UMADAOP Resource Guide

A Story of Sobriety Telling the Story Sharing the Success:

Since the start of the pandemic, medical professionals have turned to telehealth and other virtual resources to assist their patients and clients. As a recovery support advocate Ozetta Harris has become familiar with video conferencing programs. She co-hosts three daily group recovery sessions.The latest session is called “Chop It Up” and is a platform that facilitates discussions on situations threatening attendees’ sobriety.The conversations are designed to cover all types of addiction, as Harris believes anyone recovering needs to know their concerns and needs are heard. “When these people enter recovery, what they were dependent on got pulled from under their feet, so it could be easy for them to return to what made them comfortable,” she said. “I’m speaking from experience.” Her journey with substance abuse started with a seed of exclusion and loneliness during her childhood. Harris lived with her mother, whose house was often the active nightspot of the neighborhood. Other parents taught their children to avoid the house and everyone who lived there. After dealing with ridicule all throughout her school-aged years, Harris received a job at a local bank. But aiding in credit card fraud with other employees left her jobless and with a one-year prison sentence. “I felt like I was messed up and felt I had really let everyone down.That’s when I started drinking.”

Recipe to Life

She began the decline on the road of alcoholism, unable to continue any attempt at sobriety for more than a couple of years. Her husband at the time often enabled her addiction. She was repeatedly arrested from her home after becoming aggressive while inebriated. In one instance prior to receiving a sentence, Harris stood before a judge who captured the severity of her addiction. “The judge held up a stack of papers that listed how many times I’d been arrested for

-Ozetta Harris “I want them to see they always have a way out.”

In 2015, Harris received her counseling license. “In 2018, I went to UMADAOP again, not from a mandate or requirement for community service, but as a productive citizen.They asked me to come back because I have a story and something I can offer others going through what I did.” Harris often returns to the neighborhoods and shelters she frequented during her years of addiction to share her story and hopes to inspire those currently dealing with addiction. “I always want to do this for people like me,” she said. “This is the reason I do what I do.” As she continues counseling, Harris is also producing a Youtube series called “The O-Zone.”The show will host people who are well into their years of sobriety and give them a platform to talk about their successes and experiences with recovery programs. “When I’m helping people, it helps me. I want them to see they always have a way out. I want those sharing in this experience to also realize that and pass it to anyone watching.” Harris’s vision for the show began in April 2020. Her journey through addiction and story of triumphs will be featured as one of the episodes. After serving her time in jail, Harris spent a couple of months in treatment and was then assigned a sponsor to assist her through the later stages of recovery. Her community service requirement gave her the opportunity to work at Cleveland UMADAOP cleaning the facility. She soon received close mentorship from one of the program’s employees who later relieved Harris of her cleaning duties. She told Harris to, instead, spend the remainder of her service hours watching recordings of the organization’s group sessions. “I got used to coming in, watching those tapes, and hearing different people’s stories. But my life changed one day when I sat down to watch the next tape and I heard someone telling my story. I saw a woman who seemed hopeless like me speaking on how she overcame her struggle. It’s like she gave me the recipe to change my life.”This marked the start of Harris’s journey to recovery. She now vividly recalls having her last experience with alcohol in 2006 and has continued her walk of sobriety since. The O-Zone disorderly conduct,” Harris said. “I stood before that judge a broken woman, like a car wreck. She told me I wasn’t only dealing with alcohol abuse, but also a mental disorder. She told me that when I got out, I’d go to treatment. And that’s what did it for me.”

Exceeding the Standards of Treatment

Changing Perspectives Since 2001, Len “LC” Collins has been the executive director of the Cleveland Treatment Center (CTC). He began his work in the medical field as a medical illustrator with the Cleveland Department of Public Health. His work alongside department leaders and attendance at community meetings gave him ideas of ways to better connect with parts of the community struggling with drug addiction, mental health, violence, gangs, and HIV. Collins began working to create messaging that was culturally relevant, specific, and sensitive to the various target groups. “I was later asked to be a health educator, and I started looking for opportunities to give drug counseling and treatment less of a negative connotation among the public.” Now as the CTC’s executive director, Collins is responsible for managing the organization’s daily operations. The center is the first fully accredited service provider in Northeast Ohio by the Commission on Accreditation on Rehabilitation of Facilities as an opioid treatment program. Through its medication-assisted treatment (MAT), the program serves more than 500 individuals. Since just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Collins says there has been a significant uptick in overdose cases in Cleveland and surrounding areas. “There have been more people who have died in the last two years than in the previous 18. He says the common link is fentanyl, as increasing amounts of drugs are laced with the synthetic opioid. According to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, there has

