Sybil Wilkes ‘What You Need To Know:’ Bloody Sunday Remembered and More

1. Bloody Sunday 59 Years Later

Bloody Sunday 59 Years Later

What You Need to Know: 

Vice President Kamala Harris joined leaders, including National Action Network President Rev. Al Sharpton, the Honorable Terry Sewell, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress from Alabama, and Attorney General Merrick Garland at the commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. 

It was Sunday, March 7, 1965, that a reported 600 mostly Black activists led by John Lewis, a then-25-year-old leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) director of voter registration, Hosea Williams, and civil and voting rights leader, Mrs. Amanda Boynton, were headed to the Alabama state capital of Montgomery, to bring attention to the need for expanded voting rights.

2. Little Wonder as Historic Blizzards Hit California and Nevada

Little Wonder as Historic Blizzards Hit California and Nevada

What You Need to Know:

More than seven million people remain under a winter storm alert as a snow storm continues in northern California and Nevada. Tens of thousands of residents remain without power as three to five inches of snow fell per hour, along with hurricane force winds, since the storm began Thursday into Friday. 

Fox weather reported, “Blizzard warnings continue for parts of the Sierra Nevada, including the popular Lake Tahoe area, and are expected to last through Monday morning. A potentially deadly combination of extreme snowfall rates  and hurricane-force wind gusts will continue, with whiteout conditions and rapidly accumulating and drifting snowfall.”

3. Navigating an Advanced Bladder Cancer Diagnosis

Navigating an Advanced Bladder Cancer Diagnosis

What You Need to Know:

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States, according to the National Library of Medicine. Additionally, it is also one of the most likely types of cancer to recur. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2024, approximately 83,190 new cases of bladder cancer will arise, with 63,070 of those diagnoses belonging to men and 20,120 to women. The risk of bladder cancer increases with age. About 9 in 10 people with bladder cancer are above the age of 55. While it is best to catch bladder cancer early, many people receive advanced bladder cancer diagnoses.

When someone in our community is diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer, they may feel shocked, fearful, and overwhelmed. But, it is essential to think about the next steps. Here is some information you don’t want to miss.
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4. Beyoncé’s Achievement Highlights Struggle of Other Black Women in Country Music

Beyoncé’s Achievement Highlights Struggle of Other Black Women in Country Music

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

Beyoncé became the first Black woman with a number one single on the U.S. Country charts with her song “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM.” Recently, there was pushback from radio stations like Oklahoma’s KYKC who refused to play the song, claiming that it wasn’t country music. In response, several Beyhive members contacted the radio station and posted on social media to express their grievances until the station apologized and put Beyonce’s country songs in rotation.

A small number of Black women in country music have also been in Beyoncé’s shoes. Rissi Palmer, 42, from Missouri, broke a 20-year wait for a Black woman to break the country music charts with her 2007 single “Country Girl.” Before her, it was Dona Mason in 1987. “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that in the history of having this chart, there’s only been eight of us…,” said Palmer. “… One of the great things about this Beyoncé moment is that it has dispelled this myth that country radio has always tried to teach artists that you have to do things in a certain way for your music to be played.”

5. Prayer

. Prayer

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED WILLIE MAE MCIVER

What You Need to Know:

What is PRAYER? Real simple. PRAYER is talking to GOD.  That conversation with God can be between an individual or group.  It can be organized, unorganized, spontaneous or planned and He will be there for all of it. Whenever you’re ready, He’s ready.  

God doesn’t tell us how to pray, but He did provide a template in Matthew 6. You have probably heard it before. “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven….”  Now, it’s just a guide.  We get to customize it to fulfill our needs and purposes.  

Prayer can occur any time, day or night. Some people like to pray before they go to bed at night. Some people like to start their day off in prayer. Then, of course, there is prayer before meals, special occasions, holiday prayers and some people even pray when they have their morning or evening strolls. Some people write their prayers down too so that they won’t leave anything that’s on their minds out.