#NNPA BlackPress

Sickle Cell Advocates Sound Alarm as Georgia Bill Advances, Federal Dollars Bypass Black-Led Groups

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE – As funding for sickle cell programs grows, Black-led organizations say they remain overlooked—raising questions about who truly benefits from increased investment.

Published

6 months ago

April 7, 2026

Oakland Post

By Alexandria Green Jones

As momentum builds around new sickle cell legislation in Georgia, advocates say a deeper issue continues to threaten the very communities the disease impacts most. Black-led organizations on the front lines are still being shut out of critical funding.

The urgency grew on March 26, 2026, when the Sickle Cell Disease Protection Act advanced out of the Georgia Senate Health and Human Services Committee. While the bill still must clear the Senate floor, return to the House, and ultimately reach the governor’s desk, its movement has renewed attention around the fight for equitable support for sickle cell patients and the organizations serving them.

At the same time, frustration is mounting over how federal sickle cell funding is being distributed. In February, Congress approved a fiscal package that included more than $20 million for sickle cell programs. But many Black-led organizations doing direct, community-based work say they are not seeing those dollars.

Instead, advocates argue, much of the money is being directed to larger white-led organizations that are often far removed from the day-to-day realities of families living with sickle cell disease and may not reinvest those resources directly back into the communities most affected.

For Dr. Lakiea Bailey, the issue is both personal and political.

Diagnosed with sickle cell disease at age 3, Bailey endured multiple surgeries and repeated hospitalizations throughout her life. Despite those challenges, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and later a doctorate in molecular hematology and regenerative medicine.

“As someone who has lived with sickle cell disease since childhood, I know firsthand that community support can mean the difference between surviving and truly living. That is why investing in community-based organizations is not optional. It is essential,” said Dr. Bailey.

After seeing firsthand how many people living with sickle cell disease struggled to access adequate treatment and resources, Bailey founded the Sickle Cell Community Consortium. The organization was created to bring together patients, caregivers, community-based organizations, researchers, and health care leaders to address the urgent and often overlooked needs of the sickle cell community.

Now, as legislative conversations continue, Bailey and other advocates are calling attention to what they see as a painful contradiction: sickle cell disease is finally gaining more visibility in policy spaces, but the Black-led groups with the deepest roots in impacted communities are still being left out of the funding conversation.

“For too long, Black-led organizations have been expected to do the hardest work with the fewest resources,” said Dr. Bailey. “It is deeply troubling to see millions allocated for sickle cell programs while the very organizations rooted in the community are being shut out. If the goal is to help patients, the dollars must reach the people doing the work on the ground every single day.”

That exclusion, advocates say, has real consequences. Community-based organizations are often the first to help families navigate care, connect patients to resources, provide education, and push for policy change. Without equitable access to funding, many say the work becomes harder to sustain, even as the need continues to grow.

The debate also highlights a broader concern that has long followed public health funding, whether resources meant to address disparities are truly reaching the people and institutions closest to the problem.

For Bailey, the answer must include intentional investment in Black-led organizations with proven ties to the sickle cell community.

“We cannot keep celebrating progress in legislation while ignoring the inequity in funding. Visibility without investment is not justice,” Dr. Bailey explained. “If lawmakers and decision-makers are serious about changing outcomes for sickle cell patients, then they must also be serious about funding the Black-led organizations. The Black community built the advocacy, carried the burden, and sounded the alarm on sickle cell. We should not have to beg for a seat at a table we built.”

As Georgia lawmakers weigh the future of the Sickle Cell Disease Protection Act, advocates say the larger question cannot be ignored: Who is being trusted to lead this work, and who is being left behind?

For families living with sickle cell disease, that answer could shape far more than policy. This could determine the alignment of awareness with action and the allocation of funding to the communities that have been fighting this battle for generations.

From April 7 to 11, Dr. Bailey will host the largest convening of Sickle Cell patients, Advocates, physicians, and the community at The Westin Atlanta Airport, 4736 Best Road, Atlanta, Georgia.

“This moment represents more than a convening; it represents alignment,” said Dr. Lakiea Bailey, Founder and Executive Director of the Sickle Cell Consortium. “By bringing together leadership, community voice, and national strategy in one coordinated effort, we are creating space for real progress and collective impact.”

Register: 2026leadershipsummit

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

A DREAM COME TRUE: Angel Reese is traded to the Atlanta Dream

Don't Miss

Delaying Kindergarten May Have Limited Benefit

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY