancy according to 2011-14 data from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Currently about 13% of the U.S., population is Black, yet we account for almost 21% of the impoverished people in this country. Money or lack thereof is literally killing poor Black people.

–Dr. Cornel West

The official U.S. poverty line has not kept up with economic change. The metrics to determine poverty were developed in 1960 and have only adjusted moderately for inflation over the decades. Poverty at its core is about not having enough income to afford what is

Universal Basic Income A Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a policy designed to make sure each American has a certain concrete sum of money to spend each year. Each citizen would receive a regular unconditional payment. A UBI differs from federal welfare programs,

in that it is not tied to employment status. The concept was popularized by the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., in his 1967 book “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?”

In it he writes,

needed to survive at a decent level; a reality many Black people know well.

According to 2018 U.S. Census Data, the highest poverty rate by race is found among Native Americans (25.4%), with Blacks (20.8%) having the second highest poverty rate, and Hispanics (of any race) having the third highest.

Data from 2018 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the average life expectancy in the

“The solution to poverty is to abolish it directly by a now widely discussed measure: the guaranteed income. Two conditions are indispensable if we are to ensure that

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

9

the guaranteed income operates as a consistently progressive measure.

First, it must be pegged to the median income of society, not at the lowest levels of income. To guarantee an income at the floor would simply perpetuate welfare standards and freeze into the society poverty. Second, the guaranteed income must be dynamic; it must automatically increase as the total social income grows. Were it permitted to remain static under growth conditions, the recipients would suffer a relative decline.”

With a record number of Americans, filing for unemployment due to the pandemic there has been a revitalized interest in the idea of a Universal Basic Income – especially in congress where Senator Kamala Harris is pushing new legislation that would provide up to $2,000 a month for every U.S. resident.

Currently a UBI program is being trialed in Stockton, California, by Mayor Michael Tubbs. For 18 months a small group of residents receive an unconditional $500-a-month payment, midway results of the trial have been encouraging.

For those who have never been afflicted with the disease of poverty, they are unaware how stressful and decimating the condition can be. Numerous studies have proven that stressful environments and situations raise blood pressure, which can lead to stroke and heart disease, illnesses that claim Black lives on a daily basis.

COVID-19 is a once in a lifetime global pandemic, that we as a community need to be vigilant about protecting ourselves from - as best we can. However, we also must place a premium on erasing the health inequality that accompanies being part of a lower socio-economic group.

We must invest in and protect the vulnerable and disenfranchised. Because it’s hard being Black and gifted, but to be Black, gifted and poor is deadly. .

D etermining what the

opening of schools may look like this fall, as the coronavirus continues to rage, has become

Schools Scramble to Design Instructional Options for New School Year

the most urgent challenge for

Covid-19 Forces Changes to School Schedules

school leaders both locally and

By Alfonzo Porter

around the country.

As school leaders scramble to develop plans to accommodate teaching and learning for the upcoming school year, concern over the safety of students and staff remains understandably at center stage. Questions regarding social distancing, while aligning school processes with the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control, as well as, local and state health policies, are being considered carefully.

A few possible schedule designs are beginning to emerge. School system officials are contemplating a traditional opening of school or a hybrid model being touted widely across the Front Range. This schedule would feature part of the instructional time spent online and the other attending class in person; although the exact recipe has yet to unfold.

According to Aurora Public Schools Superintendent (APS) Rico Munn, his teams are working on all contingencies.

“We cannot forecast what the fall may bring as it relates to COVID-19,” he says. “We are working on a variation of models including a mix of faceto-face instruction and online learning. What is clear is that we will need to conduct wide spread assessment of the effectiveness of our online efforts as we close out this school year.”

Munn expressed concern about the impact an online only instructional strategy has had on student learning.

“Online learning is not ideal and academic outcomes will be affected,” he said. “However, I think we responded quickly and effectively to the crisis but there was no avoiding this change.”

The district, like most others, was suddenly faced with a number of logistical challenges in the wake of the sudden need to shutter the school house doors and, almost overnight, implement plans to provide a continuity of learning across its 65 schools with more than 40,000 students.

Given the vast differences in socio-economic conditions of many students in the system, ensuring that all students had access to a computer and high speed internet was one of the primary hurdles.

“We were able to provide more than 18,000 Chromebooks to our students,” Munn says. “It was also helpful for Comcast to launch an initiative to provide free internet access to students in need.”

The Comcast program titled Comcast Internet Essentials was announced on March 13 and extends through June 30 to ensure that students “can finish their school year from home

and remain connected to the internet during the COVID-19 crisis.”

“As our country continues to manage the COVID-19 emergency, we recognize that our country plays an important role in helping our customers stay connected – to their families, their workplaces, their schools and the latest information about the virus – through the internet,” according to the company’s website. “The hallmark of our program is to allow for flexibility in adjusting Internet Essentials to meet the needs of low-income families.”

Yet, another obstacle has been communicating to families in the widely diverse languages represented among its students.

“At this moment, we are communicating in the 10 most prominently used languages of our students,” Munn says. “We are using a number of methods from emails, social media, our district website, and through a series of programmed phone calls from the district to all families.”

Although parents have generally been impressed with how quickly schools moved to change course, there are still concerns about student progress and the amount of aca-

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

10

demic rigor stemming from online learning.

“The school district has been very informative and communicative as they made the adjustments once schools were mandated to close,” says a Denver parent who asked not to be identified. “They did a great job in adapting to the crisis and the grading system they put in place seems fair.

However, she believed that the workload was reduced far too much to keep students engaged.

“I have a 9th grader and an 11th grader and my concerns are that there is not enough teacher/student interaction online. The lessons are largely recorded on video with students asked to complete work by week’s end and summer,” she said. “It’s too much like hitting the easy button. It is certainly not like being in school for a full day.

As a parent, I feel short changed and wonder whether my children are falling behind scholastically and not really prepared to move to the next grade.”

While she does not blame the school system, she believes that more could be done to enhance the process if schools move into the fall with virtual learning as a result of the pandemic.

“I would love to see more face to face time with the teacher on the online platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. I think they could abide by a modified schedule where students can interact more with their teachers. It would keep students, like my son, more disciplined and focused.”

In the event that schools open on a traditional schedule, districts may be required to ensure social distancing through flexible schedules, modified one-way hallway traffic patterns and a limited number of students in classrooms. They may also need to consider opening windows to allow for more fresh air or placing limits on sharing supplies and equipment.

Perhaps the greatest challenge may be implementing some type of coronavirus screening procedure and providing PPE (personal protective equipment) such as masks for each student. However, questions remain over whether districts can require students to wear masks, or should it be simply a suggestion?

Still, will there be appropriate procedures for testing students for coronanvirus and what might those requirements look like?

“We are currently working with the Tri-County Health Department to work through potential plans,” says the APS superintendent.

According to Munn, his teams are seeking input from all community stakeholders as the system continues to strategize over the summer.

Nonetheless, for teachers there are even further concerns.

According to classroom teacher, LaQuane Smith, there is a bigger elephant in the room for him.

Smith, who works largely with immigrant students, is concerned that there is little attention paid to the fact that many immigrant students and parents need a lot more support navigating the requirements of online learning.

“As educators, we have neglected to provide the basic training for both students and parents on how to use this technology,” he says. “It’s great that the districts are providing computers and companies like Comcast are providing free internet but who’s teaching them how to use it?”

Smith continued, “In my experience, parents, particularly many immigrant parents, lack the tech savvy to assist their chil-

dren in following the directions and assignment requirements that are needed to be successful with learning online. If the students have questions about how to use their Chromebook or how to submit, edit, or make corrections to their work, parents are not in a position to provide that needed help.”

He recommends a series of training modules, specifically designed for parents who need a basic understanding of how the technology works.

“Parents are the key to the student’s success online,” Smith insists. “Virtual learning requires self-discipline, time management skills and a metacognitive awareness of the academic requirements. If we can figure out a way to provide training for parents, we’ll go a long way in helping families experience more success during this time. There is a steep learning curve that we seem to have failed to acknowledge.”

STA RT YOU R

Smith reports that it is not just immigrant student and parents who are having problems with the technology.

“Some of my best students are not turning in assigned work,” he says. “There are clearly several layers to moving to online learning. We must find ways to fill the gaps moving into the new school year this fall. Along with changing schedules, we need to look at changing expectations.”

Denver Public Schools may be on the right track with a parent technology survey launched this spring. The instrument is designed to help better understand whether families are prepared to implement remote learning at home. It also seeks to determine what additional resources each family might need in order to augment their current in-home technology.

Regardless of the specific path that districts adopt this Continued on page 12

The Denver Preschool Program offers tools to help families find a quality preschool that best meets their needs and tuition support to help lower their child’s monthly enrollment costs.

SEARCH TODAY

TO ENROLL YOUR 4-YEAR-OLD IN PRESCHOOL

Get started today at

DENVERPRESCHOOL.COM Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

11

New School Year Continued from page 11 fall, the pandemic is clearly a turning point when it comes to what role that technology will play in the education of America’s students in the future.

Coronavirus &

ing insecurity, and helping to access social services, as an unprecedented number of parents is experiencing unemployment.

Then there is the matter of transportation. It is an illustra-

Voter Suppression: A Deadly Combination

By Thomas Holt Russell Democracy demands participation. If we don’t have people voting, then we don’t have a democracy.

– State Representative Leslie Herod

It was always

The American Federation of Teachers suggests that learning should continue to occur online while districts institute their scheduling options. The plans must consider that schools will operate both online and in person. This truth means that school systems will need to make large investments in equipment, materials, teacher and parent training programs, as well as, connectivity for students in the long term.

The larger question remains, will all students be able to keep pace academically in this new educational reality? Most leaders might agree that significant assessment of student learning will need to occur.

Obviously, students will experience learning loss, social loss and emotional issues stemming from isolation. Additionally, the national increase of reported domestic abuse cases causes concern for student safety while sequestered at home.