We have to be culturally competent. We have to produce inclusive programs, not just for minorities, but of others also so all people have access to quality health and life experiences. Collins says changing perspectives and methods around education related to drug misuse and the negative misconceptions about MAT is a significant way to address the opioid epidemic and promote prevention. A program designed to discuss prevention methods may unintentionally create curiosity in its audience. “Some programs will talk about the different types of opioids and where they’re commonly distributed. Clients may also learn about what it takes to get high on those drugs and what those highs can feel like. After receiving that information, someone may go out seeking those dealers or sources of fentanyl and the high they’ve learned it can bring.” Collins says the CTC works to educate their clients not only on the realities and detrimental effects of addiction but also on the possibilities that arise from change and recovery. “Programs shouldn’t just be focused on teaching people how not to get high, but they should also be teaching them how to live.” been a marked increase in deaths in the African American population due to fentanyl being added to cocaine.

- LC Collins

Youth Programs Collins’s position allows him to provide

creative youth programs provide productive activities and outlets for children and teens whose caregivers are struggling with addiction. The center also stands as the 41st Berkeley College of Music community networking site to offer music history and education to young individuals. Let it Ride, one of the program’s youth bands, released an album titled Got it Going On and has performed at corporate and other social events to spread the message of recovery in nontraditional ways. Outdoor, technical, and job training also give the young attendees practical skills to position them for productive and successful futures. “Our kids can get their boating license, learn archery, and become camp leaders across the county,” Collins said. “When they first start with us, we ask them what skills they don’t have. Then we know what more to incorporate into our programs.” As the organization continues to grow, Collins says the focus will remain on excelling as a community resource for cost-effective

representation for the program’s consumers. His responsibility for writing grants and applying for funding means he can bring the needs and concerns of the clients he sees daily and include them in decisions. “What we do comes from a humanistic approach to care.”

While the center focuses on drug treatment, its reach spans further and is known to the community as an arts-related program. In the last four years, the center has produced two New York Times bestselling graphic novels. Its

and abstinence-based drug prevention and treatment.

SPIRITUALITY IN RECOVERY

addiction: biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. He

“I often wondered where religion fell into the process of treatment and recovery,” As the founder and executive director of a ministry dedicated to professionally training counselors, McDaniel often references four major theories of Throughout his nearly 40 years of work in chemical dependency counseling, Karell T. McDaniel’s sessions have spanned beyond discussions of substances and mental health. They reach deeper into an area he believes is often overlooked yet is vital to progressing through the 12 steps of recovery. His work in the field initially began as a drug counselor in the military. But after his separation in 1993, his ministerial passion and commitment to bettering treatment processes led him to pursue an uncommon path in counseling. “I often wondered where religion fell into the process of treatment and recovery,” he said. “In a lot of the treatment programs I’d seen, I noticed the religious portion was absent. That shifted my approach.” In the African-American community, where religion is the backbone of many households, McDaniel says the need for spirituality in counseling during recovery is great. “Many of these individuals have been brought up in their faith, and there is an innate desire to turn back to that faith. But as a result of their addiction, they may find their spiritual connection has been blocked or eroded.”

believes his calling in the field is to direct increased attention to the spiritual part of the recovery process. In 2006, he founded Life Recovery Ministries, an organization that provides faith-based counseling through support groups and education. He was also instrumental in founding the Recovery Church. The two organizations are designed to build a bridge between professional providers and the faith-based community. “Just as hospitals have chaplains in them, I didn’t understand why the treatment community did not have chaplains in them.” McDaniel believes the disconnect between treatment programs and spirituality prevents clients from accessing and healing parts of themselves that are vital to their recovery. Cuyahoga County, which led to him becoming one of the first funded faith-based providers in the county. During assessments, McDaniel and his team asked clients if they believe in God or a higher power. “About 94 percent of them always acknowledged that they did. So that became the question of their faith and how practicing their religious beliefs can be incorporated into a system to best lead them through the recovery process.” In 2012, McDaniel became the chair of a faith-based sub-committee funded by the ADAMHS Board of

- KARELL MCDANIEL

Restoring Faith

“I believe that our core and our connection to God or a higher power is essential however we choose to believe. ”

Because many programs are not equipped to provide spiritual guidance, clients acknowledging religious backgrounds often do not receive attention specifically geared toward restoring their faith. “I believe that our core and our connection to God or a higher power is essential however we choose to believe. Individuals who have the longest-term recovery are connected with a spiritual component of recovery. We must have our inner values, our belief systems, and our faith checked, just as we routinely do tune-ups on our cars. If I continue in addictive behaviors, that’s

- KARELL MCDANIEL

counter to what I say I believe in and a conflict that needs to be addressed during these counseling sessions.” To address this challenge, McDaniel moves his clients through eight stages of Developing a Heart for Change. The program helps its clients recenter their faith from using alcohol and drugs to cope to a revived hope in God. “It’s challenging, but it’s ultimately in line with the other treatment models. There’s a focus on the physical and mental aspects of recovery. There should be just as much on the spiritual.”

