Taraji P. Henson announces mental health curriculum, Dr. Jerome Adams criticizes CDC over new mask guidance, LaKeith Stanfield takes a break, and more in The Daily Rundown.
Former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams Criticizes CDC
Former United States Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams criticized the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the roll-out of new mask-wearing guidance. While Adams told CNN that he believes relaxing mask-wearing guidelines for fully vaccinated people was "an appropriate call," he said that the CDC "fumbled the ball at the one-yard line" when it came to communicating with the public. "It was a bit of whiplash for the American public in terms of them saying just a week before, keep your mask on and then all of a sudden they're saying you can take them off."
Taraji P. Henson Launches Mental Health Curriculum for Black Students
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Taraji P. Henson announced the launch of The Unspoken Curriculum—a six-week program through which Black children will be trained to recognize the signs of trauma and equipped with the tools to seek help. The program also seeks to tackle racial bias in schools. According to People, the program will run from May 17 to June 21 and will include virtual hangouts and discussions moderated by mental health experts and therapists. "We need more professionals in education to recognize children dealing with trauma and help them, not criminalize them," Henson told the outlet.
LaKeith Stanfield Announces Social Media Hiatus Following Backlash
LaKeith Stanfield announced plans to take a break from social media after facing backlash based on conversations that took place in a Clubhouse chatroom that the Academy Award-nominated actor was moderating. According to the Daily Beast, anti-Semitic comments were made within the room. However, sources said that Stanfield did not personally say anything that could be considered anti-Semitic. Shortly after, the Judas And The Black Messiah actor announced his social media break. “Taking a break from this social media,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’d advise you all do the same at least for a little while. Too much of it isn’t healthy I don’t think. Just know I’d never lie to secure my place in ‘Hollywood.’ If I say I don’t hate, it’s because I don’t. Hold your news sources accountable and think for yourselves. Talk soon.”
Former Child Reporter Who Interviewed Barack Obama Has Died
Damon Weaver, the student reporter who interviewed President Barack Obama in 2009 at age 11, has died. According to The Palm Beach Post, Weaver was the youngest person to ever conduct an interview with a sitting president. Weaver's sister told the publication that he died on May 1 of natural causes. He was 23 years old.
Black Women More Entrepreneurial Than White Men, Study Finds
A new study out of Babson College found that Black women are more likely to start a business than white men, Forbes reports. The research found that 17 percent of Black women are either in the process of starting or are already running a new business while only 10 percent of white men are doing the same. The same study also found that 61% of Black women entrepreneurs are funding their own ventures.
