What You Need To Know: NAACP Calls On Athlete Boycott & More

Sybil’s Birthday Shout-Outs

Birthdays Stephen Curry, 36 Simone Biles, 27 (Olympic Gymnast) Chrisean Rock, 24 Kash Doll, 35 Quincy Jones, 91 Billy Crystal, 76 Greta Onieogou, 33 (All American actress) Michael Caine, 91   Remembering: Fannie Lou Hammer (1917-1977) Albert Einstein (passed in 1955)  

Sybil Wilkes Top 5 Stories for ‘What You Need To Know:’ March 12, 2024

1. Does Judge’s Ruling Give Hint About DA Willis’s Future?

Does Judge’s Ruling Give Hint About DA Willis’s Future?

 

What You Need to Know:

 

The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case dropped six charges in the indictments against Donald Trump and his co-defendants. Believing that some of the charges are vague, Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee ruled that some of the charges “lacked sufficient detail.” Three of the charges are related to former President Donald Trump and three others, to his co-defendants. 

One of these counts was about the call between then-President Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. USA Today reported, Judge McAfee “dismissed  charges alleging the co-defendants asked public officials to violate their oaths of office by switching presidential electors from those for President Joe Biden, who won the state, to Trump.”

The ruling continued, “They do not give the Defendants enough information to prepare their defenses intelligently…” 

2. NAACP Urges Black Athletes to Touchdown Elsewhere

NAACP Urges Black Athletes to Touchdown Elsewhere

 

WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY

 

What You Need to Know:

 

In response to the rising tide of anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) legislation sweeping across several states, particularly in Florida, Black activists, political leaders, and supporters of DEI programs are calling for a boycott of colleges and universities. This call to action targets states that have either promoted or passed anti-DEI policies, with Florida being a focal point due to recent legislative actions.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has taken a proactive stance against these developments. In a letter addressed to Charlie Baker, President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the NAACP urged current and prospective Black student-athletes to reconsider attending predominantly White institutions (PWI) in Florida.

3. Life's Essential 8™ – How to Quit Tobacco

Life’s Essential 8™ – How to Quit Tobacco

 

What You Need to Know: 

 

Educate Yourself
The first step to quitting smoking, vaping and using tobacco is to understand the risks and health effects for you and your family.

-Within 1 year after quitting, your risk of heart disease goes down by half.
-Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the U.S. It’s linked to about one third of all deaths from heart disease and 90% of lung cancers.
-Smoking damages your circulatory system and increases your risk of multiple diseases.
-Cigarettes, e-cigarettes and tobacco products contain many toxic chemicals, as do their smoke, vapor and liquids.
-Tobacco use and nicotine addiction is a growing crisis for teens and young adults. You can be one of the millions of people who successfully quit every year.
-Vaping and secondhand smoke
-Roughly 40% of U.S. children ages 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke.

4. Autistic Teen Fatally Shot By San Bernardino County Police

Autistic Teen Fatally Shot By San Bernardino County Police

WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

 

What You Need to Know:

 

Ryan Gainer, a 15-year-old boy who is Black, was shot and killed by deputies in San Bernardino County, California on March 9 after he charged at them with the bladed-end of a long garden tool. According to his family, the teen was autistic.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call made by Gainer’s sister about a domestic disturbance. She can be heard telling emergency dispatch operators that her brother was committing “assault and battery” and that he was banging on the door to the room where she was presumably calling for help.   

5. VA Mental Health Outreach

VA Mental Health Outreach

 

WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY APRYLETE RUSSELL

 

What You Need to Know:

 

As Women’s History Month unfolds and we spotlight the achievements and resilience of women throughout time, it’s important to recognize the challenges faced by a group often overlooked: Women Veterans. 

Among the tributes, a pressing issue has become visible: the urgent need for enhanced mental health outreach efforts tailored specifically to their unique needs. 

Federal officials often overlook the specific mental health needs of women veterans, leaving gaps in available resources, according to a new report by researchers from Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

The report shows the necessity for more targeted outreach and research efforts to encourage women veterans to seek mental health care, rather than relying solely on male-focused messaging prevalent within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

While mental health outreach efforts by VA officials have made strides in recent years, often that messaging is focused solely on the needs and challenges of male veterans.