As the B.A.R. forges ahead with its crowdfunding campaign to keep the newspaper operating during these difficult times, it was heartening to read a recent Gallup research paper that stated Americans agree that local news should receive COVID-19 relief.
Given what has transpired in our nation over the last several years, it is hard to argue with what then-Senator Barack Obama asserted in 2006: that America indeed suffers from an "empathy deficit."
On my desk are three mementos of the AIDS pandemic. They remind me of what we lived through in the frightening early years of a plague that seemed hell-bent on killing gay men — and the high price we have paid for our resilience.
As researchers race to understand the effects of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, it's clear that African Americans across the country are dying at higher rates than the general population.
Thank you very much, it has been both humbling and encouraging receiving your generous support when so many are also in need of help. So far, we have raised just over $25,000 and are just 15% away from reaching our goal of $30,000.
While just about every sector of the economy is cratering under the coronavirus pandemic, we cannot forget that nonprofits are confronting financial ruin and need help too.
The good news is that Congress is poised to approve another federal stimulus package to help small businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus outbreak.