Schools are being called upon to help address a myriad of concerns resulting from the pandemic including ensuring that students have enough to eat. Many systems are being used as food distribution centers. Now questions are arising as to whether schools can assist with mental health, hous-

known that African Americans were at the wrong end of health tion of how completely difficult and social economic it might be to re-open schools. It disparities. The coromay prove to be impossible to navirus has forced polsolve issues such as social disicy makers to cast light tancing on a school bus. A syson the decades old tem would potentially need to problems that poverty and racoperate two or three times as many busses to accomplish get- ism has caused in America. It ting students to school. could be easily predicted that a But the ultimate concern for worldwide pandemic would parents, teachers, and school affect poor people the most. The system leadership is the risk of lack of resources, un-sanitized spreading the virus. The living conditions, poor educachances of children getting sick tion, and low paying jobs prowhile at school is almost a vides opportunities for viruses given. With predictions from and other diseases to thrive. health officials about a second However the results of this wave or spike in coronavirus calamity may prove easy to precases right at about the time dict, not many people could that schools are preparing to open in the fall, many school have predicted that America leaders are a bit unnerved. would become the poster child If a child or teacher catches for the ever-growing disparities COVID-19 while at school, most between the wealthy and the will likely place the blame impoverished in an industrialsquarely at the feet of the school ized nation. system. Now, in addition to the The numbers are currently barrage of other issues, comes fluid, but the death rates are the potential for legal action. astounding by any measure and With pressure building from could only be compared to a the White House to harried parwar. African Americans only ents all over the country, the make up 33% of the population anxiety around opening schools in Louisiana, yet they account could not be more intense. for 70% of coronavirus deaths.

“While we don’t know what In Michigan, African Americans it will look like come fall, we account for 14% of the populawill be delivering instruction tion and 40% of the deaths; and come August,” says APS in Chicago, 30% of population, Superintendent Munn..

56% of deaths.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

12

Poverty is a problem for all Americans.

Forty-two million Americans live under the poverty line that is 13.4% of the population. Many people, regardless of color, face many of the same obstacles that African Americans face.

However, the high percentage of African Americans that contracted the coronavirus and the number of them that have died from the coronavirus is alarming.

As of May 11, more than 17,000 African Americans have died from COVID-19, and more than 31,000 whites have died.

Even though the 17,000 deaths in the African American community is lower than the total amounts of the white population, the extremely high percentage of death in the African American community is cause for great alarm.

In May, African Americans have suffered 43 deaths per 100,000 people. That is compared to 18 per 100,000 for whites, 18 for Asians, 19 for Latinos. In Kansas City, African American residents are seven times more likely to die than whites from COVID-19, and in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Washington DC, the rates of deaths among African Americans is almost six times as high than whites. The coronavirus has not the root cause the

problem of high death rates among African Americans, but it has definitely illuminated the problems of healthcare disparities in America. The coronavirus does not discriminate.

Instead, it is taking advantage of the many pathways that poverty provides. African Americans are overrepresented in the poverty roles; hence the high numbers of sickness and death. The question is how do we move forward to mitigate the problems that contribute to the healthcare disparities?

Fate cares little about timing and circumstance. And in this instance, we have another important event that the corona virus will have a big part in: The 2020 primary elections in November.

The coming election is arguably the most important election in the history of this country. And absolutely the worst time for a pandemic. The safety and integrity of the election will not only be threatened, but the consequences could change America in ways we would have never fathomed only a short time ago.

I lose sleep over the coronavirus and its possible effect on the upcoming election. For the first time in my life I am struggling to retain faith in our political system. Voter suppression laws are already causing a burden on African American voters even without the coronavirus. It is difficult for people of color, the elderly, students, and disabled people to vote. Across the country we have witnessed push-backs on early voting, voter ID laws that make it difficult for some to register to vote, and the purging of voter rolls.

An increase in voter turn-out ushered in diversity in 2008 with an increase of five million voters from 2004 to 2008. This positive trend had to stop, of course. In 2008 more than 30 states introduced voter suppression laws. Barriers to voter registration take away our ability to participate in our democracy.

Early voting is under attack, so voters that cannot physically get to the polls will not be around to cast a vote. Voter ID requirements are further limiting the people who are unable to vote.

Voter registration drives are limited in Florida and Texas.

Why are they doing this? This is in place because African American and Hispanic voters are twice more likely than whites to vote through registration drives. If you live in Wisconsin and move to another location, it will be difficult for you to remain registered to vote; you cannot register and vote on the same day in Ohio.

And Maine eliminated Election Day registration. This is a decentralized attack on the rights and freedoms of a large number of American citizens.

This is a far right movement towards being content with facing a society with a binary condition; affluent and the permanent disenfranchised poor.

How will America prepare for the November election during the coronavirus?

Eliminating offsite voting will bring people out and into danger. Blacks and Hispanics will suffer the most. They can lose the election, get sick and then die. Or another scenario could be like this; less people will vote because their lives are more important than the fear of a Trump re-election win.

Without absentee voting, I believe that voter turn-out will be low. It is difficult to believe that a great number of people would want to risk their lives, (no matter how bad things are) in order to win an election. The coronavirus is looked upon like the grim reaper, standing with his scythe at the voting booth entrance.

State Representative Leslie Herod says that Denver and Colorado are in a better positions for secure and safe voter experience than other states.

“I have worked on this for years with people like

Congressman Joe Neguse and New Era Colorado, an organization I founded with him and some others. We have same day registration, we have on-line voter registration, and you can update your voter registration online and make sure your mail ballot gets to the right place. All of those things are in place now, and they were put in place under a republican Secretary of State who worked really hard with us to make this happen. The things we are hearing at a national level do not affect us.”

Because of the possibility of coronavirus causing havoc during the November elections, the democrats pushed for reform such as vote-by-mail, same day registration and early voting, Trump actually admitted to Fox News that if voting was made easier, Republicans would never win another election, as he stated: “The things they had in there were crazy. They had things, levels of voting that if you’d ever agreed to it you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” Republicans push the idea that the voting reforms the democrats are pushing will cause voter fraud. There is no substantial evidence to support that claim. But one thing is certain – making voting hard will keep minorities, immigrants, poor people, and young people from the polls. Even with new technology, there is no major move to improve the system.

Obviously, the best way to keep people safe during the pandemic elections is to keep them from going out and mingling with others in order to vote. Maybe if there were empirical proof that each vote is secure and verifiable, then there would be no issues for voting online, or with mobile devices.

But even truth and empirical evidence will not be enough to persuade some corners in our society, whose lust to stay in

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

13

power outweigh the health concerns of marginalized people.

As Rep. Herod states, “All those folks that are pushing to say we don’t need to change our voting system are the same people who are actually willing to sacrifice the lives of voters in order to hold their seats, and don’t need to be in office in the first place.”

Rep. Herod’s words give me confidence that in Colorado, we will have a fair and safe election because of all the measures we already have in place. We may not have the same level of confidence for other states to implement anti-voter suppression laws. We still have a long way to go before the majority of Americans are confident that their votes can be easily validated.

“I am 100% sure that our county clerks, who are democratic and republican, and our secretary of state, are having to make a lot of changes to ensure folks who are voting and those who are volunteers and employed to count the ballots and conduct the election are safe. Safety has been a priority to our county clerk and secretary of state since this pandemic broke out. There have been some changes to executive order and rule to help insure there is access to the ballot. I am 100% confident that we will have a safe and fair election here in Colorado and that folks who are eligible to vote will have access to the ballot,” she said.

None of the work put in by our lawmakers such a Rep. Herod and other civic organizations will make a difference if we do not take advantage of the voting benefits we have in Colorado. Nothing short of a record-breaking turnout can ensure our voices will be heard.

As Rep. Herod stated, “We all need to be involved, we all need to make sure our communities are safe, we just can’t rely on someone else to do it for us.”.

Courts Should Reflect the Communities We Serve Op-ed by Hon. Gary M. Jackson Denver County Court

The James C. Flanigan

building, where I have the privilege of working, administers justice for residents of the City & County of Denver. Its name represents a seminal moment in Colorado history. When appointed by Denver Mayor William F. Nicholson in 1957, James C. Flanigan – the grandson of slaves – became the first non-white judge in Colorado.

Being a “first” was not new to Judge Flanigan; he was Denver’s first Black deputy district attorney where he served for eight years before his appointment to Denver

Municipal Court Judge.

And just nine years after that appointment, he became Colorado’s first judge of color in any level of courts in the State of Colorado.

Sadly, the progress Judge Flanigan’s historic appointment represents is in jeopardy. In 2018, Colorado’s efforts toward a representative bench regressed to nearly zero Black judges on the state courts throughout Colorado. This discouraging reality must be addressed.

Sixty-one years after Judge Flanagan’s appointment, there remained just one Black District Court Judge out of 181 similar spots. The Hon. William Robbins of Denver was that sole remaining Black District Court Judge, and in October, 2018 he announced his retirement. Judge Robbins was the only Black judge presiding in a District Court in Colorado’s 22 judicial districts and 64 counties throughout the state.

A few months later, the Hon. Karen Ashby of the Colorado Court of Appeals announced her retirement. She was the only Black Appellate Court judge or justice, out of 29. The demographics of Aurora, Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo reveal that the vast number of our Black citizens resides in those four cities. The lack of judicial diversity extends to Hispanic-American, NativeAmerican, and Asian-American communities.

The glaring underrepresentation of racial minorities in the judicial branch is more than just an embarrassment to our bar

association, to the legal profession, and to the citizens of Colorado—it is a threat to representative democracy. To maintain a strong republic through a representative democracy, all branches of municipal, city, county, state, and federal government must reflect the diversity of its citizens. Of our three branches of government, the people have the most direct and frequent contact with the judicial branch, making diversity an absolute necessity under the first, fifth, sixth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments.

As a member of the judiciary, I see it as my responsibility to confront and rectify this situation. Toward that end, the Colorado Bar Association and the Colorado Judicial Institute (CBA/CJI) began its Diversity on the Bench Initiative in the fall of 2019 to address the notorious impact of racial and gender bias on our court systems throughout the state of Colorado. Simply stated, the mission of the Diversity on the Bench Initiative is to increase the percentage of individuals of color and enhance gender diversity on the judicial bench throughout the 64 counties in the state of Colorado.

I applaud the CBA/CJI and its coordinating partners, in particular Governor Jared Polis, for their efforts in appointing Honorable Jill Dorancy to the Denver District Court Bench.

Judge Dorancy is the daughter of Haitian immigrants, the President-Elect of the Sam Cary Bar Association (an association of Black lawyers and judges in Colorado), a practicing oil and gas lawyer and citizen-advocate of Denver for the last two decades. Governor Polis’ selection of Judge Dorancy is the fifth Black woman judge that he has appointed since January 2020.

