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In a matter of weeks, the coronavirus has triggered a global pandemic that has completely upended our lives, drove the U.S. economy into a tailspin, and created a worldwide public health crisis. To say this feels surreal is an understatement. That a microscopic virus could cause catastrophic effects to millions of people and bring the world to a complete standstill in 2020 is hard to phantom. Yet, here we are, facing an unprecedented crisis with no end in sight. But, as the saying goes, when America catches a cold, black folks catch pneumonia. According to reports, the looming recession will hit\u00a0black and brown workers the hardest<\/a>. Meanwhile, the president has used\u00a0 xenophobic language<\/a>\u00a0to polarize the pandemic and Republicans are devising a plan to\u00a0 bailout billion-dollar companies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>The Burden of the Rona<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The crisis, however, feels a bit heavier on working-class people of color who faced discrimination and hardships when it comes to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blackenterprise.com\/overall-us-homeownership-rises-but-not-for-african-americans-report\/\" target=\"_blank\">buying homes<\/a>, paying off <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/how-americas-student-debt-crisis-impacts-black-students-2019-7\" target=\"_blank\">student debt<\/a>, and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/policy-and-politics\/2018\/3\/21\/17139300\/economic-mobility-study-race-black-white-women-men-incarceration-income-chetty-hendren-jones-porter\" target=\"_blank\">achieving upward mobility<\/a> pre-Rona. But we\u2019re not at war against an invisible virus; nor are we fighting against the man in the White House or the racists in Congress. Rather, we\u2019re up against the systems of oppression that were designed to empower and protect rampant corruption and corporate greed. It\u2019s those systems that have caused the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blackenterprise.com\/naming-the-racial-wealth-gap\/\" target=\"_blank\">wealth gap<\/a> between black and white families to continue to widen, while healthcare officials put profits over people and gentrification is displacing entire communities. It\u2019s the same system that enslaved our ancestors, exploits undocumented workers, and locks generations of people into a cycle of poverty. The coronavirus and subsequent economic downtown only unmask and exacerbates the inequality people of color faced their entire lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rona-Mask.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rona-Mask.jpeg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rona-Mask.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rona-Mask.jpeg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rona-Mask.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rona-Mask.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rona-Mask.jpeg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Although black and brown folks are monetizing their creative genius and pursuing entrepreneurship to create happy and comfortable lives that fulfill their personal definitions of success, there are still many more in these communities who are falling behind. Many successful black entrepreneurs have been fortunate enough to cultivate a profitable side hustle or bring a million-dollar idea into fruition, but not enough \u2014 not because some people are less special, talented, or motivated, but because overcoming systemic hurdles gets lost in the challenge of trying to put food on the table, pay rents and mortgages, and just get by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>How I Became Woke<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While these isms (sexism, racism, classism, etc.) have always existed, the true weight of them hit home when back in 2005 when I witnessed the first-ever national crisis and the epic failure of government during the Hurricane Katrina crisis. Like many millennials, it was the moment I became \u201cwoke.\u201d A year later, I traveled to the Lower Ninth Ward, a black, low-come community in New Orleans that was neglected and forgotten after the storm. I spent the week of my 2006 spring break gutting homes, sleeping in an abandoned school, and showering in outdoor stalls. Afterward, I returned to my dorm room knowing that the days my classmates and I spent in New Orleans were not enough to keep African American families from being displaced. Nor was it enough to fill the gaping holes left open by the state and federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"604\" height=\"452\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Katrina-.jpeg?w=1400&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2649\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Katrina-.jpeg?w=604&ssl=1 604w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Katrina-.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2007, we returned to New Orleans only to discover that not much had changed in the Lower Ninth Ward. Again, we dedicated another week to working with locals and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commongroundrelief.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Common Ground Relief<\/a> to rebuild the city. But still, it wasn\u2019t enough. At that moment, I realized that the fight against government corruption, systemic oppression, and poverty required a lifetime commitment. I was also reassured that my purpose in life was to be a voice for that community and all disenfranchised groups around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"604\" height=\"453\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Mask-it-up-.jpeg?w=1400&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Mask-it-up-.jpeg?w=604&ssl=1 604w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Mask-it-up-.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Letting Their Voices Be Heard<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Around the same time, I launched \u201cLet Your Voice Be Heard! Radio\u201d as a college sophomore at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oldwestbury.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SUNY Old Westbury<\/a>. The goal was to be a platform for the student body and to inform, educate, and empower my peers on civic, political, and cultural issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast forward 14 years later, and thanks to an abundance of support from all of my present and former co-hosts, correspondents, friends, family, and listeners, we are still producing new episodes each week. The show has undergone countless changes and a digital evolution that has transformed us from a radio show to a social media-focused live recording. Under normal circumstances, we record new episodes every Sunday at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/whcr.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">WHCR 90.3 FM<\/a> \u201cThe Voice of Harlem\u201d while taking comments and questions from our audience in real-time on <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BeHeardTalk\/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARBAjpQSvHB2MUZTa7rt_rdde96ogDhQjugq8TtHsPoV6NiOCv5RurWsqQBR6XAFmPm8JGqAMSeHGh5G\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/beheardtalk\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a> LIVE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" height=\"497\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?resize=1024%2C497&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1915\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?w=2500&ssl=1 2500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?resize=300%2C146&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?resize=1024%2C497&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?resize=768%2C373&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?resize=1536%2C746&ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?resize=2048%2C995&ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?resize=750%2C364&ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beheader-ver1.png?resize=800%2C388&ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Just weeks before the novel virus, my team and I rededicated ourselves to the show\u2019s mission \u2014 to educate, inform, and empower \u2014 but with a new look, feel, and approach. We changed the name from \u201cLet Your Voice Be Heard!\u201d to \u201cBe Heard Talk\u201d and recommitted ourselves to being a voice for people of color and allies to unpack issues related to race, politics, and culture. Each week we challenge the status quote and devise and advocate for a political agenda that serves our communities. However, we always find a way to sprinkle in a bit of trap music, Beyonce, and flavor on the unseasoned news in mainstream media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, \u201cBe Heard Talk\u201d is an outlet for me to channel my passion into purpose; it\u2019s my small contribution to society; and it\u2019s my way of holding myself accountable to the goals I set more than a decade ago. And now, as we turned the page to a new chapter, it\u2019s my way to communicate to the world that I am and will always be dedicated to hearing and uplifting the voices of those who are silenced.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019re up against the systems that try to silence our voices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2648,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","filesize_raw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[35],"tags":[52,50,51],"class_list":["post-2647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-be-heard","tag-corona","tag-hurricane-katrina"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Rona-Mask.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2647"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2657,"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647\/revisions\/2657"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beheardtalk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}