THE 14 DAYS…

A Walk to Sobriety

Carolyn Greene is a licensed chemical dependency

counselor. She sees clients through her remedial counseling program, Greene Acres. She says she was destined to work in recovery services, as she was once attending some of the same sessions she now hosts.

Becoming Stable

Christian mothers. Their discipline taught me how to raise my newborn child. After a year there, I got into a transitional program, and that was good progress for me. I had an apartment, kept up with my medical appointments, and attended my counseling sessions. That allowed me to save money, go back to school, get a job, and get back on my feet. When I became stable, I received visitation for my other three children. Going through family counseling with them revealed a lot of anger and trauma from my oldest kids. I didn’t know how to explain to them how I couldn’t keep them when they were younger but was able to change my life and path after giving birth to my youngest daughter. I had to learn to deal with that. My youngest daughter is 26 now, so I’m 26 years sober. I found a lot of support through AA meetings. I went to church and befriended older women I knew wouldn’t influence me to return to my previous way of life. After receiving a nudge from God to start missionary work, I left my job to be able to fully assist people going through alcohol and drug treatment. People around me saw my work and consistently encouraged me to become a social worker. I went to school to get my license. Ever since then, I’ve been working in this field. For me, I like to challenge my clients and what they believe. Whatever happened in their life challenged them, and they didn’t know how to work through that challenge. I have to figure out what that is so I can help them learn what they need to. We have to help people change for the environment they’re in, and I want to use my story to strengthen them to do that.” - CAROLYN GREENE “I don’t want to live like this anymore. I want help.”

“I started drinking at the age of 12. My parents had several after-hour joints, so alcohol was readily available. By 13, I’d started using marijuana. I participated in street life, sold drugs, and went through a lot of traumas because of it. When I was 17, I was kidnapped and later had my first child after I was raped. I was on drugs throughout that pregnancy, just like I was during my other three. When I was pregnant with my youngest child, people often said they didn’t want to sell to me and aid in the damage I was doing to my unborn baby. So I decided I was going to rob someone to get what I wanted. There was a part of me that knew I was wrong, but there was also a part of me that couldn’t correct it. I robbed them and got high for two weeks straight. One day I was sitting in the drug house, and I heard what I now know was God telling me I was going to die like that if I didn’t change something. I later agreed to go to a clinic in the neighborhood. The people there looked at me like I was crazy. I was hallucinating from being high for 14 days straight. I’d been there so many times throughout my other pregnancies and stolen so much from the clinic that the doctor refused to see me. But I just sat there. I knew this clinic was my only hope. Eventually, a social worker walks up to me and asks, ‘What do you want us to do for you?’ Something about her voice broke me down. I told her, ‘I don’t want to live like this anymore. I want help.’ That’s when they finally took me in. During my examination, they found 14 drugs in my system. The doctors told me they couldn’t help me and their only choice was to admit me to the psych ward. ‘I don’t care,’ I told them. They handcuffed me to the bed, and from that point began my journey to recovery. As I began to sober up, I was able to reflect on the decisions I’d made. I was feeling remorse for all the things I’d done. After leaving the psych ward, I was connected with a home run by older

A Deadly Dose: Fentanyl IN THE African American Overdoses

Community

From 2020 reports, there were about 430 overdose deaths from fentanyl in Cuyahoga County, according to Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson. Of those, 117 were African American .

D uring the 1990s, the increasing se- verity of the prescription drug cri- sis did not primarily affect African Americans. “That may have been, in large part, because of the healthcare disparity or doctors’ approach to treating pain among Black people,” Gilson said. “But it was clear African Americans did not have the same issue with the epidemic as white suburban areas.” However, during that time and through to- day, crack cocaine has been the consistent drug of choice for users within the Black community. “It wasn’t until cocaine and fentanyl were wedded that we started see- ing the explosion of overdose deaths among African Americans from these drugs.”

was responsible for seven overdose deaths that year. In 2015, there were 25 deaths. By the end of 2017, that number had in- creased by four times. “We really started seeing fentanyl being added more in the African American community in 2016, and that was devastating.” When looking at the potency of opiates, ex- perts use morphine as the bas line for com- parison. Heroin has about four times the potency of morphine. Fentanyl, however, has 40 times the potency of heroin and 80 times the potency of morphine. Fentanyl was first introduced in the 1960s as an anesthetic or pain medication. Its use scaled as other pain medications also emerged onto the market. However, in 2015, the illicit drug market began using fentanyl and manufacturing

A potent narcotic, the use of fentanyl first spread in the Black community in 2014 and

“Fentanyl has 40 times the potency of heroin and 80 times the potency of morphine.”

