Black women have a way of showing up and showing out, and that hasn't changed even during a global pandemic. After spending weeks in quarantine and not having a reason to get dressed up and pop a splash of color on her lips, a Brooklyn-based journalist came up with a solution.Brianna Arps told XoNecole that after experiencing bouts of anxiety from being cooped up in the house since the outbreak of the coronavirus, she scrolled through her camera roll reflecting on memories of basking in the sun."With everything going on, it's been weeks since I've gotten all dolled up," she said.She stumbled across a selfie during her first international trip to Bali and was amazed by her own sass and confidence. Impressed by her decision to rock a bold red lip, she thought to create a thread on Twitter, encouraging other Black women to reach in their bags and pull out their favorite red lipstick."The lead picture for the thread is one of my favorites from that vacation. I feel super sexy and sassy, mostly because of the bright red lipstick—a power color that brings some reassurance and boosts my confidence," Arps said.She said although she felt the idea was minuscule, she hoped to make an impact on women battling anxiety."I hoped that asking folks to share a photo of themselves would offer some temporary relief for anyone who needs it right now. Plus, red's a color many are still afraid of...I wanted Black Women to see themselves and feel empowered to give it a go!" she added.Black women replied to her thread showing off their favorite red lipsticks from Mac's Ruby Woo to The Lip Bar's Hot Mama.pic.twitter.com/MTon0kvMsI— Can (@CanHope__) March 28, 2020💋 pic.twitter.com/FwaTXMFanF— Raechelle not Rachel (@theraeway_) March 27, 2020pic.twitter.com/i7ODE5k5tp— GG 🌿 (@_WhatsGoodG) March 27, 2020 💄💋 pic.twitter.com/grgkaKkjWV— 𝓢𝓪𝓷𝓾𝓻𝓪 (@SANURAOFFICIAL) March 27, 2020pic.twitter.com/hLWmue0rfG— Content Strategist (@BijonSade_) March 27, 2020pic.twitter.com/lNs8oX7k0Q— Shug Avery (@__ACimone) March 27, 2020pic.twitter.com/V66zXuiMV2— Angel Lenise (@angellenise) March 27, 2020pic.twitter.com/YArE3cYJYu— Shelby Ivey Christie (@bronze_bombSHEL) March 27, 2020The thread has since received over 2,000 replies and 700 likes. Some of the replies came from Arps herself, gassing up some of the other women.STAWP playing with us, Shelby! 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥— Brianna Arps (@BriannaArps) March 27, 2020GIRL BYE! YOU TEW FINE! ❤️— Brianna Arps (@BriannaArps) March 27, 2020Listen. You know, you know how to rock a red lip. 😩❤️🙌🏾🔥— Brianna Arps (@BriannaArps) March 27, 2020Oh. Because. Yes. 🙌🏾😩🙌🏾😩🙌🏾😩— Brianna Arps (@BriannaArps) March 27, 2020Perfection! 💋❤️— Brianna Arps (@BriannaArps) March 27, 2020It's clear Black women aren't going to let the 'rona stop them from being their best selves and hyping each other...