Those other notable judges are:

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

14

•Honorable Frances Johnson, El Paso County District Court, •Hononorable Nikea Bland, Denver District Court, former Colorado State Public Defender, •Honorable Pax Moultrie, Denver Juvenile Court, former Magistrate in Jefferson County, and •Honorable Samorreyan Burney, El Paso County Court former senior deputy, El Paso District Attorney Office Kudos to Governor Polis, the Nominating Commissioners for Denver and El Paso counties, and to the citizens of Denver and El Paso who are receiving the judicial wisdom of these five Black women. Today, the Judiciary of Denver and El Paso more clearly reflects the citizens which it serves. Our CBA/CJI leadership will continue its work until Adams, Arapahoe and Pueblo counties have Black judges on their Benches and all Colorado counties have judges which reflect the strong diversity of its population.

As a native and resident of Denver for 74 years, a product of the Denver Public Schools, graduate of the University of Colorado and its Law School, and a lawyer and judge for 50 years, I call on every member of the legal profession and the citizens of Colorado to take a proactive and vocal stand to ensure that our Colorado Courts reflect the communities which they serve..

How Will the COVID-19 Crisis Affect Local News Businesses?

Past Pulitzer Prize Board Chair Gregory L. Moore examines what the pandemic means for newsrooms across the U.S.

By Gregory L. Moore

The first confirmed U.S. case

of the coronavirus was just north of Seattle on January 19, 2020.

Patient Zero was a 35-year-old Washingtonian, who four days earlier had returned from visiting family in Wuhan, China. The Seattle Times jumped all over the story. Michele Matassa Flores, editor of The Seattle Times, had read reports out of China about the virus but had no idea how big the story would become for her newsroom. Around February 27, now deep into the story, editors held an all-hands meeting to discuss reassigning journalists for the long haul, extending out to the fall flu season when things were expected to get worse. They also talked about working remotely if things blew up.

“We took an inventory of everybody on staff and what their home office set up was, what equipment they needed, what training they needed,” said Flores. “We started a process over that week of everybody practicing one day of working from home.”

That jumpstart would set the pace for a story that has consumed and rejuvenated local journalism across the country.

At a time when local news is in intensive care, there’s a glimmer of hope that the pandemic may breathe new life into the fight for local journalism – if it doesn’t deal it a death blow first.

While the battered news industry as a whole has capital-

ized on consumers’ appetite for quality reporting, it’s mostly national news organizations like The New York Times and The Washington Post that have gotten a second wind from impressively growing their digital subscribers to replace dwindling print circulation.

But the COVID-19 pandemic is quintessentially a local story with more than 80,000 people dead across the country, healthcare systems overwhelmed, unemployment at record levels, parents stressed with childcare demands, and routine social interactions disrupted in every corner of America.

Local news organizations of every ilk are experiencing record readership and digital conversions on par with the big national players. Editors say they have never been more inspired or challenged, never seen their staffs more energized or creative, and can’t recall their readers being more engaged or appreciative.

The irony is that COVID-19 could spell the end for some local news operations. More than 36,000 journalists have lost their jobs, been furloughed or had to take pay cuts in the wake of the pandemic. Some newspapers have cut days of publication or closed altogether because of the drop in advertising revenue as commerce has screeched to a near halt. All this at a time when solid, focused, on-the-ground reporting is

more needed than ever.

Despite the dirge playing in the background, journalists see an opportunity to again challenge the forces pushing journalism out of American life.

Could this be the moment to redirect the trajectory of local news? Can organizations accelerate the transition to digital, jettison print, and invest those savings and subscriber revenues for a post-COVID-19 world where wicked problems are the new normal?

Journalists are surely hoping that is the case. Listening to editors, you realize how transformative the COVID-19 bomb could be for journalism.

While Patient Zero fully recovered by the end of January, the first U.S. death was announced on February 29 in Seattle (later postmortem testing confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the Bay Area several weeks beforehand).

Concern was deepening for Flores and her staff, not just about covering the story, but about the safety of her journalists and the community as the infectious nature of the virus was becoming clearer. A few days after the March 10 state presidential primary, The Seattle Times went 100% remote, and virtually everyone in the newsroom was assigned a piece of the story.

I spoke with Flores the weekend before the Seattle Times won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting on the Boeing 737 Max jetliner crashes.

It was the newspaper’s 11th Pulitzer, including the 2015 award for Breaking News Reporting of the Oso landslide.

“Our work has been factual and even-handed,” Flores said.

“Compared to a lot of other ways people get information, whether it’s on social media or through the rumor mill, we’re not inciting panic. We hear from people how much they appreciate that.”

Flores said The Seattle Times has produced news-you-can-

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

15

use like restaurants that are open for take-out, ideas about activities for kids, and where to get COVID-19 testing. She also cites the accountability reporting on protecting healthcare workers, problems in nursing homes, and the state’s lack of transparency when it comes to patient diagnoses and deaths as powerful examples of the importance of local news.

“We had one story where we tallied up deaths and gathered data that the state either didn’t have or hadn’t gathered yet,” said Flores. “So, we were actually helping inform the state about what was going on in the nursing homes.”

She praised their feature, Lives Remembered, that profiles local deaths from COVID19, reminiscent of the New York Times’ celebrated Portraits of Grief after the 9/11 terrorist attack. But she admits she is scared for the future.

“Right now, people are seeing the importance of local news, but that recognition is happening at a time when we are at greater risk than ever as an organization. We still have 155 people in our newsroom, but that doesn’t mean we’re immune to the havoc that the economic fallout might wreak. It’s a hard message to live with.”

Brian McGrory, the editor of The Boston Globe, is proud of the creative and diverse stories that new digital and print subscribers alike have been exposed to during this crisis.

“This is the biggest story of our generation,” said McGrory.

“Our readership has never been higher. Subscription conversions are off the charts. But the cratering of print advertising is overwhelming, and that irony has been challenging to handle.

I don’t think we’ve ever been more valuable to the city, and that’s something we have to take into account as we plan for the future.”

He continued: “The COVID19 story is unlike anything Continued on page 16

Continued from page 15 we’ve ever seen before. It’s a massive public health story, and a massive healthcare delivery story. It’s a story about economic crisis and educational crisis. It’s a social services story, a government story, and a political story. There’s not an aspect of our life that is not profoundly touched by this.”

“Our reporters have literally been thrown out of the office,” said McGrory. “They’re working from dining room tables, living room couches, basements. Many times, they’re living alone or working beside testy spouses or trying to deal with kids who weren’t in school or daycare. And they’re trying to balance a job that is more demanding than it’s ever been before.”

Asked to about a story he was particularly proud of, he pointed to The Globe’s deconstruction of a Biogen conference that was among the first to highlight the viral potency of the dawning coronavirus crisis. He believes they’ve been as good as or better than their Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

“We have a much stronger digital sensibility and a much more refined awareness of what readers are looking for,” McGrory said. “But we’re not giving up on print by any measure.”

This moment has also demanded a high level of personal leadership and engagement. “We’ve done virtual town meetings for the newsroom,” said McGrory. “I’ve written notes to the staff most Friday afternoons, just updating them on what we did that week, what our readership numbers were like, and calling people out for praise.”

He added: “I have made it a point, along with our managing editors, to stress that we need to take time off during the day. We need to take sanity checks, play with the kids, go walk the dog.

And we’ve tried to be as honest

as possible about where we are with our financial picture.”

If local news is to survive, publishers and owners should be concerned about discouraging or losing leaders like McGrory, whose dedication to the ideal of the First Amendment is almost mythic nowadays.

Ken Doctor, the newspaper analyst, told the Guardian newspaper that many local newspapers were already weakened before the pandemic, experiencing a 5 to 10 percent loss in ad revenue even when the economy was roaring.

The forces crushing local news are unremitting, and Doctor estimated that local newspapers are currently losing 30-60% of their advertising due to the coronavirus. In the last decade and a half, more than 1,800 local newspapers have closed. Others are expiring by the week.

“Holistically, this is terrible,” said McGrory. “There are organizations that are going to be wiped out by this. There are newspaper chains that are just going to feel the need to cut even further. But we need to step back and get some good out of this, and what we’ve seen is a vivid reminder of the vital importance of local media.”

“I think (this moment) can breathe life into local news if it’s done the right way with an accent on the digital platform more than print,” concluded McGrory. “There’s not a smart analyst out there who doesn’t think that this has accelerated a push toward digital news by anywhere from two to five years. Why are we hanging around printing presses? Why not go all in and make ourselves a digital company that is growing rather than a print company that’s shrinking?”

The issues are no less serious for Gwen Florio, the editor of The Missoulian in Montana.

She worked at major metros in Philadelphia and Denver before relocating to a part of America you usually see on a postcard.

Montana never had an overwhelming wave of COVID-19 cases, but the influx of tourists made what number they had worrisome.

“I think for the first few days at least, if not longer, every story in the paper or on our website was COVID-related,” said Florio. “We just felt like we couldn’t keep up.”

Despite being busier than ever, declines in ad revenue have forced some tough choices. She has had to implement two-week furloughs for her staff of 21, down from 40 a decade ago. “That’s problematic for two reasons,” she allowed.

“One, everybody still has to pay their rent. The other is we run on a fiscal year that ends September 30th. So, as soon as these furloughs are done at the end of June, everybody’s got to cram their vacations into that little window.”

Florio, although terrified about how she is going to continue putting out the newspaper, remains optimistic.

“People are being really nice to us,” she said. “People have sent pizzas, they’ve sent nice notes, they say nice things online. I’ve been overwhelmed.

And it’s been fun to see the younger reporters get their teeth into a story like this and just roll with it.”

For Mark Russell, editor of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee, the focus

has been on ferreting out the best local stories while taking advantage of regional newspaper resources that come from the Gannett newspaper chain.

“We have been able to rely more on our statewide network with USA Today and folks in Nashville and Knoxville for news coverage,” said Russell.

“And because of that, we’ve been able to focus more intently on local Shelby County stories.

One example of that is we started a Coping section about a month ago with excellent human interest stories, food stories, and lifestyle stories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We scaled back our sports coverage and took that Coping section to the front.”

Russell continued: “We’re going way beyond the news of the day to focus on enterprise stories. That’s where you make your name on a story like this.

