usatoday--2020-07-05--New York Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka 'doing well' after being hit by line drive in simulated game

NEW YORK – In a frightening moment at Yankee Stadium , Masahiro Tanaka was struck in the head by teammate Giancarlo Stanton 's blistering line drive during a Saturday afternoon simulated game .
The Yankees pitcher appeared to have avoided serious injury ; a CT scan came back negative and Tanaka was released from NewYork-Presbyterian hospital just before 8 p.m .
Afterward , an upbeat-sounding Tanaka posted in English to his verified Twitter account : `` I appreciate all the support .
I feel it a bit right now , but I 'm all good , '' adding that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back on the mound ASAP !
`` Thanks again for all the encouraging words ! ''
According to manager Aaron Boone , the concussion-like symptoms Tanaka exhibited had dissipated , but he ’ ll be in concussion protocol for the time being .
“ I ’ d say right now he ’ s doing well , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ Feel like we ’ re getting good news on that front.
’ ’ Tanaka was participating in his first simulated game of summer training , for the delayed MLB season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side of his head .
After about 10 long minutes had passed , Tanaka was helped to his feet and escorted slowly to the dugout and into the clubhouse , walking tentatively with two medical staff members assisting him .
Boone described Tanaka as being “ alert and aware ’ ’ while he was prone on the mound , “ but you always worry about the next minutes and hours.
’ ’ Later by phone , Boone was informed that Tanaka was conversing normally and “ seems fine ’ ’ by athletic trainer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the hospital .
An hour after he was struck , he was described as `` alert , responsive and walking under his own power , '' according to the Yankees .
The chilling sound of contact instantly stopped all on-field activity , just before 3:30 p.m. Tanaka immediately collapsed on the pitching mound , lying on his left side as medical staff rushed over and players stood silently nearby .
“ That stops you in your tracks , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ The first thing when something like that happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s life .
`` That 's your immediate focus and hoping and praying he 's OK. '' Tanaka , who had also faced Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres during his session , was not using the protective net while he pitched in his first simulated inning since the Yankees gathered for their second spring training .
Later , Judge and Torres wrote Twitter posts critical of the media for recording and posting images related to Tanaka 's injury .
Music that had been blaring out of the Stadium 's speaker system was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's teammates knelt in the perimeter of the mound while Tanaka was being attended to .
After his swing , Stanton crouched in the batter 's box and looked away , staring into the dirt as catcher Kyle Higashioka jogged toward the mound .
Boone also checked in with a shaken Stanton .
“ I don ’ t necessarily want to speak for G , but he seems to have handled it as well as could have been expected , ’ ’ Boone said of the slugger .
COLE : Ready to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Miami Marlins player , Stanton suffered facial fractures after being struck by a Mike Fiers fastball in a September 2014 game .
Next in line to pitch , Jordan Montgomery had just completed his warmups when Tanaka was struck .
“ I finish up and I see everyone around him , ’ ’ Montgomery said .
“ Horrible.
’ ’ As Montgomery went to the mound about 20 minutes later for his sim session against live hitters , the lefty requested the “ el ’ ’ screen be placed in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on pitching with the protective screen , but “ I was a little timid after seeing that , ’ ’ Montgomery said .
“ I had it in the back of my head ( that it was ) safer to put it up.
’ ’ Admittedly shaken , Montgomery said he intentionally threw more fastballs away and “ a lot of non-competitive pitches ’ ’ during his session , so as to avoid hard contact .
It ’ s “ a one in a million chance of happening , and when it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Montgomery said of Tanaka 's injury .
“ It ’ s really hard to see .
“ We ’ re all thinking about him of course and hoping for the best.
’ ’ Pete Caldera is the Yankees beat writer for NorthJersey.com .
Email : caldera @ northjersey.com Twitter : @ pcaldera

New York Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka 'doing well' after being hit by line drive in simulated game
Show Caption Hide Caption New York Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka gets medical help as teammates gather Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka was hit by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton Pete Caldera, Staff Writer, @pcaldera
NEW YORK – In a frightening moment at Yankee Stadium, Masahiro Tanaka was struck in the head by teammate Giancarlo Stanton's blistering line drive during a Saturday afternoon simulated game.
The Yankees pitcher appeared to have avoided serious injury; a CT scan came back negative and Tanaka was released from NewYork-Presbyterian hospital just before 8 p.m.
Afterward, an upbeat-sounding Tanaka posted in English to his verified Twitter account: "I appreciate all the support. I feel it a bit right now, but I'm all good," adding that he was "going to try to get back on the mound ASAP!