Detroit, Michigan, Mayor Mike Duggan took time during his citywide address on Thursday to commemorate Jason Hargrove. Hargrove died on Wednesday from COVID-19 just one week after he spoke passionately on Facebook about a passenger who openly coughed in front of him on the city bus.City transportation workers across the country have spent weeks expressing grave worries about their health and safety as the coronavirus pandemic continues to claim the lives of thousands. Public transportation employees in dozens of cities have complained that local governments are not doing enough to protect them from the virus as they continue to work amid the pandemic.The crisis took a cruel turn for the worse in Detroit on Wednesday when Glenn Tolbert, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, told news outlets that Hargrove died days after posting an alarming message to his followers about the danger he faced on a daily basis as a bus driver. In the video, Hargrove called out a woman who got onto his bus and coughed in front of him multiple times without covering her mouth. He said he was feeling sick but still came to work, helping essential workers get across the city. "For you to get on a bus ... and cough several times without covering up your mouth, and you know we in the middle of a pandemic, that lets me know that some folks don't care. Utterly don't give a f**k," Hargrove said."For a grown person in her late 50s, early 60s, to stand on a bus and cough four or five times without covering up your mouth and you know we're in the midst of a crisis with this coronavirus. I am pissed off," he added.Hargrove went on to say that there were eight or nine people on the bus when she coughed but he didn't want to kick her off or say anything to her because he was worried he would come off as the "big angry bus driver." He reiterated that the situation reminded him of how some people aren't taking the virus seriously despite the rapidly rising death toll."I ain't blaming nobody but the woman that did that. For us to get through this and get over this, y'all need to take this serious. It's folks dying from this, dying out here because of this. I'm mad ... because that was uncalled for," Hargrove said."I kept my mouth closed, but at some point in time you have to draw the line and say enough is enough. That was uncalled for. I feel violated. I feel violated for the folks that was on the bus when this happened," he added. Hargrove said he cleaned the bus down after the woman got off, but the instance highlighted the danger that city transportation workers are facing. The Detroit Free Press said transportation workers recently shut down the city's system because so many drivers called out sick. Even Tolbert, the union president, said he tested positive for the coronavirus.Duggan said during his press conference that transportation workers were essential workers and were the key to transporting healthcare workers to hospitals."I don't know how you can watch it and not tear up. He knew his life was being put in jeopardy ... now he's gone. It's something I'm going to think about for a long time," Duggan said."It's something I'm going to think about for a long time." Detroit mayor Mike Duggan spoke today, after Jason Hargrove's death, about safety measures for the city's bus drives being implemented too slowly, per @cferretti_dn: https://t.co/k9N6lH4sjF pic.twitter.com/etdtkIEbR0— Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) April 3, 2020Throughout his video, Hargrove repeatedly reminds people to take the virus seriously and follow guidelines released by health officials for the safety of themselves and others.Despite the seriousness of the topic, Hargrove ended the video with a few hilarious jokes and a warm smile, but since his death, the video has become a haunting warning for many city transportation workers. "We're out here, moving the city around. Disrespectful. They tell you every day, cough in your arm, sneeze in some tissue. People just aren't taking it seriously. I ain't blaming nobody but that woman. I got a job to do and I'm being professional about it but this is real," he...

Master P is a hip-hop legend and storied businessman. Born Percy Miller, the entrepreneur from New Orleans, Louisiana, took a $10,000 inheritance and turned it into a multimillion-dollar empire that, at its height, spanned music, film and fashion, according to The New York Times.Aside from his classic hits and business ventures, the “Make Em Say Ugh” artist is also famous for being an involved father of...

One simple step in the bathroom can prevent the spread of the coronavirus, studies show.Researchers advise closing the toilet seat, as COVID-19 can travel through fecal matter that escapes during flushing, called “toilet plume,” and can reach up to 15 feet high, according to Business Insider. Scientists warn that the virus can be transmitted through aerosolized feces, according to a study published by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.While the particles can carry COVID-19, there’s one “very easy way to help prevent the spread of coronavirus,” Qingyan Chen, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, told Forbes. “Close the lid and then flush.”Closing the lid will prevent 80% of particles from spreading into the air.“A toilet flush can release up to 80,000 polluted droplets and leave them suspended a meter in the air for hours if the lid is left up,” according to a study from the City University of Hong Kong.When using a public bathroom, wash your hands first and try to flush with gloves or paper towels to avoid contact. You should also wait one to two minutes after someone has used it according to Chen.While closing the lid is important, it’s not a “complete prevention,” according to researcher Alvin Lai. He also advises to regularly clean bathrooms with bleach.Chen advises disinfecting the entire bathroom after every use if you are sharing it with someone who is infected with COVID-19, as the danger of transmission through fecal-oral is higher for those who are showing symptoms.Prior to this discovery, scientists advised that the coronavirus can be spread through fecal-oral transmission. A study conducted by Gastroenterology found that many patients who tested positive for COVID-19 experienced symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting before respiratory issues.The study also found that the virus can be detectable through fecal matter even after it is cleared from the respiratory tract and a swab test results in a negative.They looked at 73 patients who were hospitalized for possible coronavirus infection, and 39 of those patients tested positive through their feces. The fecal matter of 17 patients tested positive following a negative respiratory test."A better understanding of how this virus is transmitted is key to preventing its spread. These observations may also help in improving how the disease is diagnosed through testing for the presence of virus in the stool of patients suspected of harboring this virus,” Douglas A. Corley, a doctor at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, told MedPage...