it overseas. “People are always looking for anesthetics and pain killers, and fentanyl just is a very potent one.” Gilson believes drug dealers saw the opportunity to tap into a new market and introduced fentanyl to the minority community. “Cocaine is a stimulant, and fen- tanyl is a depressant. Mixing the two most seems like a business decision for people who make their living from hurting people through drugs, so fentanyl steadily in- filtrated the market.” While morphine and heroin are made from plants and require ideal growing envi- ronments, fentanyl is manufactured in laboratories, making production easier and faster. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Gilson be- lieves there may have been some correlations be- tween 2020 overdose numbers and effects from the pandemic. “There was a spike in May, and that’s when many people received their first federal stimulus checks. That also fell around a time when many of the heavier stay-at-home restrictions were temporarily lifted. So there may have been a combination of people having extra mon- ey in their pockets and losing tolerance of being inside the house. It may have just been a perfect storm.” Gilson says risk reduction programs and efforts are the fu- ture of addressing these staggering numbers, as community leaders work to introduce greater numbers of Narcan kits to the community. They have also begun including fentanyl test strips with the distribution kits. “If someone is using drugs, knowing if it’s laced with fentanyl could modify their behavior and serve as a wake-up call to save their life.” Plans are also in place to expand county educational programs

in schools. “We want to be in middle and high schools offering timely advice and discour- aging children from going down that path.”

Kamala Harris: The First of Many

Dressed in a purple coat and ensemble and with pearls around her neck, Kamala Harris stood beside the podium with her right hand on the Bible. A smile was pressed onto her lips as she waited to repeat the phrases of her oath of office as the newly elected vice president of the United States. She was both the first woman and Black woman to stand in that position. Born in Oakland, California to parents who emigrated from India and Jamaica, Harris grew up in the environ- ment of advocacy. Her parents were justice advocates and often brought her to demonstrations during the Civ- il Rights Movement. At a young age, she was introduced to activists like Constance Baker, Charles Hamilton Houston and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. She has said these individuals were role models whose work furthered her interest in attending law school. She boasts educational accomplishments and graduated from Howard University and the University of California’s Hastings College of Law. Once in her career, Harris became the first Black woman to serve as the district attorney for the county of San Francisco. In 2017, she was elected to the Senate and was only the second Black woman to serve in that position. Through her work, Harris has backed and sponsored legislation supporting criminal justice reform, an- ti-lynching and policies benefitting women and young girls. In her first speech as vice president-elect in No- vember 2020, she said she hopes to inspire and encourage other women across the country to shatter the barriers surrounding them in school, work and politics. “While I may be the first woman in this office, I won’t be the last because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.” During her initial campaign, Harris became one of only 11 Black women in the history of the United States to run for president. Though none of them won their

political races, the representation and historic events of their campaigns often encouraged minority voter registration and created valuable points of inspiration and progress for women and African Americans. Harris tailored her running points to Black Americans and con- sistently underlined her Jamaican and Indian roots.

“We did it, Joe. We did it.”

When she accepted Joe Biden’s request to join his campaign as vice president, she further opened a path that had been previously uncharted for minority groups across the country. “We did it, Joe. We did it,” she said after learning of their victory. While the iconic words signaled the end to efforts to win the election, they were a celebration of progress for the women, Black Ameri- cans and other minority groups who later watched the reaction. All throughout her campaign and the election, Kama- la Harris’ first name was often mispronounced, raising questions of how to enunciate the syllables containing the Indian meaning of “lotus flower.” Many Black men and women could identify with having names over which native English tongues would stutter. Hearing her name spoken correctly, however, in front of an audi- ence of the country’s top politicians and to the ears of millions of Americans on inauguration day solidified the tone of representation and respect Harris, her role models and activist predecessors have advocated for.

My mother would look at me, and she’d say, ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last. That’s why breaking those barriers is worth it. As much as anything else, it is also to create that path for those who will come after us. - Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States “ ”

The Increasing Influence of America’s Black Vote Since 1992, no candidate has won the Democratic nomination without receiving a majority of the black vote