"Thanks again for all the encouraging words!''
According to manager Aaron Boone, the concussion-like symptoms Tanaka exhibited had dissipated, but he’ll be in concussion protocol for the time being.
“I’d say right now he’s doing well,’’ Boone said. “Feel like we’re getting good news on that front.’’
Tanaka was participating in his first simulated game of summer training, for the delayed MLB season, when he was struck on the right side of his head.
After about 10 long minutes had passed, Tanaka was helped to his feet and escorted slowly to the dugout and into the clubhouse, walking tentatively with two medical staff members assisting him.
Boone described Tanaka as being “alert and aware’’ while he was prone on the mound, “but you always worry about the next minutes and hours.’’
Later by phone, Boone was informed that Tanaka was conversing normally and “seems fine’’ by athletic trainer Mike Schuk, who accompanied the pitcher to the hospital.
An hour after he was struck, he was described as "alert, responsive and walking under his own power,'' according to the Yankees.
Masahiro Tanaka was hit in the head with a line drive from the bat of Giancarlo Stanton during a simulated game.pic.twitter.com/biProHbgeK — Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 4, 2020
The chilling sound of contact instantly stopped all on-field activity, just before 3:30 p.m.
Tanaka immediately collapsed on the pitching mound, lying on his left side as medical staff rushed over and players stood silently nearby.
“That stops you in your tracks,’’ Boone said. “The first thing when something like that happens, you worry about is a guy’s life.
"That's your immediate focus and hoping and praying he's OK.''
Tanaka, who had also faced Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres during his session, was not using the protective net while he pitched in his first simulated inning since the Yankees gathered for their second spring training.
Later, Judge and Torres wrote Twitter posts critical of the media for recording and posting images related to Tanaka's injury.
I get that everyone has a job to do but continuing to film and zoom in on someone hurt and down in the stadium doesn’t sit well with me! Doesn’t matter who it is, teammate, coach, or fan! Praying for Tanaka! — Aaron Judge (@TheJudge44) July 4, 2020
1) I understand that people are doing their job and want to show everything we are doing, I understand that, but showing that exact moment that happened with our teammate does not seem right to us, we feel terrible to see the video in each part of social media. — Gleyber Torres (@TorresGleyber) July 4, 2020
2) I understand that they have to write what happened but do not show that moment, Praying for Tanaka! — Gleyber Torres (@TorresGleyber) July 4, 2020
Music that had been blaring out of the Stadium's speaker system was eventually turned off as some of Tanaka's teammates knelt in the perimeter of the mound while Tanaka was being attended to.
After his swing, Stanton crouched in the batter's box and looked away, staring into the dirt as catcher Kyle Higashioka jogged toward the mound.
Boone also checked in with a shaken Stanton.
“I don’t necessarily want to speak for G, but he seems to have handled it as well as could have been expected,’’ Boone said of the slugger.
YANKEES: DJ LeMahieu, Luis Cessa test positive for COVID-19
COLE: Ready to become Yankees' ace in one-of-a-kind season
DODGERS: David Price opts out of 2020 MLB season
As a Miami Marlins player, Stanton suffered facial fractures after being struck by a Mike Fiers fastball in a September 2014 game.
Next in line to pitch, Jordan Montgomery had just completed his warmups when Tanaka was struck.
“I finish up and I see everyone around him,’’ Montgomery said. “Horrible.’’
Teammates surrounding Masahiro Tanaka, hit by a line drive during sim game minutes ago. pic.twitter.com/m3pccxQiZI — Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) July 4, 2020
As Montgomery went to the mound about 20 minutes later for his sim session against live hitters, the lefty requested the “el’’ screen be placed in front of him.
He hadn’t planned on pitching with the protective screen, but “I was a little timid after seeing that,’’ Montgomery said. “I had it in the back of my head (that it was) safer to put it up.’’
Admittedly shaken, Montgomery said he intentionally threw more fastballs away and “a lot of non-competitive pitches’’ during his session, so as to avoid hard contact.
It’s “a one in a million chance of happening, and when it does it’s terrifying,’’ Montgomery said of Tanaka's injury. “It’s really hard to see.
“We’re all thinking about him of course and hoping for the best.’’
Pete Caldera is the Yankees beat writer for NorthJersey.com. Email: caldera@northjersey.com Twitter: @pcaldera


usatoday--2020-07-04--Southern towns grapple with their pasts as they host Black Lives Matter protests

A crowd of 500 people gathered under an expansive blue sky at the base of a rusty bridge that crosses the Intracoastal Waterway in Belle Chasse , Louisiana , on June 12 .
