Tag: jessicajohnson

As I was watching videos of the recent AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva that featured the first world press conference with humanoid robots and reporters, I texted one of my friends with the caption “I, Robot is literally here.” It was intriguing as well as a bit eerie watching these bots respond to questions from journalists. There is no doubt that they have been brilliantly programmed and they provided practical answers to a variety of questions that included how they would assist with global and social issues of poverty and inequality.

When the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action at the end of June, I immediately thought about how the University of California system had to end its “race-conscious” admissions policy when voters in the state approved Proposition 209 in 1996. I remember how discussions in higher education regarding this ruling at the time centered on worry about the lack of diversity in California schools in the future and how other states might follow suit. Eight states did follow suit, including Michigan, Florida and Nebraska, and the most recent ban came in 2020 when Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a law barring state contractors, state agencies and public education from using affirmative action mandates. That same year, research published by the Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education documented that Black and Latino enrollment among institutions in the University of California system declined by more than 40% the year Prop 209 went into effect.

Three days before Juneteenth was celebrated this year, the results of a Washington Post-Ipsos poll were published that showed a majority of African Americans in a 1,225-survey sample believe that racism will get worse over the course of their lives. Seventy-nine percent of older Black adults, those between 50-64 and those over 65, respectively, stated that they felt it is more dangerous to be a Black teenager now than when they were teens.

During the summer of 1981, I fell in love with the timeless gospel music classic “God Is” by the legendary composer James Cleveland. At this time, I was one of the youth representatives for my church in Athens, Georgia, in an oratorical contest at a state convention for Black Baptists. “God Is” was one of the songs that I learned while participating in the music workshops.

The Pew Research Center has been tracking how the COVID-19 pandemic affected attendance at religious services since 2020, and I have been closely following their survey results out of personal interest as an earnest churchgoer and worship leader.

I finally had some extra time this week to take in the Disney live-action remake of its 1989 animated film, “The Little Mermaid.” I had watched Halle Bailey, the African-American actress and singer cast as Ariel, perform the movie’s beloved song “Part of Your World” on “American Idol” prior to its release. Bailey nailed every note while lending her own uniqueness to the original score, and it was the perfect promotion for those anxiously awaiting the retelling of this treasured story.

As sports articles have been honoring the football legacy of Jim Brown in the wake of his passing at age 87 last month, many tributes have included the famous 1967 photo of the Cleveland Summit, also known as the Ali Summit.

As Mental Health Awareness Month is nearing its end, I reflected on how the mental health crisis among teenage girls is receiving more attention from researchers.

“Nothing ever came easy. Every day was a fight.”

While making copies at one of the local Columbus library branches last week, I overheard an intriguing conversation that would be an excellent commencement theme for this year’s high school and college graduates.