A s Biden took his official oath during the presidential inauguration alongside Kamala Harris on Jan. 20, 2021, he and Black voters across the country were aware of their pivotal factor in the two leaders winning the election. This was reflected during the voting period in cities with large populations of Black voters. Preliminary national exit polls showed about 87% of Black voters favored Biden over Trump. Those numbers were specifically divided between the votes of 19% of all Black men and 9% of all Black women in America. Exit poll data also show that Black Americans represented more than 50% of all Democratic voters in Geor- gia. Large numbers were also reflected in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. In February 2020, Rep. James Clyburn, the House majority whip and highest-ranking African American in Congress, endorsed Biden three days before the South Carolina primary. Many Demo- cratic voters living in the southeastern state said Clyburn’s endorsement was a swaying factor in their decision to vote for Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris. Last year, the number of votes Black Americans accounted for was more than triple what they were only a few decades ago. While the influence of the Black vote held a significant role, its power was overtly apparent in the 2016 campaign that followed the 2008 election garnering 13% of Black votes, 95% of which were for Barack Obama. It’s why Donald Trump focused so much of his campaign on winning the vote of Black Americans during his 2016 campaign. “What do you have to lose by trying something new, like Trump? I will produce for the inner cities. I will produce for the African Americans,” he said. Trump’s effort to appeal to African Americans portrayed the growing dynamic of catering to Black voters that had been growing since much earlier years in history. In 1972, Shirley Chisholm launched what was a historic campaign and became the first African American to run for a Democratic presidential nom- ination. She’d become the first Black U.S. Congress- woman and was a co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus. Under her slogan “Unbought and Un- bossed,” Chisholm wanted her campaign to be an in- augural avenue for other Black Americans to run for the presidency. She strived to change the narrative that only white men could run for or hold the coun- try’s executive position. and her campaign picked up record numbers of votes from Black women.

In 1976, on the day before the New Hampshire primary, presidential candidates Sargent Shriver, Morris Udall, Jimmy Carter, Henry Jackson, Fred Harris and Milton Shapp were the Democratic names on the ticket. This election was like the oth- ers during its time, as all-white spreads of candidates were typical. The Voting Rights Act was just 10 years old at the time, and Black voters would only make up 10% of the voting population. In 1984, however, the leader of Operation PUSH, Rev. Jesse Jackson, became the second African American to run for president. His campaign en- couraged extensive voter registration among African Americans. Black voters in New Jersey, for example, represented 20% of the June Democratic primary electorate. This was nearly triple the percentage these votes accounted for in 1980. On Super Tues- day, Jackson received 21% of votes in Georgia, a state known for its large Black population. His campaign expanded the role of Black voters in U.S. elections. Last year, the number of votes Black Americans accounted for was more than triple what they were only a few decades ago. Forty years later, by the time campaigns began for the 2020 election, much had changed, and Black voter registration was steadily on the rise as the U.S. displayed one of its most diverse list of candidates. There were four Black major Democratic candidates, including Wayne Messam of Florida, Cory Book- er of New Jersey, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California. A much wider spread of representation on the Democratic ticket brought higher percentages of Black voters to the polls. These numbers were exponentially higher and incomparable to the 1976 election and several others of its time. Since 1992, no candidate has won the Democratic nomination without receiving a majority of the black vote. As a minority group, the growing influence of the votes of Black Americans will often be respon- sible for bringing historical change to the United States.

Then and Now: A Look at Two of America's Most Prolific Racial Justice Movements

The protests and demonstrations that followed characterized black Lives Matter as a grassroots movement

T wo movements. Two vastly different periods in history. One cause. The Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movements were cre- ated for the purpose of establishing and furthering positive societal practices and treatment of African Americans. Though they differ in time periods, leaders and specific motivating events, they were both led and founded upon activism for justice and equality for Black people. Started in the mid-1950s, the Civil Rights Movement was a social movement with the goal to end discrimination and racial segregation toward African Amer- icans. It was known for its non-violent approaches to addressing and calling attention to acts of racial discrimination. Lunch counter sit-ins and the Montgom- ery Bus Boycott that involved 42,000 people and lasted more than a year are some of its most notable examples. Black Lives Matter is an international political and activist movement that be- gan in 2013 within the Black community to demand and support practices against violence toward African Americans. Dismantling platforms and operations that are breeders for racial violence and police brutality are one of its foundation- al pillars. In its early development and throughout demonstrations and protests, social media users rapidly increased the prominence of the movement by circu- lating the hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter.” The Black Lives Matter Network was later formed and provides an online platform for organizers and activists to share plans, resources and goals. Posts and conversations arose after the unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmer- man, a neighborhood watch coordinator. Zimmerman was acquitted following Martin’s death. The protests and demon- strations that followed characterized Black Lives Matter as a grassroots move- ment whose participants were often will-

ing to radically approach their cause. For both the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movements, violence of- ten ensued, even if not intended by its participants. Demonstrators during the 1950s and 60s were met with fire hoses cranked to dangerous pressures, attacked by police dogs and shot by police. Those involved in Black Lives Matter protests have been protesting police brutality both outside of and within their demon- strations. On Aug. 10, 2014, protests and riots brewed after 18-year-old African American Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer in Fergu- son, Missouri. Tensions grew between protestors and police, and officers arrived in riot gear to dispel crowds looting and vandalizing property. The following day, police deployed tear gas and rubber bul- lets at protestors. The movement again received height- ened international attention after George Floyd was killed outside a convenience store by a white police officer. More than 20 million people were estimated to have participated in the national protests as thousands of others also marched in the streets of countries around the globe. “I can’t breathe,” “No justice, no peace,” “Defund the police” and “Don’t shoot” were words that became common during these protests. With the modern-day widespread use of social media, people around the world are able to learn about and participate in Black Lives Matter demonstrations. During last year’s protests, activists in other countries plastered the movement’s hashtag as they tore down and shattered statues of historical figures who were known to be slave owners. The global attention placed on these events brought national attention to the movement and a continued understanding of the events and calls for change that fueled the Civil Rights Movement.