Love Is Blind's breakout couple chronicled the highs and lows of being quarantined with your significant other in a new YouTube video. The video starts out with Cameron and Lauren Hamilton looking bright eyed and bushy tailed, excited about being in the house together for the foreseeable future. “Honestly I think this quarantine is going to be a lot of fun,” Cameron said. “Everyone’s like worried about being shacked up with each other for so long. For us I think it’s really going to be a tool to strengthen our relationship,” Lauren said. “I’m sure that there will be some struggle in there, I mean just like with anybody. You’re around somebody for so long it can get a little tough but I mean, we survived the pods, OK we can survive anything.” While the skit starts off with them playing games, chasing their dog and cuddling on the couch, day nine of quarantine takes a turn. When Lauren tries to tell Cameron dinner is ready, he gets frazzled when she doesn’t knock. “Did I hear a knock? I don’t think I heard a knock. I’m working on stuff. You don’t need to see this,” Cameron, a scientist, says as he covers the computer showing he’s working on a clone experiment. Lauren later becomes visibly irritated when Cameron begins to rap. The tension begins to rise as they lose track of what day it is in quarantine. The two begin to crack when a dirty dish in the sink sets Lauren off and an argument ensues but escalates to a steamy make-out session. At the end of the video, they joke that makeup sex will get couples through this unprecedented time. “We all argue. The important thing is that you work through it,” Lauren replies. The two have been keeping busy during the quarantine. Besides working on their YouTube channel, they have also been going live on Instagram quite often. They even joined Miley Cyrus’ livestream one night to discuss tips for dating during the coronavirus outbreak, as the two have experience with unconventional dating, according to People. When the singer suggested finding common ground, Cameron agreed and gave examples of his own love story. “I think for Lauren and I, our first immediate connection was family, how important family is, their health, their well-being … that was the first time we cried together,” the 28-year-old said. His wife recommended talking “about the things that are most important to you.” “The things that you guys would have in common, the stuff that you like, the stuff that you dislike, what are your phobias, what motivates you," she added. "That stuff you can connect with somebody on and talk about for hours.” She also mentioned the importance of “good conversation.” “Right now, people can still pick up the phone and call each other. I feel like good conversation is the best foreplay,” the 32-year-old said. “It’s really good to be able to just call someone and talk to them, they don’t need to physically be there for you both to be intimate.” Their success and newfound fame following the premiere of Love Is Blind may very well mean the Netflix series isn’t the last we’ll see of the Hamiltons. They recently signed with major talent agency, Creative Artists Agency, Deadline...

The Black teen who was accidentally invited to spend Thanksgiving dinner with Wanda Dench posted on Twitter that she and her husband are battling the coronavirus.Jamal Hinton shared two pictures of himself alongside Wanda and Lonnie Dench on Twitter, asking for people to uplift them with positivity."I am so sad to announce that Wanda and Lonnie both have COVID-19 and that Lonnie is currently in the hospital fighting both COVID and Pneumonia please send words of love and encouragement their way," he wrote on Wednesday.I am so sad to announce that Wanda and Lonnie both have COVID-19 and that Lonnie is currently in the hospital fighting both COVID and Pneumonia please send words of love and encouragement their way 💛🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/tUNpUB20qg— Jamal Hinton (@kingjamal08) April 2, 2020Despite sharing that Lonnie is in the hospital, Hinton didn't give an update on Wanda's condition.The two created a special bond back in 2016 when Wanda mistakenly reached out to Hinton inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner in hopes of reaching her grandson, as Blavity previously reported.After receiving the text message, Hinton replied and asked for a photo to confirm the identity of the woman who he knew couldn't have been his biological grandmother.Time reported that Hinton assumed it wasn't his grandmother reaching out to him because she wasn't text savvy. “[You’re] not my grandma,” the high school senior at the time replied.Despite the mix-up, Wanda welcomed Hinton into her home with open arms that year. The two have grown closer and have not missed a Thanksgiving dinner together since.In 2019, switching up their tradition, the two former strangers spent the holiday with Hinton's girlfriend's family. Every year, they have posted a picture together.Had a blast with Jamal & family pic.twitter.com/IMmAOSSkg0— Wanda D (@wandadench) November 29, 2019"When you meet someone new take all the labels off & get to know what makes a person truly tick, it's amazing," Wanda tweeted, sharing her gratitude for creating a relationship with Hinton. "I am grateful for the friendship with Jamal and Mikaela. My husband and I enjoy the talks and laughter we share over good food. The 40 year gap in age doesn’t matter."Back in 2018, Hinton created a documentary of their time together, giving fans a glimpse into their holiday together.In the documentary, Wanda said her father and husband were both in the military, so meeting new people was always a joy.“We moved around a lot so I was always going to new places. And strangers were not strangers to me,” she said. “Family is more than blood. It’s the people you want to be...

