Sharing new tools that will transform the U.S. food system

By Kevin T. Kirkpatrick

With encouraging signs that the United States is approaching a much more manageable phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be tempting to want to shrug off anything related to it and turn the page as quickly as possible.

Yet, the pandemic has not been an isolated incident. It has been connected to every aspect of our lives and in many cases has revealed deep cracks in our systems and policies, and the ways in which they do and do not promote public health, advance social…

By Eric Friedenwald-Fishman and Jennifer Messenger

We are at a pivotal moment as a nation and as a global community to redefine what matters to us, how we define progress and purpose, and how that then drives our decision-making, systems and structures. As we emerge from the pandemic together, it will take discipline not to simply go back to “business as usual,” falling back into old habits that prioritize economic growth above all else.

The deep inequities and shocking system failures laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic have made it clear that we need a seismic shift: As a nation…

The Guilty Verdict of Police Officer Derek Chauvin

The guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin is a step towards police accountability. It is not justice. True justice would mean that George Floyd was still alive today. True justice would mean that Adam Toledo, Duante Wright, Ma’Khia Bryant, Andrew Brown and countless others were also alive and with us today.

Darnella Frazier, a teenager at the time of George Floyd’s murder, recorded the 9 minute video that set in motion protests around the world in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. …

By Jennifer Messenger, Metropolitan Group

Earning people’s trust is key to making the COVID-19 vaccine work — and we all have a role to play.

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is great news, bringing hope for the end of the pandemic. But the vaccine itself won’t save lives; getting people vaccinated will. As change agents, our voices are needed.

Dr. Fauci is advocating for a vaccination rate as high as 90 percent to ensure immunity in the U.S. Recent surveys show that 66 percent of people in the U.S. intend to get the vaccine, up from 50 percent last fall. Among Black and African Americans, intention has jumped from 40 to 62 percent, but justifiable distrust persists there as…

January 7, 2021

The attack on the U.S. Capitol and on various state Capitols on January 6th were acts of domestic terrorism and at their core are acts of treason against the foundational constructs of democracy. Their incitement by President Trump over the last eight weeks by using the highest office in the land to spread lies and false accusations, at the Washington D.C. rally that preceded the attack of the Capitol, and even in his video message while the attack was in progress, are deplorable and violate his oath of office. A mob, including people carrying the confederate flag…

by Vernice Miller-Travis, Metropolitan Group

Have you ever had a moment in your life when everything you’ve ever cared about and worked on came crashing down in one fell swoop? That’s what the Coronavirus pandemic has done for me; this viral pandemic has unleashed a global health crisis of unfathomable proportions. This was a worst case scenario in a public health class I took in graduate school in the early 90s.

I remember thinking then that this was a preposterous scenario, but if it ever did occur, I knew where the pain points would be felt most — in Black…