It’s not enough to tell people how many COVID-19 cases the area has on a given day or what happened in the press conference with the mayor. Everyone has that. You’ve got to do stories on the mental health of citizens. You’ve got to do stories on grandmothers and grandfathers and how they have taken care of kids, and in some cases are worried about contracting COVID-19 themselves because they have underlying conditions.”

Denver Urban Spectrum Premiers Urban Spectrum NOW! Webcast While local print news organizations are experiencing unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances due to COVID-19, many have decreased circulation, opted for online distribution only, or closed their doors for good.

Others are searching for ways to continue to be a voice for their readers, support their advertisers and serve their communities. This was the case for Denver Urban Spectrum (DUS).

Last month, DUS, premiered Urban Spectrum NOW!, a 60-minute webcast,

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

16

COVID-19 and African Americans on YouTube and Facebook. This news platform takes the Urban Spectrum mission of “sharing the voices and stories of people of color” to a new and larger demographic.

To coincide with the May print publication, the inaugural webcast focused on the coronavirus and its impacts on African

“We’ve been very intentional about putting the right people on the right topics,” Russell added. “We haven’t forsaken investigative reporting. I think that watchdog part of what we do is really important.”

But Russell is proud of the human interest stories, especially, because those gems are so easy to miss if you’re not looking carefully. “One really compelling story was a couple that was married for 58 years. They’d died days apart. They were both residents in a nursing home. And we found that from scouring the death notices.”

While carrying out this vital and important work, Russell relies on a staff of 32 people. It’s a far cry from the more than 150 journalists that filled the paper’s ranks in its heyday.

In the state with some of the most liberal open records laws in the country, Julie Anderson, editor of the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale and the Orlando Sentinel, has had to fight for state data that should be public record.

The Sun Sentinel, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, is known for its investigative zeal.

Both of Anderson’s newspapers have aggressively covered the coronavirus outbreak.

She told a story about how the state had stonewalled on Americans, locally and nationally. Hosted

by DUS Editor Alfonzo Porter, the Urban Stance segment presented a diverse panel of experts who shared insights on how COVID-19 has affected the community within their field of expertise.

Those panelists included State Rep Leslie Herod; Myra Donovan; Angelle Fouther; Lauren Casteel; Dawn P. Bookhardt; Dr. Anthony P. Young; Dr. Johnny E. Johnson; Lee Gash-Maxey; Rev. Quincy Shannon; and Bishop Jerry Demmer.

In addition to the roundtable panel, the webcast highlights people who are making a difference in the community. Struggle of Love, was featured in Urban Spirit and

reporting positive cases in nursing homes, declaring only 19 nursing homes with cases. After the newspaper threatened court action, the state finally released data showing there were more than 303 nursing homes with cases.

There has also been important reporting on breakdowns in the state’s unemployment office, where frustrated Floridians couldn’t apply for benefits. Among other things, the newspaper reported that the system was set up to make it difficult for people to get unemployment benefits, and as a result, kept reported jobless numbers low.

This accountability reporting is very much appreciated by the readers. Anderson gets calls and letters telling her so.

They’re telling us to keep going,” said Anderson. “So, that’s a good positive sign.

People have started to realize that as an industry we are under threat. Maybe they weren’t paying attention before. I feel very optimistic that there is a core of support there, and that we’ve more than proven our value.”

She added: “We’re not going anywhere. We’ll look different.

But we’re not going anywhere. I don’t believe that for a second.”

Anderson is not alone in her belief, but the clock is ticking on local news.

Industry thinkers need to get the right people together to fig-

Denver icon musician Freddy Rodriguez, Sr. who lost his life to coronavirus was memorialized in the Urban Splendor segment along with 85-year-old Edream Moore.

In June USNOW! will broadcast with a new panel of experts. The roundtable panel will present music and media professionals and how the coronavirus is affecting their industry.

The May 2020 USNOW! webcast is available to view on the Denver Urban Spectrum’s YouTube channel, DUS Website and Facebook.

For more information about USNOW!, call 303-292-6446 or email urbanspectrumnow@urbanspectrum.net

ure out the right profit, the right technology, and the right funding models. In doing so, they just might figure out how to hold off the eulogy for local news, and instead get ready for the next wicked problem coming our way..

CHSAA Moratorium Lifting

By Lindsey Smith The Gazette and COLab After the cancellation of spring sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Colorado High School Activities Association set a strict moratorium on high school athletics which included in-person training or practices.

However, June 1 marks the end of the CHSAA moratorium.

The reins will be handed to local districts and athletic departments to determine if teams can meet in the “offseason.”

A release sent to the media Friday morning stressed that CHSAA will have no administrative oversight and responsibilities between June 1 and August, when fall sports practices are scheduled to begin.

Prior to May 11, contact between coaches and athletes were only permitted if coaches were checking on students’ well-being and mental health, according to CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green.

Between May 11 and June 1, coaches could conduct virtual workouts to athletes, but no inperson training could occur.

Do students need to be back in the classroom before high school sports can resume?

CHSAA creates task force to find out.

This week CHSAA sent an email with recommendations to districts as to how to best reintroduce athletics to their school community when the time comes.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

17

“Decisions to return to coach/participant contact will need to be made with an abundance of caution and within the state guidelines,” the CHSAA guidance document states. “As much as the return to athletics and activities is invading our every thought and the external pressure from coaches and parents mounts with each passing day, we must continue to make our decisions based on the safety and well-being of all those under our care.”

The document states that all summer work must be strictly voluntary for all involved, and schools should have a “Return to Participate” safety plan approved by administrators and sent to athletes and parents prior to June 1.

The document also states that the safety plan must abide by state and federal guidelines, including gathering limitations and social distancing, and recommends health screenings prior to each session. CHSAA also provides guidelines for equipment use and recommends all athletes and coaches wear masks during sessions.

This week the National Federation for State High School Associations released a 16-page guideline to aid states in the best practices and procedures for “reopening” high school sports.

NFHS releases guidance document to help state associations reopen high school athletics The national guideline, meant to aid state associations in producing a unique reopening plan, outlines a three-phase system in which coaches and athletes can ease into practice and competition.

All 51 state associations have canceled spring sports for the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. New York and New Jersey, two of the hardesthit states, were the last state associations to pull the plug on spring sports, cancelling their respective seasons in the first week of May..

Burnt Ends KC Style BBQ Caterer trying for something sweet out of bitter pandemic economic crisis

ing for more employment opportunities.

“We’ve always been a training and consulting agency,” said executive director Monique Lovato. “But at this time, nobody is asking for training.

They’re asking for help navigating federal processes and help with access to resources.”

become helpful as policy and lawmakers start slashing budgets. It shows that low-wage earners are most at risk of losing jobs. That will become an important factor as policy and lawmakers begin to look at slashing budgets across the state.

“We’re focusing on trying to ensure safety net programs do

By Kara Mason, Sentinel Colorado and COLab

A

ngela Ray should be gearing up for a bustling summer of catering parties, fairs and corporate gatherings of people that crave her Kansas City-style barbecue.

April through September is when Taste the Love, the business she’s owned for five years now, is able to make enough money to hold Ray over until the next summer. But this year, there aren’t crowds of people getting together. When congregations of 10 people or more were banned because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ray’s business stopped, and it’s stood still since.

Now, with no definite timeline for normalcy, she’s scrambling to pivot her business.

Ray considers herself a “micro-business” owner. Microbusinesses usually make less than $250,000 in revenue a year and have fewer than five employees, according to most definitions. They have been among the hardest hit by the economic fallout of the pandemic.

“The business is 100 percent COVID-19 impacted,” Ray said.

“Nobody is gathering.”

Mi Casa, a regional resource for businesses and job seekers, has been tracking the economic repercussions of the virus among its members which include, people like Ray who rely on contract workers — she said she’s able to hire about 10 part-time employees during the summer — and workers look-

Angela Ray Owner of Taste of Love

A survey conducted by Mi Casa found 55% of small businesses participating in Mi Casa Resource Center programs have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. 16% said they were on the brink of failure. The bulk of respondents — 85% — who own businesses that make revenues of $60,000 or less a year cited loss of business or closures.

Lovato says a lot of the business owners and workers Mi Casa serves are facing a triplewhammy amid the pandemic.

“Low-income and people of color are getting hit once health wise, twice economically and then through financial aid,” she said. “We’re going to pay for that in the long term if we don’t preserve some of that now.”

The data Mi Casa has gathered during the pandemic may

not get gutted,” Lovato said.

Ray doesn’t have a payroll, so that’s been a barrier in getting federal stimulus money.

While she lives in Aurora, Ray’s business isn’t registered there so she didn’t qualify for that city aid, and even if she did, she doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar store, a requirement of many grant programs.

Another common requirement of loans and grants is that a business be open for at least 12 consecutive months, sometimes up to two years. That’s a hurdle Chance Horiuchi, executive director of On Havana Street, said she sees businesses along the 4.5 mile stretch of the Havana Street business improvement district in Aurora encountering.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

18

Havana Street is home to an array of businesses, from national retailers to mom-andpop shops that fit that microbusiness definition.

“Just in working with other special districts in Colorado and talking with many small businesses, many don’t have an accountant so when you’re trying to collect all this evidence… it’s a little bit more challenging to get that together without an accountant or HR person. They are the accountant and wearing all of those hats.”

Horiuchi said the relief money is available, but the application processes have been shortened to get money delivered more quickly. It’s not a bad thing, she added, it just adds to the many moving parts a small business owner has to deal with right now.

Ray isn’t sure whether any aid will come her way or when social distancing measures will loosen enough to start catering again.

“So far it’s weathering what we can,” she said. “For any business owner, you do not give up or you can’t give up.

It’s rough and rocky but the only thing I can focus on is hope and what we’re trying to do will work.”

For now, that’s developing a pie kit, which Ray hopes will be an attractive revenue generator while people aren’t gathering.

People do seem to be baking right now. A lot. And her pies, sweet and savory, have always been a popular menu item.

The ingredients will come vacuum-sealed with a pie crust that’s a fourth-generation recipe. She hopes to formally launch the kits in mid-June on her website, www.tastethelovecooking.com, but is already taking orders for those with a serious pie craving.

“With the uncertainty of what’s going on, you try to keep your head up and try not to get depressed too much,” Ray said. “The uncertainty of anything is a pretty big weight to bear.”.