Most wore black T-shirts that read `` Black Lives Matter '' and carried signs echoing the words and names of Black Americans whose deaths have prompted protests nationwide : George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , among others .
Marva Trufant , 74 , was determined to walk across the bridge despite the 90-degree heat .
Her family was worried about her .
She had not felt comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day as she had done before the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone indoors in late March .
She was nervous about being around a large crowd of people for the first time in months .
“ But I had to push that aside .
We were there for something bigger , something more important .
I was at least going to walk that bridge , ” said Trufant , who has worked as a civil rights activist in Plaquemines Parish since the early 1980s .
June 12 marked the first time Belle Chasse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized a large protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement , according to organizers .
The march came in the wake of continuous nationwide protests that erupted in the aftermath of the death of Floyd , a 46-year-old Black man who died on Memorial Day after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds .
While the national lens has been largely trained on bigger cities , protests in small towns and cities across the South have stirred up long-silenced conversations on racial justice in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heart of where the civil rights movement began , is home to the largest population of Black Americans in the country .
People who identify as Black make up about 55 % of the population , according to 2010 data from the U.S. Census Bureau .
A total of 105 Southern counties have a Black population of 50 % or higher .
As protests in support of Black Lives Matter spread from vast metropolitan areas to smaller cities and towns , communities across this region have been forced to face their past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all residents .
It has stoked fear among some members of these communities , including those who threatened to disrupt protests in Belle Chasse and Chalmette , Louisiana .
It has compelled longtime activists like Trufant in Belle Chasse and Lorraine Bates , 70 , in Petal , Mississippi , to march once again .
A new generation of organizers , some just teenagers and others well into adulthood , has been inspired to march and organize for the first time .
Names like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor being called out like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these communities — but other names are recited as well .
Marc Davis , who died after he was shot by a police officer in Petal , Mississippi , in 2017 .
Nimali Henry , who died after she was denied medication for a blood disorder while she was in custody at the St. Bernard Parish Jail in 2014 in southeast Louisiana .
In a matter of weeks , the protests have already yielded change in rural corners of the South .
One needs to look no further than St. Landry Parish , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where 42 % of the 82,000 residents are Black .
In early June , a St. Landry Parish sheriff ’ s deputy was fired after posting an offensive meme on Facebook about Minneapolis protesters .
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said the post violated the department ’ s social media policy .
“ Conversations are being had that people refused to have , '' Belle Chasse resident Candice Dinet said as she marched June 12 with about 500 neighbors and family members .
`` It ’ s all coming up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going away anytime soon.
” Belle Chasse , La .
: 'Protests have woken a lot of folks up' '' There are people in Belle Chasse that believe everything is fine here , '' said Abby Taylor , a Belle Chasse resident and one of the organizers of the June 12 march .
“ I was getting word from police , and they thought we wouldn ’ t bring even 25 people to the march .
They think there isn ’ t a problem here , ” Taylor said .
“ Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems in our community , because everyone there had a story to share.
” The crowd of mostly Black residents marched over the bridge and back toward the city through a tunnel that crosses under the waterway that separates Plaquemines Parish from neighboring Jefferson Parish .
Police barricades were set up along a 2-mile stretch of commercial corridor .
Some businesses by the bridge boarded up windows with plywood ahead of the march .
The barricades were symbolic for Taylor .
“ It felt like we were being confined , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walking all around us through the march like we were prisoners .
In my mind that was a subliminal message : 'We are still in control of you . '
`` Longtime activist Trufant ’ s goal was to walk the bridge .
More commonly known as the Belle Chasse bridge , it was officially named after Leander Perez , the staunch segregationist who ran the parish from 1919 until his death in 1969 .
Trufant remembers having to walk to school as a child because school buses weren ’ t provided for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
Under Perez ’ s leadership , schools were not desegregated until 1967 .
“ I want the name of that bridge changed .
Let it be the Belle Chasse bridge , '' Trufant said .
`` Once I got up there , I was angry .
I had a weird feeling .
I felt like I was walking on him.
” Prattville , Ala. : 'We need to take care of one another' Earnest prayers for forgiveness and unity and trust and love echoed through downtown Prattville , Alabama , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people gathered by City Hall as pastors from nine local churches and others offered prayers amid widespread civil unrest gripping the nation .
Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. announced the vigil a few nights before at a city council meeting .
`` We need prayer , and we need to take care of one another , '' he said then .
`` The only way we are going to get through this is by taking care of one another . ''
Prattville is a city of about 40,000 , just 10 minutes north of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures show it is about 76 % white and 19 % Black .