The Role of Cancel

Students have created Facebook groups to expose racist behavior from other students.

S ocial media has long been a source of entertain- ment and opportunity to connect with friends and family and establish new social circles. However, in light of the movement against recent acts of racial injustice and police brutality, it has become a hub of platforms many people are using to expose actions, be- haviors and language that are primarily racist or sexist. Among the Black community, this has become a power- ful avenue for pursuing justice on a social level. As conversations and perspectives from the Black Lives Matter protests continue to linger, people on social me- dia have become quick to highlight racist behavior and effectively “cancel” the people behind that content. The online movement is often referred to as “cancel culture” and involves people shaming and withdraw- ing support from businesses and individuals known to engage in racially offensive behavior.

Culture in Targeting Racism

In May 2020, a white New York woman, Amy Cooper, was ridiculed on social media after a video circulated showing her calling the police on a Black man, Christian Cooper, who was birdwatching in Central Park. After Christian asked Amy to put her dog on a leash, Amy said she was calling the cops. “I’m going to tell them there’s an Afri- can American man threatening my life,” she said. Chris- tian recorded the conversation and posted the video to social media. People spread her name across the Internet as the video went viral. Many of them contacted Amy’s employer about her racially prompted actions, and she was fired the next day. In February 2021, Chris Harrison, the host of the reality TV series “The Bachelor,” announced he was “stepping aside” from his role on the show. In an interview during the franchise’s first season with a Black bachelor, Har- rison discussed photos from one of the show’s contes- tants. Her photos included images of her attending an Antebellum party three years prior. Though celebrating pre-Civil War history can be an offensive point of conver- sation for many Black viewers, Harrison’s opinion on the contestant’s photos showed what seemed to be support as he defended her attending the party. After seeing and receiving a host of posts and comments responding to his interview, Harrison announced his temporary departure from the show. In schools across the country, students have also created Facebook groups among their peers to expose and dis- cuss racist behavior from other students. In some cases where the behavior was taken to authority figures and deemed to be racist, severe consequences have resulted. Some students have had their college admission revoked and received deductions from their scholarships. Social media can often be an echo chamber for racism and hateful rhetoric. While cancel culture does not only apply to behaviors involving racism, it has become a tool many users define as an obligation of social activism and holding people accountable for their words and challeng- ing them to more productive actions.

“Social media has become a hub of platforms people are using to expose racist or sexist behavior.”

L ast year, in the midst of economic turmoil and other effects from the coronavirus pandemic, protestors gathered in cities across the nation to demand justice for acts of violent racism and police brutality. As a result, millions of Americans and people around the world followed the progression of these cases. Many of them have since developed with updates on charges and court decisions. AHMAUD ARBERY Nearly two months after the video was leaked in May 2020, Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested and charged with aggravated assault and for the murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. In late December, lawyers for the McMichaels filed several motions. One of them asked that Arbery not be called a “victim” during the trial, stating it would cause prejudice. Another motion requested the court show only one photo of Arbery during the trial and that the photo be of himself and not include anyone else. Both men have pleaded “not guilty” to charges of felony murder and malice, and their defense attorneys denied any racist motives in the shooting. GEORGE FLOYD In October, the judge assigned to the former Minneapolis officers’ cases dropped the third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin, the officer who pinned George Floyd’s neck to the ground outside the Cup Foods corner store. The ruling said evidence did not show Chauvin’s actions threatened anyone’s safety but Floyd’s. In early February, prosecutors filed a motion requesting a judge to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin. They also requested to add third-degree murder charges to Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and Alexander Kueng, the other three former officers involved in the case. BREONNA TAYLOR In September, the grand jury indicted Brett Hankinson for three counts of first-degree "wanton endangerment." Hankinson was one of three officers who executed the no-knock warrant for Tay- lor’s apartment. The charges came after the grand jury decided the shots Hankinson fired put the people in the apartment next to Taylor’s in danger. Myles Cosgrove, another of the three involved officers, and a detective who prepared the search warrant for Taylor’s apartment raid were officially fired in January. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, the third officer involved in the case, is still on administrative reassignment. RAYSHARD BROOKS On Jan. 25, Fulton County’s chief prosecutor, Fani Willis, asked the state to transfer Rayshard Brooks’ case outside of her office. Brooks was shot and killed outside a Wendy's restaurant by Garrett Rolfe, an Atlanta Police Officer in June. Willis said the former district attorney used video- clips from the shooting in his campaign commercials for reelection. She stated the conduct was unethical and should prevent her office from handling the case. A month after the statement, Rolfe’s attorneys filed to dismiss the case based on Willis’ decision. ELIJAH MCCLAIN On Jan. 9, Colorado’s attorney general announced a grand jury would investigate the case of Elijah McClain. The 23-year-old died after police officers placed him in a chokehold and injected him with 500 milligrams of ketamine. They were responding to a 911 call about a “suspicious person” wearing a ski mask. Jacob Blake Prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against the officers involved in Jacob Blake’s shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Ben Crump, an attorney for Blake’s family, said he would file a lawsuit and continue fighting for racially just practices in policing. The victim's family reported Blake was paralyzed from the waist down after the shooting, and Blake was admitted to a Milwaukee hospital. In October, he was released from the hospital and entered a spinal rehabilitation center.

