#NNPA BlackPress

COMMENTARY: Health Care is a Civil Rights Issue

BLACKPRESSUSA.COM — Pharmaceutical manufacturers and their backers spent more than $400,000 in support of Virgina politicians 2024 for pro-pharma legislation. This tiny drop in their estimated $1.7 trillion revenue bucket can have a huge effect on Virginia’s minorities.

Published

10 months ago

September 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Virginia’s Next Governor Should Work to Eradicate Pharmacy Deserts

In 2023, there were 1.6 million Black residents in Virginia, and Black voters made up 19% of the voting age population. With less than 60 days remaining both Lt. Governor Winsome Sears and Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger have a unique opportunity to galvanize this voting base. The first candidate to address the issue of lowering drug costs for Virginia’s minority underserved communities will have tapped into an urgent Civil rights issue of 2025 and motivated a block of voters.

The rich and powerful can only provide money for a campaign, but voters determine elections. Nevertheless, they will try so I am not surprised by the Pharmaceutical Industry’s campaign contributions and lobbying efforts in Virginia.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers and their backers spent more than $400,000 in support of Virgina politicians 2024 for pro-pharma legislation. This tiny drop in their estimated $1.7 trillion revenue bucket can have a huge effect on Virginia’s minorities.

Take the pro-pharma bill SB 875, which became law just this year. It forces any PBMs (pharmacy Benefit Manager) like CVS, or Express Scripts contracted with the State of Virginia to make their pricing more transparent.

This may seem noble on the surface, but PBMs exist to negotiate lower drug prices through health insurance plans, Medicare, and other health programs. By passing SB 875 into law, they took away PBMs’ leverage against Big Pharma companies during price negotiations. In other words, Virginia’s lawmakers legally forced the poker hand of any PBM who wants to do business with the state. It also opens up PBMs for more attacks – and more anti-PBM legislation in Virginia – down the road.

So why is this law so racially ominous? Without PBMs, pharmaceutical companies have all the pricing leverage they need to increase drug costs by 40% to 50%. Virginia’s communities of color, who often stand on the lower end of the pay scale, will be affected the most.

Worse, SB 875 could contribute to higher disease and mortality rates among minorities if drug prices are raised. The average adherence rates of Blacks and Hispanics to their drug regimens are 4.8% to 6.5% lower than whites. That’s roughly 20-25 fewer days of medication use per year, which can lead to poorer health outcomes. Rising prices will increase these rates, leading to much worse health outcomes.

Communities of color already face much higher rates of chronic illness. Black Americans are 30% more likely than white Americans to die from heart disease. Hispanic and Latino adults are 70% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. Minorities also face much higher rates of stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, kidney disease, asthma, and other health issues. If Big Pharma gets to raise its prices even higher, more of Virginia’s minorities will die.

PBMs are also vital for our dramatically changing pharmacy landscape. Thousands of pharmacies are closing across America, forming what public health policy experts call “pharmacy deserts.”

Between 2016 and 2024, Virginia lost about 6% of its pharmacies, with 50 of those pharmacies closing in 2024 alone. A 2025 study from Virigina Commonwealth University identified 44 pharmacy deserts where gaps in pharmacy services need plugging. Many of them are urban centers with higher minority populations.

PBMs are helping to close these gaps through mail-order drug deliveries by bringing much needed and affordable access to pharmaceuticals in these pharmacy deserts, where Black and Hispanic communities are disproportionately affected. But if Big Pharma had its way,

We must encourage big PHRAMA to put people over profits. They’re spending $400,000 of their roughly $1.7 trillion in revenue and massive profits to influence politicians and eradicate PBMs, who are helping minorities by bringing down the exorbitant drug prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers set and making drugs more accessible.

Weakening PBMs and giving pricing power to Big Pharma would only make the problem worse. Americans already pay nearly 300% more for drugs than citizens of other countries thanks to Big Pharma’s pricing strategies.

Can communities of color really trust Big Pharma to set drug without some line of defense to keep our drug prices low? No, we can’t, and PBMs are the solution.

If Virginia’s Gubernatorial candidates and legislators view Health Care as an urgent Civil Rights issue, then you will have a winning platform at the voting box in November.

Reverend Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer/Host of The Chavis Chronicles on PBS TV nationwide, and can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

After Plunge, Black Students Enroll in Harvard

Don't Miss

COMMENTARY: The Parole System Was Never Built for Second Chances

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park

ATLANTA VOICE — A mural depicting late journalist Jovita Moore, painted on the exterior wall of a building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park, was painted over in April. Moore passed away in 2021 after decades of working in Atlanta television news. Bellwood Coffee owners stated in May they were unaware of Moore’s identity or significance to the community before painting over the mural.
The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

At the corner of Boulevard, SE. and Rosalia St., SE., directly across the street from an abandoned home and a Methodist Church, is Bellwood Coffee. One of hundreds of coffee shops in Atlanta, this place of business would not be worth a solitary discussion if not for the way its exterior walls are currently painted. There was once a mural depicting the late Jovita Moore, a beloved journalist who worked in Atlanta for decades. Moore, who passed away in 2021, mentored many of the people you see on television newscasts today. Though her legacy will never be forgotten, it was the mural of her image that was erased.