It is the county seat of Autauga County , a conservative bastion , where 73 % of the vote went to President Donald Trump in 2016 .
Ministers who took part were evenly split , representing predominantly white and Black churches .
There were pastors from high steeple churches with congregations in the thousands and ministers from smaller churches .
The gathering quickly took on the spirit of a church service , complete with hand-held paper fans .
Some went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Hall .
After the vigil ended , dozens of people lingered .
Social distancing was put on hold as hugs were given and cheeks were kissed .
“ We needed this , ” Bree Carter said .
“ Prattville always comes together when things get tough.
” Since May 28 , she has walked a daily slow mile from her home to call for the resignation of Petal Mayor Hal Marx .
Protests began in Petal , Mississippi , last month after Marx made comments on social media about Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activism .
She began when she was 13 during the civil rights movement .
She has become iconic locally , showing up to protests wearing chains around her hands , a noose around her neck and a white cloak with the words “ Black Lives Matter ” and “ Mama I Can ’ t Breathe ” written on the billowing cloth .
She brought a recording of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a 1968 copy of a Life magazine cover of Coretta Scott King with her to a City Hall meeting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
Protests in the wake of Floyd ’ s death have rippled this quiet town , known locally as the `` Friendly City '' as well as the “ safest city in Mississippi , ” according to several online polls .
It ’ s the type of place where family picnics and spring baseball games are the norm .
It ’ s a small city , made up of about 11,000 residents , of whom about 85 % identify as white , according to U.S. census data from 2010 .
Petal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imperial Wizard Richard Greene and is located in Forrest County , which was named after Confederate Army Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest , the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan .
The protests in Petal have been relatively peaceful .
While no public opposition to the protests has been voiced , some community members have been outspoken about their feelings , offering support for the beleaguered mayor .
Members of the Citizens Militia of Mississippi recently attended at least one rally in Petal but did not interfere with the protests .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed with guns and batons , but the weapons were never drawn .
Citizens Militia of Mississippi members declined to comment , but said they came to the rally only to observe .
The protest , and others that followed , continued peacefully and without further incident .
Protesters also called out Marx for taking no action on the death of 34-year-old Marc Davis of LaPlace , Louisiana , who was shot to death by Petal police officer Aaron Jernigan in June 2017 .
Davis had been involved in a car wreck and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an altercation allegedly broke out between the two men .
An investigation led by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation determined there was no wrongdoing involved in Davis ' death .
Davis ' mother , Catherine Davis , attended protests in Petal and Jackson to raise awareness of her son 's death and ask Attorney General Lynn Fitch to reopen the case .
`` I feel like I have to humanize my child , '' she said .
`` I 'm going to tell you how real my child was .
How he mattered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Black man .
Marc had the biggest laugh , the biggest smile . ''
A demonstration against police brutality and racial injustice in Chalmette , Louisiana , on June 6 was the first of its kind , drawing support and opposition ahead of it , according to organizers .
Ahead of the rally Leandre “ Lax ” Shaw , 22 , had seen rumors of looters and antifa invading Chalmette spreading through social media .
It was enough to keep some from participating .
“ There is a lot of racial tension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of response we got from the community was that it was a Black versus white thing , and I had to say it was an everybody versus racism thing , ” Shaw said .
The threats weren ’ t enough to keep more than 300 people from gathering at the Sidney D. Torres Memorial Park in Chalmette , a small city of about 17,000 residents .
Although still home to a predominantly white population , St. Bernard Parish has quickly become more diverse in recent years with a growing Hispanic and Black population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Chalmette High School , marched with his father .
Dier noticed that the group was also marching right past a spot where the KKK once frequently held its rallies .
His father once told him about riding his bike past the civic center in 1977 and seeing white hoods and burning crosses outside .
“ It felt like poetic justice that they picked this spot to hold the first Black Lives Matter rally , ” Dier said .
“ … I think it ’ s incredibly powerful to have that space actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He grew up in St. Bernard Parish , a community east of New Orleans surrounded by water and home to about 47,000 people .
It was the site of the 1868 St. Bernard Parish Massacre where between 35 and 130 freed black people were killed by white residents ahead of a presidential election .
`` I grew up here and had never heard about it until I started researching the history of the parish , '' he said .
`` When I came across it , I was astounded that this was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parish or Louisiana or the United States . ''
Middle and West Tennessee : 'Change begins right here' It was a tale of two protests on June 14 in Ashland City , a town of about 4,500 in Middle Tennessee , where dozens gathered to be heard .