What’s the Progress? Updates on Racial Injustice Cases of 2020

Protestors gathered in cities to demand justice for acts of violent racism and police brutality

A Rooted History:

Concerns Among CovidVaccines in the Black Community

DON’T THINK IT DOESN’T AFFECT YOU.

Millions watched as a Black intensive care nurse in Queens, New York received the first dose in the country of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

On a mid-December Monday in 2020, the Unit- ed States recorded a coronavirus death toll topping 300,000. The 10th month of lockdown restrictions brought record low numbers of holiday travel for family visits, continued effects of economic stress both on federal and inde- pendent levels and the compounding difficulty of students receiving virtual instruction. Mil- lions watched as a Black intensive care nurse in Queens, New York received the first dose in the country of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Though a leading name among vaccine production, the Pfizer vaccine has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. News reports also detailed side effects that occurred following some of the initial administrations of the vac- cine in various parts of the country. While these facts produced hesitation or questioning about the safety of the vaccine among many, the Black community had a greater amount of reluctance to consider. Now nearly three months into countrywide vaccine distribution, doses are going to groups of healthcare workers and employees in fields with higher risks of transmitting the virus. A report from a data tracker through the CDC stated more than 60% of these doses have gone to white people, whereas only 6% have gone to African Americans. While demographics and varying vaccination phases throughout states are factors that contribute to this disparity, historical events and patterns are perhaps the greatest factors that account for this significant differ- ence. In 1932, in partnership with the Tuskegee Insti- tute, the U.S. Public Health Service recruited hundreds of rural Black men to participate in a study they were told would treat them for “bad blood,” an all-encompassing term at the time that referenced a span of conditions and ailments. Officially named the Study of Untreat- ed Syphilis in the Negro Male, the goal was to “observe the natural history of untreated syphi- lis” among Black populations. The study’s partic- ipants, however, were not provided the scope of these intentions and were denied the education

or resources that could give them the knowl- edge needed to make informed decisions about their participation. During the study, the men were given free meals, medical exams and burial insurance. They were not aware, however, the purpose of the study was to deny them medical treatment during the process. Instead of lasting the six months it initially prom- ised, the study continued for 40 years. Penicillin was widely introduced as an antibiotic to treat syphilis in 1947, yet it was not offered to the study’s participants. They were also not given the option to halt their involvement in the study and receive treatment if desired. When a federal advisory board was called in to assess the ethics of the study, the panel found the men had been misled and the study was “ethically unjustified.” A year later, settlements and reparations were distributed. However, the hindsight perspective of the study reflects a trusted group of govern- ment medical researchers intentionally omitting vital information from a group of men either seeking treatment or volunteering to participate in a study they believed would lead to the treat- ment of syphilis. Now nearly 50 years later, as a pandemic shakes the globe, the Black community is reminded of the injustices of that experiment. A host of Black educational and medical leaders across the coun- try have voiced their support of the coronavirus vaccine and are encouraging African Americans to receive it. While some say the continued rise of vaccination numbers will assuage concerns, a justified amount of anxiety around the doses is still present for many.

Populations Among Black Why COVID-19 Are Rates Higher

A report from the CDC in April 2020 found that 33% of patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 were Black, although Black people made up only 18% of the studied population. Pre- existing conditions such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension and obesity disproportionately impact the African American commu- nity and heighten one’s risk of becoming susceptible to the vi- rus. These conditions also increase the chance of complications if the virus is contracted. Evidence has shown that structural inequities in social as- pects, like poverty and access to healthcare, play a determining role in one’s overall health and quality of life. Racial minority groups are often especially vulnerable to these changes due to fewer available resources compared to other groups. This leads to an increased risk of not receiving proper healthcare that is crucial in the time of a global pandemic. A report from the CDC listed a variety of factors that are steady contributors to inequalities that expose minority groups to higher risks of seeing the effects from the virus. Discrimination, a lack of access to healthcare, wealth gaps and housing limita- tions are only some of the inequities that plague many Black communities. As discrimination affects countless areas of life, its existence in systems designed to provide care and life-saving support can be deadly. In healthcare systems, it decreases or revokes stan- dards of quality care. When paired with lower rates of insurance

