News Bites From Across South Carolina And The Nation

**South Carolina’s Top Legal Group Selects Judge Childs For The Prestigious Outstanding Contribution To Justice Award**

The South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ) today announced they will be recognizing the Honorable J. Michelle Childs’ exceptional achievements with their Outstanding Contribution to Justice Award. One of the most prestigious legal awards in the State, it is given to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership from the bench and ongoing contributions to the legal profession. Recently considered for the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Childs has been a trailblazer on the bench as well as during her years of private practice.

**Obama Returns To The White House To Tout Affordable Care Act**

For the first time since he left office on January 20, 2017, former President Barack Obama plans a triumphant return to the White House to promote and recognize the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.

The occasion marks Obama’s first appearance in Washington since the inauguration of his former Vice President Joe Biden.

The nation’s first Black president will join Biden and the country’s first African American vice president, Kamala Harris, at the event to deliver remarks.

White House officials said all three would discuss expanding health care benefits and efforts to reduce costs.

“Joe Biden, we did this together,” Obama stated in a video released last year by the White House about the Affordable Care Act.

“We always talked about how, if we could get the principle of universal coverage established, we could then build on it,” Obama said.

**Study: White People Cared Less About COVID After Realizing It Hurt Blacks The Most**

White people were more likely to ignore safety precautions like wearing masks and social distancing during the pandemic when they realized the various and disproportionately ways COVID-19 affected African Americans.

Psychologists at the University of Georgia’s Department of Social Science & Medicine made those conclusions following an in-depth study of racial disparities during the pandemic.

“When white people in the U.S. were more aware of racial disparities in Covid-19, they were less fearful of Covid-19,” said Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Georgia and co-author of the study.

“We found evidence of less empathy for people who are vulnerable to Covid-19, and we also found evidence of reduced support for safety precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”

**Communities Do Not Trust Institutions This is How We’re Regaining It**

Americans have lost trust in the ability of large institutions like the federal government, national media, and large companies – even big banks – to understand or care about their needs. This view is justified, particularly among communities of color and low-income households. Simply put, our country has done a bad job of looking out for and creating opportunity for everyone. We need to better understand the unique needs of communities across the United States and show up, listen, and make the right investments and decisions to regain trust. Impact is most effective and sustainable when it’s local.

**WHO Africa’s First Woman Leader Helps Continent Fight COVID**

People stand when Dr. Matshidiso Moeti enters a room at the World Health Organization’s Africa headquarters in the Republic of Congo and they listen intently to what she says.

Small in stature and big in presence, Moeti is the first woman to lead WHO’s regional Africa office, the capstone of her trailblazing career in which she has overcome discrimination in apartheid South Africa to become one of the world’s top health administrators.

As WHO Africa chief, Moeti initiates emergency responses to health crises in 47 of the continent’s 54 countries and recommends policies to strengthen their health care systems.

Since her appointment in 2015, Moeti has grappled with the world’s deadliest Ebola outbreak, in West Africa. She has also has had to handle lingering criticism of WHO’s spending and hiring in Africa as it also deals with allegations of sexual assault by contractors during Congo’s Ebola crisis.

**Top Five Books Written By Black Women**

This is a new year and what better way to kick it off than to find things to do that stimulate the mind. Many of us need an escape from what’s happening in the world and pour into yourselves intellectually, emotionally, and mentally. So why not pick a good book?

Here are our top 5 books published by Black women that you should consider adding to your list:

Gabrielle Union- You got Anything Stronger?

Award-winning actress Gabrielle Union is back with a new book “You Got Anything Stronger?” a sequel to Union’s 2017 New York Times best-selling essay collection “We’re Going to Need More Wine.” She sparks a powerful conversation about feminism, fame, gender, color, and power through her personal experiences. She continues to push the envelope as she guides her readers into her married life, surrogacy journey, and reflecting on the entertainment community’s response to the Black Lives Matter protests.

Luvvie Ajayi- Professional Trouble Maker

What is a professional troublemaker? Nigerian-born Chicago-raised author and speaker Luvvie Ajayi Jones has the answers to that question in her latest book “Professional Troublemaker: The Fear Fighter Manual.” The New York Times best-selling author, known for her color vocabulary, sharp wit, and humor, introduces you to a powerful and hysterical way to tackle your fears, speak truth to power, and live fully.

Yvonne Orji - Bamboozled By Jesus

Actress and Comedian Yvonne Orji—best known as Issa Rae’s BFF on the HBO series, Insecure, published her first book “Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me Into the Life of My Dream. She gives her readers the secrets they need with a modern-day biblical twist to live the life of their dreams. Each chapter talks about God’s presence through the unforeseen twists and turns and blessings on her way to her journey to success.

Stacey Abrams- While Justice Sleeps

Veteran author, voting-rights activist and politician Stacey Abrams has published her new legal thriller “While Justice Sleeps.” The work of fiction is set against the backdrop of the U.S. Supreme Court and gives readers a glimpse into the legal system, while examining greed and power. Follow Avery Keene, a law clerk for Justice Howard Wynn, as she navigates the drama of her career and a troubled family.

Tarana Burke- Unbound: My story of liberation and the birth of the #MeToo Movement

Tarana Burke is the activist behind one of the largest movements of our generation: the #MeToo movement. Burke debuts a powerful memoir about her experience with sexual assault at a young age, her fight with guilt, the process of healing, and her pursuit of justice and finding a community. Unbound is a story of her inner strength and perseverance.

Laura Onyeneho

Laura Onyeneho covers Houston’s education system as it relates to the Black community for the Houston Defender as a Report for America corps member. She is a multimedia journalist and has reported on social, cultural, lifestyle, and community news for 7 years and counting.