Wednesday Updates in Mid-April 2020.

We see that Trump's anger at news reporters (during a press conference) asking him legitimate questions about the coronavirus is silly. He should be more angry at the people passing away, more angry at his lack of a response in January 2020 to it, and more angry at himself to allow hospitals to struggle to get the necessary resources to save more lives instead of him presenting that screed at the press. Trump saying that he has the total authority to open the country is unconstitutional and doesn't work under any legal law. The New York Times has presented an expose about how the Trump administration received plenty of warnings (from the National Institutes of Health, the CDC, and cabinet level Whitehouse officials) about the immediate crisis of the COVID-19. Months ago, he downplayed the seriousness of this illness and called the virus a hoax. Trump said that he has no responsibility involving this crisis which is totally ludicrous. While this is going on, the Northeastern states have formed a collective alliance to help each other reopen their states in a reasonable, slow way. The West Coast states are doing the same with their own alliance in California, Washington state, and Oregon. The curve is being balanced. We have hit a corner with lesser amounts of cases and less hospitalizations, but we are far from over. We have a very long way to go. Over 25,000 people have passed away from this virus.


Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders has endorsed officially Joe Biden. So, we have a race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The 2020 Democratic primary is made up of the paradox of having the most diverse Democratic field in American history. Yet, we have the case of a moderate vs. a right wing extremist. It is what it is. Like usual, Bernie Sanders acted graciously to Biden, but some want Sanders to grovel even more. That tells me that the neoliberal crowd could care less about revolutionary change but the status quo. Also, Biden must more thoroughly publicly address the sexual abuse allegation made against him by one woman. Biden has denied it. It's one thing if you changed your mind on an issue. It is quite another when dealing with sexual abuse. Also, Trump has been accused of sexual abuse by multiple women.

Like always, I will keep my promise to not vote for Trump on November 2020, because Trump is a racist, a sexist, and a threat to democracy in general. He must be voted out. Yet, Biden must realize that if he wants more votes, then he has to appeal to more progressives also. I am always reminded of one thing too. The rights of black people matter. The rights of women and immigrants matter, and the rights of the oppressed matter. Trump makes no bones about his goal to limit voting rights (even hating mail in voting), making sure that the Supreme Court is filled with reactionary judges, and to eliminate health care services from the ACA. Therefore, who we vote for will determine what our future will be like for generations to come. The sad thing is that we have a choice between a neoliberal centrist and a right wing extremist. Yet, we have to do what the right thing. Trump is a whole worse than Biden. During these times, we have to honor future generations by voting Trump out of office in 2020.

Yesterday was the Birthday of Brother Anderson da Silva. He is now 45 years old. He is a famous Afro-Brazilian mixed martial arts expert. He has worked in the UFC for years. He has the record for the longest title reign in the UFC's history of 2,457 days. He is known as one of the greatest if not the greatest mixed marital artist of all time. He was born at Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has fought in middleweight and light heavyweight. He has trained in taekwondo, capoeira, and muay thai. He is known for his speed, allusiveness, and his stamina. He loves his wife Dayane with their 2 sons and 2 daughters. He is a fan of comic books as well. Silva is a friend to B.J. Penn (who is another MMA participant). Silva knows how to box. He has been on many films before. He won tons of championships. He loves has an unconditional support of his family which is admirable. I wish Brother Anderson da Silva more blessings.


Some good news is that days ago the great film director Ava Duvernay's Array company showcased new Afro-Brazilian filmmakers for the #ArrayVoices Instagram live conversation. Array is a multi-platform media company and arts collective that is based in Los Angeles, California. Many Afro-Brazilian filmmakers have won awards globally and have been featured in film festivals. The Afro-Brazilian filmmakers featured in the conversation are Julian Vicente, Renata Martin, Day Rodrigues, Carol Rodrigues, Saira Moreira, Gabriel Martins, Sabrina Fidalgo, Jessica Quieroz, Joyce Prado, Everlane Morales, and Viviane Ferreira. This story shows an important lesson. That lesson is that we, who are black people, should care for each other not just in the States but worldwide. From the Feira Preta festival in Brazil to other legendary people, Afro-Brazilians represent a great part of the black African Diaspora. Over the course of many years, more and more people understand the complex happenings of the Americas. We want black people worldwide to experience justice and human liberation.

By Timothy