Denzel Washington is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. You may know him from his uncanny performance as Malcolm X or, perchance, his highly quotable Training Day monologue, "King Kong ain't got s**t on me!” For gentler souls, it may have been his 2016 performance in Fences, an adaption of playwright August Wilson’s 1985 work. In any case, the three-time Golden Globe winner has become emblematic of American cinema itself. But he isn't the only Washington to have left his mark on Hollywood. Meet his wife, Pauletta Washington — the music behind scenes in Antwone Fisher and...

Former national security adviser Susan Rice is throwing her support behind a PBS NewsHour White House correspondent after Donald Trump told her to "be nice" during Sunday's press briefing on the coronavirus.Rice responded to Yamiche Alcindor's tweet detailing the encounter with the president, saying Trump "can't stomach strong black women," according to HuffPost."President Trump today at the White House said to me: 'Be nice. Don't be threatening.' I'm not the first human being, woman, black person or journalist to be told that while doing a job. My take: Be steady. Stay focused. Remember your purpose. And, always press forward," Alcindor tweeted.Rice retweeted the post, adding "You go girl."You go, girl. Pathetic when insecure men can’t stomach strong black women. https://t.co/ExjC9z5p1J— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) March 30, 2020"Pathetic when insecure men can't stomach strong black women," Rice said.During the briefing, Trump asked Alcindor: “Why don’t you people act... why don’t you act a little more positive, it’s always trying to get you, get you, get you. And you know what? That’s why nobody trusts the media anymore.” "Be nice, don't be threatening, don't be threatening, be nice," Trump added.Earlier in the exchange, Alcindor asked Trump about doubting governors' requests for 30,000 ventilators amid the coronavirus pandemic.“You’ve said repeatedly that you think that some of the equipment that governors are requesting they don’t actually need. You said New York might not need 30,000 ...” Alcindor said before being interrupted by the president.“I didn’t say that,” Trump said. However, according to HuffPost, Trump said that he suspected New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was exaggerating the number of ventilators needed.“I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they’re going to be,” Trump said during a call with Fox News' Sean Hannity. “I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go into major hospitals, sometimes they’ll have two ventilators, and now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’”At the beginning of March, during another encounter with Alcindor, Trump said her inquiry about his decision to dismantle the Nation Security Council's pandemic response unit was a "nasty question."Twitter users have since rallied behind Alcindor, creating the hashtag #WeLoveYamiche.Because even her gif is smarter than @realDonaldTrump. #WeLoveYamiche pic.twitter.com/v672t8BEiy— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) March 30, 2020"Black women have had to develop a larger vision of our society than perhaps any other group... When Black women win victories, it is a boost for virtually every segment of society." ~Angela Davis #WeLoveYamiche pic.twitter.com/nJ0IB1mM2b— The Crisis Magazine (@thecrisismag) March 30, 2020Thank you @Yamiche for doing your job as a journalist by holding Donald Trump accountable and asking him questions that many Americans want answers to — helping to cut through the lies during this #coronavirus crisis. #WeLoveYamiche pic.twitter.com/ZHY3sOFM1U— Karine Jean-Pierre (@K_JeanPierre) March 30, 2020Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with Black women, specifically reporters.In 2018, Trump referred to veteran reporter April Ryan as a loser and told her to sit down after she asked a question about voter suppression at a news conference at the White House.Ryan later went on The View to share her thoughts about the incident, ABC News reported.“You know what that question was… it was voter suppression and he responded 'Yea I got voter suppression' or something like that and so I stood up — I thought he was receiving my question and wanted to talk about it — and then when he sees me, he says ‘sit down’ you know, in a very terse tone. I was taken aback,” she...