NEWSVIEWS

Fund Supports Diverse Newsrooms and Underrepresented Communities The Colorado Media Project (CMP) has awarded grants totaling $50,000 to eight local media outlets and two nonprofit community organizations on the front lines of providing accurate information about COVID-19 to Colorado’s diverse racial/ethnic communities and non-Englishspeaking residents.

The COVID-19 Informed Communities Fund was established by CMP with support from The Colorado Health Foundation, The Colorado Trust, Democracy Fund and Gates Family Foundation to address the need for more diversity in COVID news coverage and to ensure that Colorado’s immigrant communities and people of color have timely, reliable local news and information about COVID19 from trusted sources.

Over the next six months, grant recipients will collaborate with dozens of independent local news outlets already participating in the Colorado News Collaborative’s COVID Coverage Network; each will receive $5,000 grants, along with coaching and programmatic support to underwrite their participation in COLab’s COVID-19 Coverage Network.

The grantees include Denver Urban Spectrum (Denver Metro); Entravision Communications

(Denver and Colorado Springs); Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado (Greeley); KSUT - Southern Ute Tribal Radio (Ignacio); La Tricolor Aspen Radio (Basalt; Aspen to Parachute); Mile High Asian Media/Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network (Statewide); Que Bueno 1280 Radio (Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo); Rocky Mountain Welcome Center (Aurora); Rocky Mountain Multicultural Community Radio (Aurora); and the Southeast Express Newspaper (Colorado Springs).

First Steps Taken In Fate of Park Hill Golf Course Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb praised a Denver City Council Committee for voting to take the first step to place the fate of the Park Hill Golf Course open space on the November ballot.

Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca presented the item at a Special City Charter meeting.

On a 6-5 vote, the council allowed the issue to move to the Finance and Governance Council Committee. It must pass out of that committee before a final council vote on whether it will be on the November ballot.

Prior to the coronavirus shutdown, five community activists, including former legislator and mayor candidate Penfield Tate, submitted language for a petition to get the

issue on the ballot, which was approved by the Denver Election Commission.

However, the pandemic made it unsafe to collect the required 8,265 signatures by July 6, and Cdebaca said the issue was too important to miss the ballot. The ballot measure would change charter language to require voter approval for commercial and residential on any city park or conservation easement. Currently, the council has the power to make zoning changes on those lands.

“Councilwoman Cdebaca has shown courage and leadership in this issue and I thank her and the other supporting council members on behalf of all Denver residents who cherish open space and are tired of the city being steamrolled by developers,” Webb said. “It is important to have this issue before voters this fall. We must preserve this open space for generations to come. We do not need another concrete jungle.”

Helping you create wealth, protect wealth, and leave a legacy!

Myra Donovan, CLU, ChFC, CFP Financial Adviser

3200 Cherry Creek Drive South, #700 - Denver, CO 80209 303-871-7249 - www.myradonovan.com

Call today for a free consultation!

Registered Representative for NYLIFE Securities LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), a Licensed Insurance Agency. Financial Adviser for Eagle Strategies LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

19

Webb and other Denver residents have been fighting to maintain a conservation easement on the 155 acres in northeast Denver, which taxpayers citywide paid $2 million in 1997 for the former owner to agree to protect the land from development. A private developer purchased the land last summer despite the easement. Early plans suggested a new grocery store and housing on the open space. There is other land to develop but this is the last 155 acres of open space in the city.

Webb encourages all residents who support open space to urge the council to place the item on the ballot to make sure the parks and open space in Denver are protected.

“This vote is just the beginning, and we need to make sure the council places this on the ballot,” he said. “Some say one vote doesn’t matter but one vote can be the difference between grass and a parking lot.”

MAYOR’S CORNER

Murphy Robinson Named Executive Director of Public Safety

Mayor Michael B. Hancock today announced his appointment of Murphy Robinson as Executive Director of the Department of Safety. Robinson has served as interim executive director for the department since January of this year.

As the Executive Director of Public Safety, Robinson will oversee the management, discipline, human resources, administrative support and policy direction for the Denver Police, Fire and Sheriff departments, the 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center, Community Corrections, Public Safety Youth Programs and Gang Reduction Initiative of Denver. The Department of Public Safety unifies all the city agencies tasked with ensuring Denver is the safest and most welcoming city in the nation.

The department’s mission is to deliver a full spectrum of highquality, public safety services to the individuals who live, work and visit the City and County of Denver.

While serving as interim executive director of public safety, Robinson was also Chief Operating Officer for the City and County of Denver, a position he was appointed to in 2019 and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the city on behalf of Mayor Hancock.

From Aug. 2017 to Aug. 2019, Robinson served as the Executive Director of Denver’s General Services Department, where he oversaw the property management and maintenance of over six million square feet of cityowned land and facilities, $186 million of purchasing contracts, the Denver Security Office and the Energy Office in the City and County of Denver. Robinson also served as Deputy Mayor for 2019.

Prior to be appointed Executive Director of General Services, Robinson’s past roles include Chief of Staff/Deputy City Manager for the City of Englewood and Assistant City Manager of General Services for the City of Brighton. A Denver native, Robinson is active in multiple community organizations including the I Love You Guys Foundation. He sits on the Visit Denver Board and is a former member of the Board of Equalization, the Board of Equalization for the City and County of Denver, and the Colorado Rangers.

Robinson’s appointment as Executive Director is effective immediately.

Denver to Deploy $20 Million Emergency Relief Funding Support to Community City to use federal CARES Act funds to support residents, businesses impacted by COVID-19 pandemic The City and County of Denver will inject an initial emergency allotment of $20 million in federal funds to support residents and businesses struggling with the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are the city’s first deployment of the approximately $126.8 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) dollars received to address expenses related to COVID-19 and to support needs of the community impacted by the pandemic. This initial $20 milion in emergency relief funds w ill be deployed to support residents with housing and food assistance, provide economic rel ief for local small businesses and non-profits, and to support widespread community testing and other public health programs and needs.

Phase one emergency support funds will be provided for: •Housing Relief: $6.5 million to support rent and utility assistance ($4M) and mortgage assistance ($1M) programs and and rehousing strategies ($1.5M) for those impacted by COVID-19.

•Food Assistance: $2 million to support food assistance programs, as well as city agencies conducting feeding programs for vulnerable populations, including Denver Public Schools. These funds will also be used for sanitization and retrofitting of food pantries across the city.

•Non-profit and Business Relief: $6.5 million to support grants grants to non-profits ($2.2M) and small businesses

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

20

($4.3M). This is in addition to existing grants and relief funds provided by Denver’s office of Economic Development & Opportunity.

•Public Health and Safety Needs: $5 million to support continued public health programs and safety needs, including widespread community testing, sanitizing equipment for businesses, non-profits and nursing homes and personal protective equipment.

The city will work with City Council to initiate amendments to existing contracts or create new contracts to deploy these addtional resources into existing programs, such as the Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA) and mortgage assistance programs, and to identify new program partnerships for rehousing and other investments.

For the remaining CARES Act funds, the city is initiating a deliberative process to collaborate with the Recovery Council and City Council on eligible uses and priorities for the funds, an intake process for programmatic ideas, and to set aside a portion of the funds as contingency dollars to cushion the city from future potential impacts from the pandemic.

Additionally, Denver Economic Development & Opportunity, will be awarding another $750,000 to $1 million in grants to support many of Denver’s most vulnerable small businesses. The grants are provided in partnership with Mile High United Way, through the Small Businesses Emergency Relief Fund, launched in midMarch as one the city’s initiatives to help businesses cope with the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic. Awards will continue to be granted to small businesses next week.

For more information on the city’s COVID-19 response, visit Denvergov.org/covid19.

REEL ACTION - WWW.BLACKFLIX.COM

Online Viewers are Connecting with Selah and the Spades

Lovie Simone and Jharrel Jerome star in Selah and the Spades Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios

By Samantha Ofole-Prince

D

irector Tayarisha Poe is in a great mood. She has a good reason to be. She’s been getting positive reviews for her feature film, Selah and the Spades, which premiered last month on Amazon Prime. There have been lots of congratulatory emails, direct messages on social media and continuous praises from her peers. These are accolades that Ms. Poe, who is working on developing the film into a series, is taking in stride.

“I don’t seek out reactions, but it has been better that I could have expected and it’s been good that people have connected to this film.”

Selah and the Spades follows a teenage girl jostling for power at an elite Pennsylvania boarding school and speaks to anyone who has survived the perils of high school.

Refreshingly honest, it has something for everyone as it follows Selah Summers, played by newcomer Lovie Simone, while she navigates the pyramid of teenage politics.

“Everything is awkward at age 15. You feel awkward in your body and your emotions and in your brain and I just wanted to make people in that position, feel a little less lonely,” shares Poe. “There have been so many people who reached out to me to say hey, ‘I was once a black girl in boarding school and I am so happy to see this movie.”

With a well-crafted, solid and clever script, Poe gives us an intriguing and fun film about high school life that never goes for the stereotypical. She immerses and educates audiences on teenage politics with a character study that shows how intoxicating power can be for a teenage girl who feels the threat of being denied it.

“Power is an addictive thing.

I’m interested in the things people do in order to hold onto power, especially if you’re a person who lacks power, like a woman for example. What will you do to hold onto power once you have it? I am fascinated by that same question as it relates to teenagers, because I feel that is when you really start to understand not only the power that we have over other individuals, but the power that other people have over us. We wrestle with it at that age.”

At the film’s heart is an engaging performance by Lovie Simone, who captures adolescence with spontaneous fluency. Moonlight’s Jharrel Jerome plays her best friend Maxxie, Celeste O’Connor is a sopho-

more Selah grooms, Jesse Williams plays the school’s headmaster and Gina Torres rounds off the main cast as Selah’s controlling mother. In this film, Poe beautifully conveys the intelligence and will power of a young black woman that runs the most dominant faction group, the Spades, who supply students with narcotics and alcohol. With different groups of people controlling different parts of student life, the heads of the factions make sure everyone is kept in check.

Poe, who attended boarding school, grew up in a household full of avid movie lovers and clearly knows how to craft a solid narrative.

“My parents are huge movie lovers and television lovers too.