In front of the county courthouse , the first group carried signs with messages including : “ Hillbilly ’ s for Black Lives , ” “ Equal rights for others does not mean less rights for you .
It ’ s not pie , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken , it was built that way.
” Jim Brooks , donning a mask amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and holding onto a “ Black Lives Matter ” sign , said he was there to “ stand up for what is right ” and join others in expressing concerns .
“ I hate to see ( this ) level of anger , ” he added .
Some of that anger was across the street , where a second group countered with “ All Lives Matter , ” while waving American and Confederate flags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 15,500 , leaders with the city , police , NAACP and chamber of commerce worked together to organize a peace rally on June 7 .
Brandon Williams , who grew up nearby and helped organize the rally , said change required stepping out of comfort zones .
“ I think it comes down to cultural differences .
It comes down to experiencing new people , experiencing new things , ” Williams said .
Williams asked everyone in attendance to say hello to a person they ’ ve never met .
Watching as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another , smiling and talking , Williams said that moment was maybe the most impressive of the rally .
“ Seeing everyone talking with each other .
Seeing everyone putting aside their differences .
That ’ s what we need now , ” Williams said .
Protests reached some of the smallest of cities , including Humboldt , population 8,200 , in West Tennessee .
Dozens of people gathered in the town ’ s Viking Park for a rally titled “ Enough is Enough : Let Us Breathe.
” Fort Smith , Ark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we 're mighty' Isaac Haynes led a candlelit vigil in Fort Smith , Arkansas , last month , reading out the ages of Black men killed by police in the United States .
The vigil held in the aftermath of Floyd 's death drew scores of community members , public officials and police officers .
It was the first of several actions that took place in the city starting May 29 .
Fort Smith police have generally been well received at recent Black Lives Matter protests throughout the city since Floyd 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensured the demonstrations take “ a peaceful course ” of action while also providing safety for demonstrators .
But while local officials showed their support of the vigil and released public statements condemning the actions that led to Floyd 's death , several community members spoke out about their wariness of police in general .
Deondre Phillips said he has concerns “ every day ” about his and other Black residents ’ interactions with police officers .
“ I trust the people in Fort Smith .
I feel like it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to look over your shoulder every now and then , ” he said .
“ This is a very sad time because I have young Black men as sons , ” said Larry Bedell .
However , Haynes said he was “ sadly ” thankful the Floyd video surfaced .
Bedell agreed .
“ What ’ s so beautiful about it is it didn ’ t make me mad , it made everybody mad .
We ’ ve got every color out here right now , ” he said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re mighty.
” USA TODAY Network reporters Maria Clark , Marty Roney , Lici Beveridge , Andrew Yawn , Todd A .
Price , Ashley White , Cam Bonelli , Max Bryan , Kelly Fisher , Lasherica Thornton and Chris Gadd contributed to this report .

Southern towns grapple with their pasts as they host Black Lives Matter protests
Show Caption Hide Caption Key things that propel a protest to a successful movement Do protests ever enact real change? Yes. But not all movements are created equal. Here's the ingredients of a successful movement. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
A crowd of 500 people gathered under an expansive blue sky at the base of a rusty bridge that crosses the Intracoastal Waterway in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, on June 12.
Most wore black T-shirts that read "Black Lives Matter" and carried signs echoing the words and names of Black Americans whose deaths have prompted protests nationwide: George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others.
Marva Trufant, 74, was determined to walk across the bridge despite the 90-degree heat.
Her family was worried about her. She had not felt comfortable going out to walk a mile a day as she had done before the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone indoors in late March.
She was nervous about being around a large crowd of people for the first time in months.
“But I had to push that aside. We were there for something bigger, something more important. I was at least going to walk that bridge,” said Trufant, who has worked as a civil rights activist in Plaquemines Parish since the early 1980s.
A crowd of 500 marches against police brutality and racial injustice in Belle Chasse, LA A crowd of 500 marches against police brutality and racial injustice in Belle Chasse, LA The American South
June 12 marked the first time Belle Chasse, a city of about 13,000, ever organized a large protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, according to organizers. The march came in the wake of continuous nationwide protests that erupted in the aftermath of the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died on Memorial Day after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.
While the national lens has been largely trained on bigger cities, protests in small towns and cities across the South have stirred up long-silenced conversations on racial justice in these communities.
The U.S. South, the heart of where the civil rights movement began, is home to the largest population of Black Americans in the country. People who identify as Black make up about 55% of the population, according to 2010 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. A total of 105 Southern counties have a Black population of 50% or higher.