In April, members of the Grant Park community voiced their disgust at the mural, which graced a side wall of the building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee’s Grant Park location, before it was painted over. In its place are the words “Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too”. In May, the business owners responded to the community pushback on social media by acknowledging they did not know who Moore was before painting over her image. And later admitted that they did not attempt to find out what she meant to the community.

On May 21, the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account had a post about being “in close contact with Jovita’s family and are actively working on next steps in this process.” Two months later, the mural has not been replaced, repainted, or repositioned on the property. Nothing has been done. Black history is often erased, most recently by the current Presidential administration, but oftentimes on a smaller, quieter scale. The mural was originally painted by muralist Tommy Bronx, who had been in contact with the business owners about repainting it. As of July 6, Tommy Bronx had responded to a direct message via his Instagram account from The Atlanta Voice about any updates on his plans to repaint the mural.

“We’re currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come,” he wrote in a response.

On Monday, July 6, the business had several patrons inside and was running smoothly with three employees manning the counter. The Atlanta Voice dropped by Bellwood Coffee to get a look at the exterior wall where the mural once stood as a memorial to a journalist and mother who lost her life to brain cancer at the young age of 54. Moore’s image added some color to the block. The grey wall in its place does not.

A direct message was sent to the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account, and there hasn’t been a response as of 7 p.m. on Monday.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Voice.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — A New York man faces felony hate crime charges for allegedly posting a threat against New York State Senator Lea Webb. James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a social media news post about a Juneteenth celebration.
The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

A New York man is facing felony hate crime charges after allegedly posting that he’d be “proud to hang” New York State Senator Lea Webb from a tree in response to a news story about a Juneteenth celebration.

James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested June 23 by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a WBNG 12 News Facebook post. “I’d be proud to hang her from a tree,” Crosby wrote, according to WBNG.

Crosby was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a class C felony, per the New York State Police. He is currently being held at Broome County Jail.

During the subsequent investigation, state police found Crosby was in illegal possession of firearms despite being prohibited from owning them due to a prior felony conviction. Investigators recovered a rifle, a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, and a firearm suppressor — all prohibited under New York state law, per the NYSP.

Crosby was charged with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, all class D felonies.

Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd Senate District, had been a featured speaker at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Police said Crosby’s comment was posted in response to a WBNG news story covering the event.

The day before his arrest, Crosby posted a Facebook apology claiming the comment “was not intended to be racial in any way” and was made in reference to what he described as a “criminal,” citing criticism of Webb over her use of nonprofit legal aid in a foreclosure case — a matter state watchdogs said created an appearance of a conflict of interest, per the Ithaca Voice. He was arrested the following day.

Webb issued a public statement June 25 condemning the threat.

“It was extremely disappointing and hurtful to see the now-deleted threat and attacks on my life in response to a story about Juneteenth, a national holiday that recognizes the ending of slavery in America,” she said. “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.”

She thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and law enforcement for their “swift response.”

Following Crosby’s comments, social media users called for a boycott of his contracting business, Crosby Home Improvements.

The Binghamton City Democratic Committee also called for an investigation into the incident before his arrest.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HEREto tune in live.

The post ‘Proud to hang her from a tree’: Man arrested for threatening Black Senator appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations

NEW YORK CARIB NEWS — Outgoing CARICOM Chairman Terrance Drew called on regional leaders to build a stronger and more effective Caribbean Community that benefits future generations. Speaking at the 51st Regular Meeting, Drew urged modernization of governance structures and improved implementation of Community decisions to make CARICOM safer and more prosperous.
The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, Dr. Terrance Drew said the region must modernize its governance structures, improve the implementation of Community decisions, and ensure CARICOM becomes safer, more prosperous, and more relevant to the lives of its citizens.

The meeting, being held under the theme “CARICOM: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World,” coincides with the Community’s 53rd anniversary. During the ceremony, Dr. Drew formally handed over the rotating CARICOM chairmanship to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre.

Reflecting on his six-month tenure as chairman, Drew praised fellow regional leaders for maintaining their commitment to democracy, good governance, unity, and the rule of law despite mounting global economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Throughout these challenges, CARICOM chose engagement over isolation. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to a fair and rules-based international trading system and ensured that the interests of small developing states continued to be heard.”
Trending
Salon teaches dads how to style daughters’ hair

He highlighted progress made in strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, including deeper trade cooperation, expanded labour mobility, and efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. Drew also noted the Community’s growing partnerships beyond the Caribbean, particularly with the African Union, while stressing that every international partnership should advance the interests of all parties involved.

The outgoing chairman also expressed appreciation to Dr. Carla Barnett and the CARICOM Secretariat for their professionalism and unwavering support during his tenure.

“Whenever I called, you answered. Whenever support was required, you and your team responded with diligence, competence, and excellence.”

Dr. Drew urged the Secretariat to continue preserving its impartiality while faithfully implementing decisions made by Heads of Government, saying that balance has helped strengthen the regional integration movement.

The conference continues in Saint Lucia with regional leaders expected to deliberate on key issues including regional security, climate resilience, trade, economic integration, food security, Haiti, reparations, and strengthening the CSME.

Based on reporting by New York Carib News.

The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.