‘The X-Files’ was a big show in our home and we grew up on The Matrix. I have older brothers so all the movies they loved when they were kids impressed me. From Labyrinth, to The Never-ending Story, I was constantly surrounded by stories of all sorts, but the movie that influenced me so much in my youth was Eve’s

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

21

Bayou by Kasi Lemmons. “I remember watching it when I was really young. I understood her perspective and her feelings and the way the story is so well told through her perspective and through the lens of her emotional growth. I was affected by that, as it felt like I had permission to be rebellious and permission to be extra and messy as a black girl and it was okay and it was expected.”

She had always wanted to make a feature and initially made an overture of this film in 2014. With writing labs, she was able to further develop the project and did wrestle with the idea of changing the title, given the word Spade is a contemptuous slang used to refer to a black person.

“I did think about the history of the word, but I don’t want to have to live my life where I can’t use words because those words have been used against me and people who look like me in a negative way. I can’t live my life like that and just thought, Selah would never change the name, so why should I?”.

Ahmaud Arbery

Lynching Style Murder of Ahmaud Arbery Op-ed by Ted Moore

T

he murder and aggravated assault [and lynching] of Ahmaud Arbery brings memories of the Moore’s Ford Lynchings, known as the 1946 Georgia lynching on July 25, the murders of four young African Americans by a mob of white males. Tradition says that the murders were committed on Moore’s Ford Bridge in Walton and Oconee counties between Monroe and Watkinsville. The four victims, two married couples, were shot and killed on a nearby dirt road.

Lynching is defined as a form of violence in which a mob, under the pretext of administering justice without trial, executes a presumed offender, often after inflicting torture and corporal mutilation.

The term lynch law refers to a self-constituted court that imposes sentence on a person without due process of law.

On Feb. 23, Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old African-American man, was fatally shot after being pursued and confronted by Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael, who were armed and driving a pickup

Arbery Family

truck. The incident took place in Satilla Shores, a community near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia and was recorded in a 36-second video

by William “Roddie” Bryan, a neighbor of the McMichael’s, who was following Arbery in another vehicle.

Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael told police [they believed] Ahmaud Arbery was a suspect in a series of breakins. But no such string of crimes was reported in the weeks preceding the shooting. A police lieutenant told CNN, according to Glynn County Police Lt. Cheri Bashlor, just one automobile burglary in the neighborhood was reported when a 9mm pistol was stolen Jan. 1 from an unlocked truck outside the McMichael’s home. No local, state or U.S Penal code govern/regulate how one citizen may assume, nor contemplate his or her perspective of another justifying a homicide or murder of another person in this country.

While dressed in jogging clothes, Arbery walked into a construction site in Brunswick, Georgia, looked around and then walked back out. Later he was shot dead by Travis McMichael, who chased him in a truck with his former cop father. They told police [they thought] Arbery was a burglary suspect who had broken into homes near them. The construction site owner stated he never called police or the McMichael’s, whom they didn’t know. The construction site

Gregory McMichael

owner released the video to show that Arbery did not steal anything and said they had nothing to do with the young man’s death. The attorney for Arbery’s family, Lee Merritt, told CNN the most authority the two men had under the law was to follow Arbery and then send the police to his location.

But, Merritt cited the 911 call from the 911 operator who asked if what Arbery was doing was of criminal concern. “They didn’t give any answer for that, they just said, ‘He’s a Black man running down our road,’” Merritt said.

The McMichael’s were not arrested until after the video went viral 74 days later sparking debate on racial profiling in America. The Glynn County Police Department and Brunswick District Attorney’s Office were nationally criticized for their handling of the case and the delayed arrests.

Georgia Attorney General Christopher M. Carr formally requested the intervention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the case on May 10, which was formally granted the following day.

In the case of Ahmaud Arbery jogging through town, he was murdered by Gregory and Travis McMichael and video-taped by another friend applying lynching techniques to murder an African American and intimidating a race of people (African Americans) executing an alleged transgressor for crimes not committed.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

22

Travis McMichael

The original decision not to arrest the McMichael’s or William “Roddie” Bryan after more than two months before charges were filed fueled an outcry across the nation with attorneys for Arbery’s family saying he was racially profiled.

Local officials and community leaders say a history of nepotism and privilege in the district attorney offices of Waycross and Brunswick had allowed the killers to remain free. The district attorney who previously led the investigation told police he did not see grounds for an arrest of the McMichael’s or the man who recorded it from his vehicle, according to a memo obtained by USA TODAY. The Ahmaud Arbery case initially landed on the desk of Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson, who recused herself because Gregory McMichael had worked for the office. The case then went to Georgia District Attorney George Barnhill who on April 1 received Arbery’s autopsy report. Several days later, Barnhill laid out the case why he didn’t believe the men should be arrested for the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery.

The Barnhill letter provided the substance and bases for the argument against charging the McMichael’s. A few days later a gruesome cell phone video of Arbery’s death went viral and brought national outrage, renewing attention to the case.

The Georgia Bureau of

William “Roddie” Bryan

Editor’s note: Bryan was arrested May 21 on felony murder charges.

Investigation (GBI) took over the investigations days later and charged the McMichael’s, both father and son with murder and aggravated assault. A day later, the agency couldn’t help but make a critical remark about the local investigation.

“Probable cause was clear to our agents pretty quickly,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds said during a press conference, implying that it should have been just as clear to George Barnhill.

Gregory McMichael had worked in the office of the original Prosecutor Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson. Later Georgia District Attorney George Barnhill noted Gregory McMichael also worked in a district attorney’s office where his son is a prosecutor.

Georgia is one of four states in the U.S. that doesn’t have a hate crime prevention law, according to the Department of Justice. If someone commits a crime motivated by bias, statewide authorities are unable to pursue additional charges or enhance penalties for the perpetrator. With 589, Georgia trailed only Mississippi in the total number of such killings. The state [of Georgia] must apply the law to the crime [of felony murder and aggravated assault].

The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act was a bipartisan effort introduced in December

2018 by three African-American Senators: California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker and South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott.

The bill, according to CNN’s Eli Watkins, deems lynching—or mob killings that take place without legal authority—as “the ultimate expression of racism in the United States,” and adds lynching to the list of federal hate crimes. S.488 - Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2019 was passed.

In this case, as he jogged through a neighborhood, innocent man Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed by two white men to intimidate a race of people, and used to characterize informal public executions, punished an alleged transgressor and intimidated a group (other African Americans) knowing they had the support of law enforcement and the District Attorney’s office. This case is beyond the “Blue Wall of Silence” where police officers cover for police corruption and misconduct. This cover-up involved an ex-policeman, the Glynn County Police Department and Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson.

As noted by the father of Ahmaud Arbery “Anytime you pursue a young man, go jump in a truck with shotguns and a pistol ... and you follow him and slaughter him like that, that’s lynching.”

The death of Ahmaud Arbery on Feb. 23, near Satilla Shores, a community near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia in Brunswick, GA was avoidable and the African American community will continue resisting until the town, state and country live up to the true meaning of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that no state shall “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”.

Fatherhood Advocate Pens Children’s Books That Help Parents Discuss Ahmaud Arbery Case Author & CEO Kenneth Braswell wrote these books understanding that cases like Ahmaud Arbery highlight racial trauma for Black parents and children.

Atlanta, GA (BlackNews.com) — Kenneth Braswell, Atlantabased CEO of Fathers Incorporated, has authored two children’s books, “Daddy, There’s a Noise Outside” and “Daddy Can I Cry?” to specifically help parents talk with their children about sensitive issues such as losing friends to gun violence, police brutality and the resulting protests that are a natural occurrence to a majority of these issues.

May was Mental Health Awareness Month and another reminder for African Americans, their mental health is in a constant state of threat.

The horrific incident of Ahmaud Arbery and the trauma inflicted through the viral video on top of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness. In a recent KFF poll, nearly half (45%) of adults in the United States reported that

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

23

their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the virus.

Following the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016, parents, educators and librarians around the world have been looking for ways to talk to children about race, justice, and privilege.

Braswell explains, “Over the past few years, it is sadly evident we still have a great deal of work to do to heal racial issues in our society. As a parent, I believe it is critical to be prepared to address any questions or concerns children may have about things they see in the media or their communities.

This can be done by educating ourselves on the issues and ensuring we can use quality resources and books like Daddy, There’s a Noise Outside and Daddy Can I Cry? to teach and understand the current and historic justice debates and protests.”

Both books are available on Amazon or can be purchased directly from the website at FistoreOnline.com .

Become a Homeowner with $1000 or Less One of the best kept real estate secrets revealed

Lost Your Joy?

By Barry Overton

Have you ever heard the

term “the best time to buy a

home is five years ago�? Well that may hold some weight, but Find it again at the

United Church of Montbello!

Come as you are and get connected to your best self through great fellowship and the love of Jesus Christ!

Sunday Worship: 8:00am (Traditional) and 10:30am (Gospel) 4VOEBZ 4DIPPM BN r 8FEOFTEBZ #JCMF 4UVEZ QN

Rev. Dr. James E. Fouther, Jr., Pastor 4879 Crown Blvd., Denver, CO 80239 303-373-0070 http://ucm.ctsmemberconnect.net

since we can’t jump in a DeLorean like Marty McFly and travel back in time, I have an alternative solution. The second best time is now!

EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION REPORT CARD COMPANY/OWNER/OPERATOR: (SAMPLE) DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE COLORADO CANNABIS INDUSTRY BCEI is your equity voice for Colorado’s Cannabis Industry. Our mission is to promote the growth of a safe, meaningful and fair cannabis industry. We promote sensible equity, diversity and inclusion policies and programs to maximize the responsible growth and development of Colorado’s cannabis market. BCEI strives to promote and engage equity efforts in all industry sectors including: ownership, community relations, employment, biotechnology, cultivation, manufacturing, finance, retail, security, industrial hemp and consulting services. Colorado is the epicenter of one of the most significant markets in the United States. Our legislative leaders, decision and policy makers are relying on our industry thought leaders, equity experts and community for best practices and common sense solutions for the cannabis landscape in Colorado. The BCEI Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Report Card is an equity tool that will be utilized to measure the cannabis industry’s and owner/operators commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in Colorado.