As protests in support of Black Lives Matter spread from vast metropolitan areas to smaller cities and towns, communities across this region have been forced to face their past and debate the best steps forward for all residents.
It has stoked fear among some members of these communities, including those who threatened to disrupt protests in Belle Chasse and Chalmette, Louisiana. It has compelled longtime activists like Trufant in Belle Chasse and Lorraine Bates, 70, in Petal, Mississippi, to march once again.
A new generation of organizers, some just teenagers and others well into adulthood, has been inspired to march and organize for the first time. Names like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor being called out like a mantra across America are echoed in these communities — but other names are recited as well.
Marc Davis, who died after he was shot by a police officer in Petal, Mississippi, in 2017.
Nimali Henry, who died after she was denied medication for a blood disorder while she was in custody at the St. Bernard Parish Jail in 2014 in southeast Louisiana.
In a matter of weeks, the protests have already yielded change in rural corners of the South.
One needs to look no further than St. Landry Parish, just north of Lafayette, Louisiana, where 42% of the 82,000 residents are Black. In early June, a St. Landry Parish sheriff’s deputy was fired after posting an offensive meme on Facebook about Minneapolis protesters. St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said the post violated the department’s social media policy.
“Conversations are being had that people refused to have," Belle Chasse resident Candice Dinet said as she marched June 12 with about 500 neighbors and family members. "It’s all coming up to the surface, and it’s not going away anytime soon.”
Belle Chasse, La.: 'Protests have woken a lot of folks up'
"There are people in Belle Chasse that believe everything is fine here," said Abby Taylor, a Belle Chasse resident and one of the organizers of the June 12 march.
“I was getting word from police, and they thought we wouldn’t bring even 25 people to the march. They think there isn’t a problem here,” Taylor said. “Well, there are at least 400 to 500 problems in our community, because everyone there had a story to share.”
The crowd of mostly Black residents marched over the bridge and back toward the city through a tunnel that crosses under the waterway that separates Plaquemines Parish from neighboring Jefferson Parish. Police barricades were set up along a 2-mile stretch of commercial corridor. Some businesses by the bridge boarded up windows with plywood ahead of the march.
The barricades were symbolic for Taylor.
“It felt like we were being confined," she said. "Sheriff’s deputies were walking all around us through the march like we were prisoners. In my mind that was a subliminal message: 'We are still in control of you.' "
Longtime activist Trufant’s goal was to walk the bridge. More commonly known as the Belle Chasse bridge, it was officially named after Leander Perez, the staunch segregationist who ran the parish from 1919 until his death in 1969. Trufant remembers having to walk to school as a child because school buses weren’t provided for Black children in the parish at the time. Under Perez’s leadership, schools were not desegregated until 1967.
“I want the name of that bridge changed. Let it be the Belle Chasse bridge," Trufant said. "Once I got up there, I was angry. I had a weird feeling. I felt like I was walking on him.”
Prattville, Ala.: 'We need to take care of one another'
Earnest prayers for forgiveness and unity and trust and love echoed through downtown Prattville, Alabama, the morning of June 5.
About 200 people gathered by City Hall as pastors from nine local churches and others offered prayers amid widespread civil unrest gripping the nation.
Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. announced the vigil a few nights before at a city council meeting.
"We need prayer, and we need to take care of one another," he said then. "The only way we are going to get through this is by taking care of one another."
Prattville is a city of about 40,000, just 10 minutes north of the capital city of Montgomery. Census figures show it is about 76% white and 19% Black. It is the county seat of Autauga County, a conservative bastion, where 73% of the vote went to President Donald Trump in 2016.
Ministers who took part were evenly split, representing predominantly white and Black churches. There were pastors from high steeple churches with congregations in the thousands and ministers from smaller churches.
The gathering quickly took on the spirit of a church service, complete with hand-held paper fans. Some went to their knees on the lawn of City Hall.
After the vigil ended, dozens of people lingered. Social distancing was put on hold as hugs were given and cheeks were kissed.
“We needed this,” Bree Carter said. “Prattville always comes together when things get tough.”
Petal, Miss.: Mayor faces calls for his resignation
Lorraine Bates, 70, doesn't have a vehicle.
Since May 28, she has walked a daily slow mile from her home to call for the resignation of Petal Mayor Hal Marx.
Protests began in Petal, Mississippi, last month after Marx made comments on social media about Floyd’s death.
Bates is not new to activism. She began when she was 13 during the civil rights movement. She has become iconic locally, showing up to protests wearing chains around her hands, a noose around her neck and a white cloak with the words “Black Lives Matter” and “Mama I Can’t Breathe” written on the billowing cloth.