Ari Lennox just about got Snoop Dogg together after he weighed in on her hair choice. After an Instagram Live video of the singer experimenting with a lace front wig was captured by The Shade Room, the rapper found it his place to question why she wouldn't just style her natural hair.On Tuesday, the "Shea Butter Baby" took to her Instagram Live to chat with her fans as she tried to install a wig and had trouble getting it to fit properly around the edges. View this post on Instagram #PressPlay: Uncle Snoop stepped in with a message 👀#AriLennox #SnoopDoggA post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom) on Apr 1, 2020 at 9:26am PDT"So I guess I gotta cut more lace?" she said during the stream before a viewer suggested she get a wig cap. "Where am I supposed — where am I supposed to get a wig cap?"As the video grew in popularity on social media, Snoop decided to offer his thoughts on Lennox's hairstyle choices. "Grow your own hair," he commented on The Shade Room's post on Wednesday. "What happened to those days."Mind you, Lennox regularly sports her natural kinks. Imagine trying to pull the "grow your own hair" rhetoric to Ari Lennox, lol. Snoop Dogg should stfu. pic.twitter.com/lpzUjQCJHp— the indigo nuisance🌌 (@Ydennekindigo) April 1, 2020A number of folks weren't too keen on the rapper projecting his views onto her and slammed him for the comment, including Lennox who responded with a comical post she later deleted. Complex reports the singer posted an old photo (which has since been removed) of the rap icon cosplaying as his white man alter ego "Todd." Ari lennox’s response to Snoop Dogg 🥴😭 pic.twitter.com/QUYcOaYgNJ— Eboñi Meraki 🥀 (@Eb_Ebb_nEbby) April 1, 2020"Uncle I just...I just thought we had an understanding..." Lennox captioned the photo of Snoop in a blond wig and face full of makeup.Others came to check the rapper as well.“Gone are those days uncle @snoopdogg we ain’t got [the] time,” one person wrote.Another account questioned how much the rapper knew about hair and protective styles, which is ironic because he has maintained a braided hairstyle throughout most of his adult life. “She has a lot of hair... A lot of ppl who wear weaves and wigs do and do it as a protective style... So what exactly is his point?!” The account’s message read. Snoop's comment comes just months after he appeared on Red Table Talk to explain his thought process behind berating journalist Gayle King during a February rant in which he called her a “funky dog head b***h” for mentioning the late Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case in an...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____While it feels like the entire world came to a crashing halt due to COVID-19, many corporations and companies are still expected to operate, outside of the health care industry. More importantly, if you are a non-essential worker who is tasked with working indefinitely from home, there is still work to be done — and there are still opportunities to showcase that you’re a leader in the workforce.As a full time professional and a business owner, I’m inspired by all of the companies that have been founded during a recession — everything from General Electric in 1890, General Motors in 1908, Disney in 1923, Microsoft in 1975 and more recently, Uber, Airbnb, Slack and Venmo from 2008–2010. With the threat of another recession upon us, it’s important to showcase your leadership skills alongside your industry experience to help “recession-proof” your career.I’m a big believer that tough times really help employers identify the strongest leaders. Here are my four tips to showcase your leadership skills during uncertain times at work:1. Showcase Your Ability AdaptAdaptability is one of the core skills that managers look for amongst employees, and during times of distress, organizational changes or a pandemic like we are experiencing now; adaptability is even more important. It’s easy to wait for directions from more senior leaders, or assume that because you haven’t heard anything about a project that your only task is to scroll through Netflix until you hear a ping from your work laptop. The key here is proactively identifying ways to adapt your workload, team, and fellow employees.2. Seek Out Ways To Be InnovativeDuring this time, senior leaders are faced with countless challenges and meetings to brainstorm solutions to a problem that’s nearly impossible to get ahead of. Rather than communicate that it’s difficult to do your job under the current circumstances, look for innovative and creative ways to solve problems that can be shared with your team as a best practice.Have an idea of how your team can stay connected while working virtually? Pilot the idea in your team and share the results with your leadership. Noticing a drop in sales but have an idea on how to improve sales while remaining sensitive to COVID-19? Write a business proposal and present it to your leadership team. While senior leaders are focusing on company wide initiatives, use this time to create innovative solutions for your team that align with the company’s response to the current challenges.3. Stay ConnectedI know we’ve all been excited to participate in virtual happy hours and DJ parties with D-Nice, but it’s still a great time to network with fellow colleagues or professionals in your network. During a time when many people are looking for connection, don’t hesitate to send a meeting request to simply check in and see how colleagues are doing, or learn about a new area of the business and how work has changed during this time.Many organizations are also hosting virtual programming geared at helping professionals during this time. Whether it’s masterclasses