Viral Facebook Rant On Racism

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Payton Head, the president of the Missouri Students Association and senior student at the University of Missouri, is making the rounds on the Internet after writing a passionate Facebook rant about his frustrations with the racism he’s experienced on campus. After being called the N-word numerous times by passengers in a pickup truck that drove alongside him one night on campus, Head spoke out by calling on others to be aware of their privilege and their discriminatory acts against marginalized students.

Head’s statement on Facebook was so well received that it has now been shared almost 1,200 times. He was driven to speak out because he and many of those close to him have experienced acts of hate like this. In the Facebook post, Head said: “This is what I’m fighting against every day in boardrooms, conferences, meetings, classrooms, the Capitol, and in my daily life. This is my reality. Is it weird that I think that I have the right to feel safe here too? If you see violence like this and don’t say anything, you, yes YOU, are a part of the problem.” Read more at The Root.

Up Next: Ferguson Commission Outlines Strategies To Combat City’s Racial Inequality

Panel Outlines Reforms To Remedy Ferguson’s Chronic Racial Inequality 

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Commissioners appointed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon have pulled together 189 proposed strategies to combat the racial oppression that plagues the Ferguson and St. Louis areas. The proposal, entitled ‘Forward Through Ferguson: A Path Toward Racial Equity,’ tackles issues like healthcare, income and violence by offering solutions to widen Medicaid coverage, raising the minimum wage and of course, cracking down on police brutality. Gov. Nixon has praised the commissioners for their report but local activists and lawmakers question the feasibility of enforcing the reforms that have been put forward. Read more at the Huffington Post.

Up Next: Another Government Shutdown Is Possibly Coming To A Theater Near You

Obama Condemns Republicans For Controlling Congress Amid Battles Over Tax Breaks & Planned Parenthood

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Republicans are threatening a government shutdown by blocking a budget agreement that contains financing for Planned Parenthood. A shutdown has long been feared, as Republicans first began taking action against the family planning organization and suggesting ramifications for the fall’s government proceedings earlier this summer. They were prompted by videos released by a pro-life group alleging the Planned Parenthood was illegally selling fetal tissue.

Simultaneously, President Barack Obama is speaking out against Republicans for advancing a tax advantage for private equity managers. This is a tax break that has historically been blamed for income inequality by Democrats. Read more at the New York Times.

Up Next: Report Finds Doctors Discriminate Against Black Children In Prescribing Pain Medication

Black Children Are Disproportionately Being Prescribed Pain Killers For Acute Appendicitis

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A pediatrics study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that only 12 percent of Black children are receiving adequate, painkillers containing opiods compared to 41 percent of children overall. The study suggests that even though clinicians recognize pain at equal rates across racial groups, they are responding to Black pain differently and with less urgency. It is possible that Black children are not speaking up about their needs for pain relief, but researchers are still putting the onus on doctors to be more comprehensive in their questions towards Black patients about medication options. Read more at the Huffington Post.

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