She brought a recording of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a 1968 copy of a Life magazine cover of Coretta Scott King with her to a City Hall meeting.
“I needed them today," she said.
Protests in the wake of Floyd’s death have rippled this quiet town, known locally as the "Friendly City" as well as the “safest city in Mississippi,” according to several online polls.
It’s the type of place where family picnics and spring baseball games are the norm. It’s a small city, made up of about 11,000 residents, of whom about 85% identify as white, according to U.S. census data from 2010.
Petal is home to former Mississippi White Knights Imperial Wizard Richard Greene and is located in Forrest County, which was named after Confederate Army Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
The protests in Petal have been relatively peaceful. While no public opposition to the protests has been voiced, some community members have been outspoken about their feelings, offering support for the beleaguered mayor. Members of the Citizens Militia of Mississippi recently attended at least one rally in Petal but did not interfere with the protests. Some of the group’s members were armed with guns and batons, but the weapons were never drawn.
Citizens Militia of Mississippi members declined to comment, but said they came to the rally only to observe.
The protest, and others that followed, continued peacefully and without further incident.
Protesters also called out Marx for taking no action on the death of 34-year-old Marc Davis of LaPlace, Louisiana, who was shot to death by Petal police officer Aaron Jernigan in June 2017.
Davis had been involved in a car wreck and was filing a report with Jernigan when an altercation allegedly broke out between the two men.
An investigation led by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation determined there was no wrongdoing involved in Davis' death.
Davis' mother, Catherine Davis, attended protests in Petal and Jackson to raise awareness of her son's death and ask Attorney General Lynn Fitch to reopen the case.
"I feel like I have to humanize my child," she said. "I'm going to tell you how real my child was. How he mattered. Marc was a family man, a Black man. Marc had the biggest laugh, the biggest smile."
Chalmette, La.: 'An everybody versus racism thing'
A demonstration against police brutality and racial injustice in Chalmette, Louisiana, on June 6 was the first of its kind, drawing support and opposition ahead of it, according to organizers.
Ahead of the rally Leandre “Lax” Shaw, 22, had seen rumors of looters and antifa invading Chalmette spreading through social media. It was enough to keep some from participating.
“There is a lot of racial tension in St. Bernard Parish. The type of response we got from the community was that it was a Black versus white thing, and I had to say it was an everybody versus racism thing,” Shaw said.
The threats weren’t enough to keep more than 300 people from gathering at the Sidney D. Torres Memorial Park in Chalmette, a small city of about 17,000 residents. Although still home to a predominantly white population, St. Bernard Parish has quickly become more diverse in recent years with a growing Hispanic and Black population.
Chris Dier, a history teacher at Chalmette High School, marched with his father.
Dier noticed that the group was also marching right past a spot where the KKK once frequently held its rallies.
His father once told him about riding his bike past the civic center in 1977 and seeing white hoods and burning crosses outside.
“It felt like poetic justice that they picked this spot to hold the first Black Lives Matter rally,” Dier said. “… I think it’s incredibly powerful to have that space actually be reclaimed for a more noble cause.”
He grew up in St. Bernard Parish, a community east of New Orleans surrounded by water and home to about 47,000 people. It was the site of the 1868 St. Bernard Parish Massacre where between 35 and 130 freed black people were killed by white residents ahead of a presidential election.
Dier wrote a book about the massacre.
"I grew up here and had never heard about it until I started researching the history of the parish," he said. "When I came across it, I was astounded that this was not common knowledge for people in the parish or Louisiana or the United States."
Middle and West Tennessee: 'Change begins right here'
It was a tale of two protests on June 14 in Ashland City, a town of about 4,500 in Middle Tennessee, where dozens gathered to be heard.
In front of the county courthouse, the first group carried signs with messages including: “Hillbilly’s for Black Lives,” “Equal rights for others does not mean less rights for you. It’s not pie,” and “The system isn’t broken, it was built that way.”
Jim Brooks, donning a mask amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and holding onto a “Black Lives Matter” sign, said he was there to “stand up for what is right” and join others in expressing concerns.
“I hate to see (this) level of anger,” he added.
Some of that anger was across the street, where a second group countered with “All Lives Matter,” while waving American and Confederate flags.
In nearby Dickson, a city of 15,500, leaders with the city, police, NAACP and chamber of commerce worked together to organize a peace rally on June 7.
Brandon Williams, who grew up nearby and helped organize the rally, said change required stepping out of comfort zones.
“I think it comes down to cultural differences. It comes down to experiencing new people, experiencing new things,” Williams said.