on presentation skills, virtual job fairs or support circles, this a great time to stay connected from the comfort of your own home. For instance, Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Global Head of Inclusion at Google, has been offering weekly development workshops and interviews with fellow executives for her community that hundreds of professionals and entrepreneurs are joining each week.4. Breathe, Then Adapt AgainIt goes without saying, but everyone deserves a little extra grace during this time. Some professionals may feel super motivated to rise as a leader during and position themselves as a true leader in their industry. Others may simply be trying to stay afloat between Webex/Zoom conference calls and homeschooling multiple children at the same time. Whatever your situation, it’s important to adapt as much as you can, remain flexible and breathe.We have no idea how long this pandemic will ultimately last, or what the world will look like once COVID-19 is no longer a major risk. However, it’s important to take things day by day and extend yourself grace while showing up at your best in the workplace.____Kimberly B. Cummings is the founder of Manifest Yourself, LLC, a personal and professional development company created to help women and people of color navigate the world of work, make more money, and become industry...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____The mental health impact of COVID-19 may be heavier for Black Americans. Black people typically experience mental health problems such as sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness and feeling that everything is an effort at rates higher than their white counterparts. And suicide seems to be becoming more prevalent in Black communities. Compared to white Americans, Black Americans are more likely to be working low-wage jobs with few guaranteed health benefits. People working these types of jobs are more subject to lay-offs and poor access to health care. These challenges existed for Black people before the coronavirus outbreak. Now things are becoming even more complicated.How do Black people protect their mental health in a time like this? The Serenity Prayer may have some answers: directly tackle the things that cause us mental distress, practice acceptance with the things we cannot control and be clear on the differences. No one can control how long this outbreak will last. No one can control the government actions (e.g., shutting down restaurants and other public spaces) taken to decrease new infections.You can control what you allow to take up space in your head. For example, you don’t have to keep scrolling on Instagram, allowing yourself to read about every celebrity that has a positive coronavirus test result. You don’t have to allow other people to talk obsessively about their anxieties related to fears of an approaching apocalypse. You have the power to control these things. And you’re not being mean when you tell someone, “Hey, I can’t listen to that right now. Would you like to talk about something else?” In fact, you are prioritizing your mental health and setting an example for that person about how to set and reinforce boundaries. It is one thing to listen to someone discuss their fears. It is another thing to listen to someone obsess over their fears.The coronavirus outbreak may be an opportunity to not only survive but mentally strengthen yourself during this time of social distancing and potential country-wide lockdowns. Below are some strategies about how to protect and strengthen your mental health during this outbreak.1. Talk to the people most important to you.You may not want to reach out and touch somebody’s hand right now, as Diana Ross once implored us. However, you can still make the world a better place by being there for others and allowing them to be there for you. I recommend picking up the phone instead of texting. Hearing a loved one’s voice can do wonders to relax your central nervous system. Video calls are even better because you get to see someone smiling back at you.2. Engage in those creative projects or hobbies you’ve been putting off.Being stuck inside could be the perfect opportunity to let your creative juices flow. Finish that mixtape you started working on in GarageBand, catch up on the latest Instagram dance challenge or start that journal you’ve been wanting to use to express your deepest emotions and brilliant ideas.3. Take a look in a book.Reading never goes out of style, just ask LeVar Burton. Transport yourself away from the crazy world of the coronavirus into a world of Black family drama, aliens saving human beings or loving your natural beauty. A Google search can help you find free books and audio books online.4. Stream a new documentary about Black life.Now is a great time to learn something new about your culture. Research has shown that racial pride contributes to better coping. Learn about Aretha’s Franklin’s popular gospel album, André Leon Tally’s influence on fashion and hip-hop, or Black women’s experiences starting their own businesses.5. Use this time to prep for the next step in your life.How many times have you said to yourself that you could apply for a new job if you only had enough time? Well, now you do. Use this time to build up your foreign language or software skills, update your resume or take an online class so that when the COVID-19 diagnoses start to decline, you’ll be better equipped to pursue new ventures.6. Rest.If we’re stuck in the house, you might as well catch up on rest. Take some naps. Use meditation or prayer to calm your nerves. Take a long shower or bath. Light a candle or some incense and sit in silence. Take this time to chill when you can.It’s likely that we’ll all get through this outbreak. Protect your mental health in the meantime.____Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor, and author. His book Black LGBT Health in the United States: The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation won the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association’s Achievement Award in 2017. Follow him on Twitter at...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____If medical experts want to flatten the curve of the coronavirus (COVID-19) they must start by being real about the virus’ deadly threat on Black Americans.COVID-19 has New York and other parts of the country in a chokehold and has cut off the circulation of our daily routine, income and the economy. It’s an indiscriminate virus, however the statistics of respiratory issues coupled with the socioeconomic factors faced by African Americans highlights the need for health officials to ring the alarm, louder, in our communities. For instance, in Milwaukee, where 14 people had died from the coronavirus, eight were Black and were from one community. To date, of the 877 positive cases in Milwaukee County, 410 were African American compared to 211 white.The potential for a disproportionate impact of the virus on Black Americans is of high priority for local officials like Maryland State Delegate Nick Mosby, who along with other lawmakers is demanding the release of racial data as many minority neighborhoods now fall in the grip of this fatal pathogen.There is a stark contrast of what I see happening outside the window of my uptown apartment in Harlem and Lower Manhattan. I can hear the rhythmic sounds of Marvin Gaye, the heart thumping bass of Jay-Z’s Blueprint album, the sound of motorbikes zipping down the wide avenues, as exaggerated laughter echoes in the air. Meanwhile, downtown, and in midtown, I see pictures online of vacant streets, empty sidewalks and an eerie silence that is unheard of in the city that never sleeps. No one is gathered in conversation outside of the grocery store or bodega, completely oblivious, or more likely ignoring the invisible threat in the air. Why the different response to the pandemic depending on zip code?Telling Black Americans to simply wash their hands and stand six feet apart is not enough, nor is it reflective of the alarming statistics that are so easily available and yet remain untold by health agencies. Daily medical reports and press conferences consistently remind Americans that the coronavirus bears a bigger risk to those with underlying health issues, particularly respiratory problems. According to the Asthma and Allergy Facts Foundation, more than any other race or ethnicity, African-American children have the highest prevalence of asthma. African Americans die from asthma at a higher rate and are three times more likely to stay in the hospital because of their inability to breathe. COVID-19 does not cause asthma, but it can use it to kill. The disease’s main target in its quest to suffocate its victim to death is the lungs. Additionally, more African Americans are diagnosed and die from lung cancer every year.Some might attempt to argue that the ailments faced in the Black community are due to some sort of genetic mutation or cultural practice that causes Black people to be more susceptible to disease. It’s an argument that has the racist undertones of statistician Frederick L. Hoffman, who argued that the excessive mortality rates in African Americans were due “not in the conditions of life, but in race traits and tendencies.” In other words, we were biologically inferior. Hoffman was wrong then and the argument is wrong now.Health disparities in the Black community are not all of our own doing. For decades a lack of economic equality and education has forced many Black people to survive in America’s forgotten neighborhoods. Toxic chemical plants have consistently and historically been housed in the backyards of African American communities, and the normalcy of it all has led to a slew of medical problems. From New York to the bayous of Louisiana, the detrimental love triangle of racism, segregation and now COVID-19 are apparent.The celebration of Mardi Gras is now being considered a possible cause for the rapid spread of the virus in Louisiana, but it is abundantly clear that a pandemic of this magnitude would have always caused greater harm in Black communities. St. James, Louisiana, a parish with a population of 21,000, is home to more than 32 chemical plants; its Black population is 86%. The parish sits along a route known as Cancer Alley, home to another parish — Reserve — which has cancer rates 50 times higher than the national average, and sits between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, which is now one of the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak. We can only hypothesize that due to the toxic waste looming in the humid air that many of the people in these parishes have some form of respiratory issues, which could lead to a diagnosis of COVID-19.There is an obligation for health officials to share critical information on how COVID-19 can and will gravely impact the Black community, whether it is through neighborhood organizations, city officials, churches and the press. And it is further imperative that the federal government turn its attention to these overlooked communities that sit in the heart of these poisonous regions, because as long as the virus is discussed in a general manner, I can assure you it will spread and cost more lives — Black lives, that could have been saved.____Rochelle Ritchie is a former congressional press secretary for House Democrats and political...