The Update: When They Go Low, I Go Medium
Michelle Obama inspires us but we're still working on ourselves.
Welcome back to the News. Now. NXT. newsletter! The Update serves as a follow up to my weekly podcast. Listen, subscribe, and share with a friend using one of the links below.
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Don’t forget, you can learn more about any story in this newsletter by clicking anything that’s underlined & italicized.
There’s a lot going on this week, so let’s jump right in!
news.
No more changes at the #USPS before the election.
The USPS’ Postmaster General testified before Congress this week and promised to cease all of the “cost-saving reforms” to the agency so there is no semblance of election tampering. Congress is investigating whether Postmaster Louis DeJoy’s appointment was even legal.
The #ChicagoProtests ramp up.
Youth-led protests in Chicago have been heating up. Some protesters are accusing the Chicago Police department of “kettling” - a tactic used to corral and detain large groups of demonstrators, which some organizers say unnecessarily escalates situations. Organizers cried foul when protesters arrested at the demonstration had their names & identifying information published to social media.
A “hurricane” in #Iowa leaves a trail of devastation.
A storm with winds equal to a category 2 hurricane tore through Iowa last week, leaving farms and communities completely decimated. Local officials are asking for federal relief assistance, but the state’s governor has yet to echo the request to the President.
A federal court says the #dreadlockban is discriminatory.
Remember DeAndre Arnold? His story went viral after his Houston-area school district enforced a policy barring male students from having hair past their ears. DeAndre & another student, Kaden Bradford, have locs. A federal court in Houston has found that the rule is discriminatory. Barbers Hill, the school district, has yet to respond.
sports.
The #WashingtonFootballTeam hires a new president
The Washington Football Team made history this week with the announcement of the hiring of their new president, Jason Wright. With his new role, Wright becomes the first Black team president in NFL history.
now & nxt.
The Democratic National Convention wraps up tonight, but it’s definitely created headlines. In the podcast this week, I saluted their efforts to put together a convention in the midst of all of…this, but also called them out for what I feel is a big misstep. Here’s an excerpt:
“I think the most glaring misstep, was only allotting representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez a slot to do a less than two-minute ceremonial nomination speech for Bernie Sanders - who did not win the nomination. Like it or not, AOC is the future. She has a big following on social media, and she engages millennials. Not having her in a prominent speaking slot is kind of tone-deaf, especially in a time where the convention is being broadcast all over social media, in a video forward way. This to me speaks to a larger problem in the Democratic party though, and that’s the age gap. The party’s leadership is old. That’s not me being mean - it’s me being honest. Millennials and generation z can not be ignored, and unfortunately, because they have been, I think many are becoming apathetic. It’s easy not to care when it seems like your vote doesn’t matter - or that officials are not really speaking about the things that are important to you.”
Hopefully, the Democratic Party can make a concerted effort to include the younger generation. After all, the children are our future. Don’t forget to listen to the podcast by clicking HERE.
That’s all for this week. Have you been watching the convention? What’s been your favorite speech of the week? Let me know by leaving a comment here - or, hitting me on Twitter.