among Black communities, as compared to their white coun- terparts, access to quality care becomes nearly nonexistent. COVID testing, vaccines and care during hospitalization can become extremely expensive and prevent someone in need of care from pursuing treatment. As disparities of income and educational levels are present between racial groups, one’s ability to leave a job that is put- ting them at risk for contracting the virus is lessened, whereas someone with a higher paying job may be in a financial po- sition that gives them more flexibility to leave that job. Bus drivers, train operators and custodians are overrepresented by people in the Black community. These are essential jobs that often require long hours and do not offer adequate health benefits to offset gaps in accessing affordable healthcare and treatments. While conclusive results have not been finalized to show if efforts to quell these disparities have been effective, many governmental and healthcare agencies are making targeted attempts to address some of these healthcare gaps. Some lo- cal initiatives are offering increased hours at testing sites to account for employees working jobs outside of the standard 9-5 schedule. Eliminating the underlying causes of disparities in wealth, healthcare and education would be instrumental in shaking these effects but will require years of dedicated work from community organizations and lawmakers at all levels.

This leads to an increased risk of not receiving proper healthcare that is crucial in the time of a global pandemic

Racial minority groups are often especially vulnerable to these changes due to fewer available resources compared to other groups

Crisis Growth THE and Support of BLACK-OWNED Businesses During THE Economic In a 2020 Pew Research study, 43% of Black adults surveyed reported they or someone else in their house- hold either was laid off or took a pay cut because of the pandemic, compared to 38% of white Americans who were surveyed.

able to rehire staff members that were laid off due to the financial stresses of the pandemic. For those that were not able to bring on their full staff, the increase in revenue went to paying all or portions of their building leases or purchasing prod- uct resources to keep up with the sudden surge in customer support. While customer contributions were soaring during this period, governmental assistance was at a low. As access to busi- ness funding has been historically more difficult for Black businesses to achieve than their white counterparts, receiving federal relief assistance during the pan- demic was also a struggle. With the distri- bution of the Paycheck Protection Pro- gram (PPP), only 20% of these loans were allocated to areas in the country with a lower proportion of Black businesses. The Small Business Majority group reported that 23% of Black owners who did not receive a PPP loan were told their appli- cations to receive the loan were denied, whereas only 9% of white owners from the survey were denied funding. Though federal support was generally lacking for these minority businesses, the strides of the business owners con- tinued. Black people who still had their jobs during the pandemic expanded their work hours to create businesses they ran in their time outside of their full-time jobs. Social media accounts, company websites and blogs dedicated pages of their platforms to creating informational content specifically for Black business owners. The momentum from the busi- ness support of 2020 paired with the growth of Black ownership generated a continued increase in the interest and founding of Black-owned businesses that were started with the hope of leading generational wealth and providing inde- pendence from biased financial systems. Buyers showed up virtually in droves to support Black businesses in whatever ways were feasible.

During this time, however, there was a surge of Black entrepreneurship and pro- motion of these businesses that served as additional sources of income for the minority group. In 2020, events around racial unrest led to heightened conversations around how to support independence and pros- perity among Black people. At a time when jobs and finances were at a spot of turmoil for many people, supporting Af- rican Americans financially became a fo- cal point. Buying from Black businesses was the most direct way to accomplish this and served as a way to increase wealth distribution among the communi- ty. It would also be an avenue to gradu- ally close the Black-white wealth gap. In June, many owners felt the surge of customers supporting their business- es. Many saw double, sometimes triple, their monthly earnings in the span of weeks. Customers slashed their frequent allegiance to large companies like Ama- zon, Target, and mall-based stores and redirected their attention to the local mi- nority shops trying to keep their doors open. Because many people were tighten- ing their wallets after experiencing the economic downturn from the pandemic, already established businesses encoun- tered difficulties in maintaining a con- sistent customer base. However, buyers showed up virtually in droves to support Black businesses in whatever ways were feasible. Hashtags like “#Blackbusiness,” #Blackowned,” and “#Buyblack” were trending on social media platforms as users encouraged supporting local busi- nesses and purchasing from Black-owned companies. Facebook donated $40 mil- lion in grants to small Black businesses across the country, and Yelp reported a 617% increase in reviews containing phrases like “black-owned.” As a result of these actions focused on financially assisting these business- es, Black companies saw an exponential climb in customer engagement, height- ened brand awareness and press cover- age along with their increase in service requests and product orders. Many were