MAIN ANALYSIS Measure Equity, Diversity and Inclusion opportunities and relationships between the Cannabis industry and Black businesses as well as citizens in the growth of the Cannabis industry in the State of Colorado

EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION REPORT CARD BLACK PARTICIPATION ON BOARDS OF DIRECTORS (Member(s) of Black Community on Company Board of Directors)

A

BLACK OWNERS OR OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY (Black Owner(s) in Company Ownership Group)

A

BLACK EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES (Hiring & Promoting of Black Employees)

A

BLACK BUSINESS/VENDOR RELATIONSHIPS (Dollars Spent Doing Business with Black Businesses & Vendors)

A

BLACK MEDIA BUYS AND PLACEMENTS (Advertising Dollars Spent & Placements with Black Media)

A

BLACK COMMUNITY INVESTMENT & SUPPORT PARTICIPATION (Corporate Sponsorships/Donations/Contributions to Black Community Organizations and Programs)

A

BLACK EQUITY MEMBERSHIP SUPPORTER (Financially Supports the Mission, Vision and Agenda of the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative)

A

Many people have asked, is this a good time to buy in real estate? Any realtor would tell you that the answer is yes. Not because they are trying to get you to use them to sell a home and they’re going to profit from the sell, but more so, because of the reality of the Denver market.

Over the past eight years, we have seen significant increases in housing prices. So, it was a good time to buy in 2012 as prices went up. It was a good time to buy in 2015 because prices continued to go up. It was a good time to buy in 2019 and yet prices still continued to go up. And with the COVID-19 pandemic, many have become afraid in some instances, but many more have continued to see this as an opportunity to purchase. And guess what? Even amid COVID19, prices are still going up.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that you must have thousands of dollars to become a home owner. While it is helpful to have assets and financial liquidity, it is still possible to purchase a home for $1000 or less. This is where it becomes important to work with a seasoned agent who can ensure that your best interest as a buyer is priority one. My current buyers have made it a point to ensure that we get the seller to pay closing costs which covers the closing fees for the buyer. In some instances, we have buyers who are unable to put up the 3.5 or 5% down payment and we are able to get them into programs that will either give them a grant or a

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

24

loan that is tied to the purchase of the home. The beauty of that loan is they do not have to pay it back until they either sell or refinance the property.

There are also ways to locate and identify properties where the seller is very motivated to get the property sold.

Motivated sellers equal good deals for buyers. Even though there are many instances where bidding wars are occurring, through patience and the proper strategies, some buyers can find deals under the seller’s asking price and have the seller pay the closing costs.

Imagine buying a house and the seller pays your closing cost, and you also receive funding that is either on a deferred payment plan or a grant to you with no obligation to pay back at all. You can literally purchase a house and receive a check back to you at closing. This check comes back as a result of the earnest money you first put down on the house. So in essence, you end up buying a house with a minimal amount of out of pocket expense for you. Many people can qualify for this type of loan. Consult with your local lender or real estate professional to learn more about some of these available programs.

Editor’s note: Barry Overton is a licensed real estate agent since 2001. He started investing in real estate in 1996. For more information, email barrysellsdenver@msn.com.

Should I Take Vitamin D to Prevent Coronavirus?

By Dr. Erynn M. Burks

A

s we enter yet another month of social distancing and quarantine, coronavirus remains at the forefront of our minds and continues to dominate our news cycles. The scientific community has made strides towards understanding this novel virus better, and is in the process of looking for treatments and a vaccine. Still, there remains much and more we simply do not know yet— including what may or may not help our bodies fight the virus should we come in contact with it. Recently, nutrition science has been propped up as a possible way to prevent the virus.

Because of this, a fair amount of information is circulating on news sites and social media about the power of nutritional supplements, some of which claim extraordinary results.

Micronutrients (i.e., vitamins and minerals) are having a moment right now, and few have gotten as much attention lately as Vitamin D and its immune-boosting superpowers.

With so much chatter about the vitamin, you have to wonder: is it true? And if it is, should we all start taking supplements?

What is Vitamin D and Why Do I Need It? Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is absorbed with the fats found in our food and can be stored in our fat tissue.

Recommended daily intakes of vitamin D vary based on your age and are adequate for most individuals: • Infants: 400 IU/day

• Children 1 to 18 and Adults 19 to 70: 600 IU/day • Adults 71+: 800 IU/day Sources include natural as well as fortified foods like dairy products, breakfast cereals, fatty fish, mushrooms, and some brands of orange juice.

Additionally, the body makes vitamin D using sunlight; however, to make sufficient levels of the vitamin, you have to expose a large proportion of your skin to the sun without sunscreen. Furthermore, individuals with darker skin tones require longer exposure times due to the melanin in the skin.

Because of these stipulations, trying to get all of your vitamin D from the sun can increase your risk of skin cancer.

Vitamin D has many roles in the body. Most notable is in calcium absorption to help keep our bones strong. Individuals who do not consume enough of the nutrient are at risk for developing osteomalacia (Adult Rickets), a condition characterized by soft, brittle bones. Vitamin D also supports the immune system, healthy muscle function, and nerve cell conduction.

Can Vitamin D Prevent Coronavirus?

Consuming vitamin D rich foods or taking a supplement will not stop you from catching the coronavirus. Furthermore, taking more than what is recommended can put you at risk for vitamin D toxicity. A limited number of observational studies of patients in European countries suggest that individuals with low vitamin D intakes or a vitamin D deficiency had worse COVID-19 symptoms and a greater risk of death from the illness. This data seems to suggest that vitamin D levels affect the immune system’s response to the virus, but without further research to validate these findings and test their effectiveness in a clinical setting (i.e., a randomized trial), what seems like good news is little more than speculation.

What we do know about vitamin D and immunity is this: vitamin D helps regulate immune function, and low intakes of the nutrient are associated with an increased risk of bacterial and viral infections, as well as, certain respiratory illnesses like COPD, asthma, and tuberculosis.

Ensuring adequate intakes of the nutrient will not prevent the coronavirus, but consuming a healthy diet complete with vitamin D rich foods can help you maintain your health, not just during this pandemic, but for the rest of your life.

Should We All Start Taking Supplements?

There is no research to suggest that vitamin D supplements (or any other supplements) prevent coronavirus infection. Unless you have a deficiency, a daily vitamin D supplement is likely unnecessary. Furthermore, consuming vitamin D above 4,000 IU/day can lead to negative health effects and toxicity. If you are worried about nutritional gaps, opt for a daily multivitamin instead.

Supplements are considered medications and should not be taken on a hunch. The only way to accurately determine if you need a supplement is through a blood test. If you are diagnosed with a deficiency, your doctor is likely to prescribe high-dose vitamin D2 or vitamin D3.

While vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is less potent, it is indicated for use in severe vitamin D deficiency and available at much higher doses. By contrast, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is active form vitamin D that can be found in health food stores and is useful for maintenance dosing to keep vitamin D levels stable once they have returned to normal. Check with your healthcare provider to determine how best to treat your deficiency and keep it from reoccurring..

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

25

These Six Black Patients Were Denied A Test,

Irvin Lee, also known as the “The Undiscovered Artist,” with son Dante Lee.

And Then Died From Coronavirus!

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) – Federal data has already confirmed that most of the deadly victims of COVID-19 in the United States are African American. However, many news reports are failing to report that many of those who have died from the virus were also denied tests. In fact, some were denied a test multiple times. Here are six cases: #1 - Bassey Offiong: a 25-year old Nigerian American college student at Western Michigan University who died from the virus just a few weeks before

his graduation. Detroit News reports that he was denied a test multiple times. #2 - Gary Fowler: a 56-year old from Detroit who died at home from the virus. USAToday reports that he literally “begged” for a test, but was rejected on multiple occasions. #3 - Rana Zoe Mungin: a 30-year old social studies teacher from Brooklyn who died from the virus after being on life support for almost a month. CBS News reports she was rushed to the hospital three times and was denied a test each time.

PUBLISH TODAY!!!

Are You A Subject Matter Expert In Your Field?

Consider sharing your knowledge with your industry by publishing a textbook.

Students from pre‐school through post graduate studies still need good, well written, organized, quality learning materials.

Like most industries, the publishing business has undergone major, structural changes over the past few years. The need for quicker, digital solutions is at the core of the industry today. These vast changes have made it possible for authors to have greater control over their projects.

With Print on Demand Publishing Vertex Learning can offer: • Excellent Royalty Structure • Global Distribution • Easy Installment Payment Plan • No Literary Agent to Hire • No Lengthy Book Proposal to Develop • No Unnerving Approval Process to Endure

Your small investment gives you total control over your project from start to finish

E‐Book • Soft Cover • Hard Cover Translation into Multiple Languages Available

Order Your Free Publishing Kit at www.vertexlearning.com or call 800-995-7670

#4 - Kayla Williams: a 36-year old mother from London, UK with three children who died from the virus just 24 hours after she called for an ambulance. The Guardian reports that was initially told that she was not a “priority.” #5 - Deborah Gatewood: a 63year old from Detroit who died from the virus just two weeks after testing positive. NBC News reports that she was denied a test three times from the hospital where she worked. #6 - Thomas Fields Jr: a 32-year old Navy sailor who was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, who died from the virus.

However, his story is a bit different. He himself was not denied a test, but prior to him feeling sick, his mom began to show the symptoms of the virus and was denied a test. WTKR reports that Thomas took care of his mom when she was sent home untested, but sadly he contracted the virus from her.

As she got better, he got worse.

Had she been given a test, she would have been in the hospital and would not have exposed her son to the virus.

As to be expected, these stories have created a national uproar within the nationwide Black community. Activists, educators, preachers and even media personalities have been speaking up about it.

The way of delivery may be different, but their message is the same: Black and brown people are being discriminated against when it comes to who gets or doesn’t get a COVID-19 test... and it’s killing them!

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

26

Father Writes and Produce Song In Honor Of His Son’s Virus Experience When 39-year old Dante Lee began experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19, mainly consistent shortness of breath, he immediately went to the hospital to seek treatment, but was denied a test. He returned home still not knowing whether or not he was infected, and if there was a possibility of infecting his family members. He began experiencing the symptoms of the virus back in March 2020, but since then he has recovered.

His father, Irvin Lee, a new artist who calls himself “The Undiscovered Artist,” was so disappointed and frustrated with this experience that he decided to write an R&B/pop song about it.

The new song about the Coronavirus is infecting Black America with some very powerful, hard-hitting lyrics. The song, written and song by Lee in honor of his son, hits home for thousands of Blacks in the U.S. and the UK that can relate to racial disparity and discrimination when it comes to being treated, and even being tested for the virus.

The song, “Coronavirus Song (The Rona Song),” the Undiscovered Artist can be heard online at CoronavirusSong.com. The song is streaming on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, and all major digital music platforms.

The video can be watched on YouTube. .

Strangers Within Four Walls

By Efrekah Blespritt

© Denver Urban Spectrum 2020: This poem is dedicated to men and women who are experiencing communication challenges and/or domestic violence while quarantined together during 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

At first it seemed so special, two minds merging as one, hoping to achieve big dreams, only to be undone.

From unexpected expectations, distorted lies and shams, destroying a Godly vision, and ultimately a plan.

I don’t know how we got here; it all seems like a blur.

Only time would tell eventually, revealing what would occur One day friends, almost lovers, everyone would call, Destiny did and now we’re strangers, living within four walls.

During a time for needed words, are silenced for civility.

Happy talk is when you’re high, all others reveal hostility.

A perfect time to build and rebuild, a bond worth protecting, instead the moments, hours and days, are lost in solidarity.

Unspoken words, forever lost, never to be regained, Just pain, suffering, and unhappiness, within these walls of shame.

I don’t know how I got here, or why I’m taken for granted.

I give, I provide, and ask for nothing, but still I feel degraded.

I wish I knew the answer, of why the change of heart.

Who stop caring first and why, and now we must depart.

New relations are always good, but old ones should be cherished.

So it’s okay to walk away, just let it be with merit.

My heart is big, which makes it heavy, when filled with much untrue.

If I was you, and you were me, what do you suggest we do?

Can’t understand this boundless hate, name calling and disrespect.

And thinking that I’m stupid, undermines your intellect.

You text and talk of me every day, secluded with others you know, not caring of my feeling, even though, you know, I know.

The saying is, you reap what you sow, meaning everyone can fall.

So just so you know, this stranger is unnerving, within these four grim walls.

No one knows what’s going on, and think everything is fine.

Emerging only to laugh and talk, and smoke is asinine.

You smile and joke and try to appear, like everything is okay, while both of us avoid each other, in every possible way.

So when they leave and close the door, little do they know, behind the door are just two strangers, they really do not know.

I feel muddled and question why, and pray for clarity each day.

Please show me, tell me, reveal Your plan, and guide me on my way.

You know my heart and my desires; You’ve brought me through dark times.

I pray today and every day, for strength to just survive.

I pray for the stranger for peace and joy, that perfect love is found I thank you for protecting us; within these walls we’re bound.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

27

Top 10 R&B, Hip Hop and Reggae Songs about the Coronavirus Pandemic Alicia Keys, Cardi B, Doug E. Fresh, and more

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) — During the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, some of the world’s biggest Black musicians are utilizing their talents to create anthems that call for unity and offer musical lyrics

15037 E. Colfax Chambers Plaza • Aurora, CO 720-620-3236 rdesigns80210@yahoo.com

that the global community can resonate with. There are actually more R&B, Hip-Hop, and Reggae songs about the coronavirus pandemic than most would believe.

Here are our top 10 picks: #1 - “Good Job” Alicia Keys: As a nod to essential workers, Alicia Keys dedicates her voice to acknowledge their hard work and dedication. In her song, she thanks all the health care workers who have worked through this pandemic and helped keep America in motion. #2 - “Coronavirus Song (The Rona Song)” by The Undiscovered Artist: This song, fused with a blend of R&B, Hip-Hop and auto tune, is a firsthand look into our new

reality. The artist sings about how a once normal trip to the grocery store has transformed into a virus guessing game. The song is based on the artist’s personal experience with his son who was refused a COVID-19 test. #3 - “I Believe We Will Win”

by Pitbull: Mr. Worldwide himself has harnessed his party starter energy into a motivational track reassuring citizens of their strength. Pitbull uses his organic rap cadence to provide a motive to keep pushing through it all. #4 - “Coronavirus Song” by Cardi B & iMarkKeyz: This viral video turned song was the breakout hit of the COVID-19 pandemic. The viral producer iMarkKeyz took ten minutes of his time to remix one of Cardi B’s rants and the rest is history.

This catchy tune is guaranteed to leave you randomly screaming. CUHRONAVYYRUSS. #5 - “Six Feet” by Doug E. Fresh and Novant Health: Novant Health partnered with legendary rapper and entertainer Doug E. Fresh for a play on his famous “6 minutes” lyric into a fun message on social distancing. #6 - “Corona Clap” by Dee1: This rap song with an infectious beat combines everything to create a bounce track filled with comedy and truth-filled verses. In the song, he shouts out countries most affected by the virus and also speaks out on the suspended NBA season,

2nd Location

Now Open in Lakewood

Open ONLY for Pickup and Catering INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED PACKAGES AFRICAN BAR & GRILL #1 • #2 AFRICAN BAR & GRILL •Dine-In 18601 Green Valley Ranch • 955 S. Kipling Parkway Denver, CO 80249 • Lakewood, CO 80226 303-375-7835 • 303-985-4497 Open: 11 AM to 10 PM • Open: 11 AM to 9 PM Monday through Saturday

•Take out •Catering •Reserve Your Holiday Party

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

28

schools being closed, toilet paper hoarding, churches being closed, and more. #7 - “Coronavirus” by Gmac Cash: This rap song is a self-isolation and social distancing anthem that highlights the importance of proper hygiene in this time of great uncertainty.

It has been endorsed and shared by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Joe Rogan and more. #8 - “Corona Virus Alert” by Bobi Wine & Nubian Li: This song, by Ugandan pop star and opposition leader Bobi Wine, urges Africans to wash their hands to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. The song also criticizes various African governments for not maintaining better health care systems. #9 - “Corona Virus (Dancehall Song)” by Ras Strika: This reggae dancehall song by Ras Strika, who was born in Jamaica but currently resides in the UK, cleverly puts together a plethora of information regarding the current epidemic that is taking over the globe today. #10 - “Corona Virus (COVID-19)” by Sizzla Kalonji: In this song, recorded to raise awareness, reggae artist Sizzla talks about the virus’ spread and, above all, for cleanliness and prevention. His lyrics tell listeners: “Dem a chat bout Corona Virus de about, better be careful, no better make it go ina your house (...) protect the little children, don’t put your hand ina your mouth...”.

Local Chapter Of Nationwide Black Organization Supports Pandemic Relief In Queens, New York Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Inc. Makes $10K Donation to CUNY/York College and The 1906 Project

Queens, NY (BlackNews.com) — Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Incorporated is providing much needed funds to support the most vulnerable in Queens, New York, during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

As the nation responds to the coronavirus pandemic, Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Inc., has donated $10,000 to Pandemic Relief, to support the 1906 Project and the One York Emergency Fund at York College. This donation will provide assistance to those in our community who are most vulnerable, low-income individuals, students and families, whose health and wellness are at risk and who are experiencing economic hardship.

Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Inc., together with the 1906 Project will increase the ability for persons in the community to be tested, on the campus of York College at the Southeast Queens Drive Thru Free Testing for COVID-19, located on the College’s Performing Arts Center parking lot. The One York Emergency

Relief Fund, with the support of the Chapter will financially assist York college students.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, York students have been economically impacted, preventing many from being able to complete their 2019/2020 academic courses.

Jacqueline ArringtonPinkard, President, Greater Queens Chapter stated, “As we’re aware, this pandemic has had a devastating impact in communities resulting in community members, family, friends and colleagues testing positive, with unfortunately, far too many perishing from this deadly virus. Members of Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Inc., have a deep responsibility to ensure testing for COVID-19, is available to everyone in our community.”

Jean Duchatellier, President of The 1906 Project, said that the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has had a devastating impact on communities around the world. “We were able to do our part working with health professionals, local businesses,

other charities and elected officials to help ensure that the Southeast Queens community continues to receive the necessary resources to combat the virus.”

Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (D-Queens), affirmed, “The Southeast Queens community is undoubtedly working the front lines of this crisis, and therefore more prone to exposure.”

Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Incorporated is committed to “Transforming Communities and Fulfilling our Purpose.” President ArringtonPinkard further commented, “The education of our students is of the utmost importance, for their personal and professional growth, and our continued growth as a nation. They should not be deterred by this vicious virus from their academic pursuits.”

“On behalf of the entire York College family, I extend heartfelt appreciation to the women of Greater Queens Chapter of

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

29

The Links, Inc., for their generous donation of $5,000, which will assist in providing financial support to our students and to the York College Food Pantry.

Since our inception, York College has worked with the Southeast Queens Community, developing partnerships that have enabled our students, families and the community to grow and thrive. “Thank you for your support in these trying times,” expressed Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes, Interim President, York College, CUNY. Together, Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, the 1906 Project and York College will direct the $10,000 donation to fill the gaps arising from this pandemic and to address aspects of the outbreak as efficiently as possible..

Editor’s note: For more information on Greater Queens Chapter of the Links, Inc. visit www.greaterqueenslinks.org or email GQLCommunications@gmail.com



ALL CAUSES HAVE ADVOCATES. BUT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV ONLY A CHAMPION WILL DO.



Jamaa Health and Healing Chiropractic

 Dr. Tracey Jones, D.C.

Introducing Vivent Health, founded on the combined expertise of AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Rocky Mountain CARES and St. Louis Effort for AIDS. And steadfastly dedicated to serving anyone and everyone affected by HIV through our comprehensive prevention, care and treatment programs.

Learn more at ViventHealth.org

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – June 2020

30

•Chiropractic Care •Physical Therapy •Nutritional Council •Custom Orthotics •Car Accidents •Neck and Back Pain •Sports Injuries •Headaches & Migraines •Work Injuries •Pain & Numbness in Arms & Legs

3090 S. Jamaica Ct., Unit 306 Aurora, CO 80014 303-524-2994 jhhchiropractic@outlook.com

Don’t Let COVID-19 Stop You From Being Counted!

Celebrate Being Counted!

YOU MATTER, WE MATTER,

THE COMMUNITY MATTERS!

Due to Covid-19, we have canceled all in-person events through May and June 2020.

For resources about the 2020 Census and being counted, please visit our website:

caahealth.org/census or call us at (303) 355-3423 to schedule a time with a census expert.

FOR MORE INFO

caahealth.org / (303) 355-3423 / info@caahealth.org

PROUD MEMBER OF