Williams asked everyone in attendance to say hello to a person they’ve never met. Watching as members of the crowd turned to one another, smiling and talking, Williams said that moment was maybe the most impressive of the rally.
“Seeing everyone talking with each other. Seeing everyone putting aside their differences. That’s what we need now,” Williams said.
Protests reached some of the smallest of cities, including Humboldt, population 8,200, in West Tennessee.
Dozens of people gathered in the town’s Viking Park for a rally titled “Enough is Enough: Let Us Breathe.”
Fort Smith, Ark.: 'We may be small, but we're mighty'
Isaac Haynes led a candlelit vigil in Fort Smith, Arkansas, last month, reading out the ages of Black men killed by police in the United States.
"46. 12. 17. 26. 22. 32."
The vigil held in the aftermath of Floyd's death drew scores of community members, public officials and police officers. It was the first of several actions that took place in the city starting May 29.
Fort Smith police have generally been well received at recent Black Lives Matter protests throughout the city since Floyd's death.
Police at the protests have ensured the demonstrations take “a peaceful course” of action while also providing safety for demonstrators.
But while local officials showed their support of the vigil and released public statements condemning the actions that led to Floyd's death, several community members spoke out about their wariness of police in general.
Deondre Phillips said he has concerns “every day” about his and other Black residents’ interactions with police officers.
“I trust the people in Fort Smith. I feel like it’s a very safe place, but you still have to look over your shoulder every now and then,” he said.
“This is a very sad time because I have young Black men as sons,” said Larry Bedell.
However, Haynes said he was “sadly” thankful the Floyd video surfaced. Bedell agreed.
“What’s so beautiful about it is it didn’t make me mad, it made everybody mad. We’ve got every color out here right now,” he said. “We may be small, but we’re mighty.”
USA TODAY Network reporters Maria Clark, Marty Roney, Lici Beveridge, Andrew Yawn, Todd A. Price, Ashley White, Cam Bonelli, Max Bryan, Kelly Fisher, Lasherica Thornton and Chris Gadd contributed to this report.


usatoday--2020-06-30--We're one-third of the way to a widely available coronavirus vaccine, experts say

A vaccine to protect against the coronavirus will be many things wrapped up in a small vial : a harbinger of a return to normalcy , a scientific feat for the ages and , depending on when it arrives , a politically potent symbol .
The timeline for how long it will take to get that vaccine is a moving target and depends on whom you ask – and when .
Anthony Fauci , the top infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health , has repeatedly said he hopes a vaccine could be available by the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump promised a vaccine will be ready by the end of this year or by January .
A White House-led partnership , Operation Warp Speed , allocated almost $ 10 billion to the effort , and as much as $ 1.2 billion has been promised on a single vaccine candidate .
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca pledged to have at least 300 million doses for the USA delivered as early as October – probably even before a vaccine is approved .
In an effort to cut through some of the hyperbole and get a realistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely available , USA TODAY created a panel of nationally known experts in medicine , virology , immunology , logistics and supply chain issues to estimate how far we are from a coronavirus vaccine .
Every month , these experts will track progress and highlight inevitable setbacks .
If you think of it as a clock ticking from midnight ( when the pandemic began ) to noon ( when vaccines will be widely available in the USA and life returns to something approaching normal ) , then as of June , the panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The sun has not yet peeked over the horizon , but the horizon glows in the East .
We are no longer in darkness , ” said Dr. Kelly Moore , associate director of immunization education with the Immunization Action Coalition .
The USA TODAY vaccine panel is designed to offer readers an objective , nonpartisan understanding of how close we are to getting an effective vaccine distributed to the nation ’ s residents .
We ’ re about a third of the way there , they said .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of next year , ” said Paul Offit , director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children ’ s Hospital in Philadelphia .
Pamela Bjorkman , a structural biologist at Caltech University , said she agrees , though one of the hardest parts – scaling up to make enough doses of the vaccine – will be a major challenge .
“ I subtracted an hour from the one-third of the way there estimate to account for manufacturability and distribution issues , ” she said via email .
The challenge is n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine – more than 11 possible candidates will be in human testing this summer .
But for a vaccine to end up in a pharmacy or doctor 's office near you , companies will have to produce hundreds of millions of doses , then deliver them across the country and eventually the world .
It ’ s 4 a.m. : Vaccines are on their way For June , 11 panelists answered our timeline question .
Their answers fell between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. , with a median of 4 a.m. – the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier and half were later .
The majority said progress on coronavirus vaccines is remarkably far along as scientists work 24/7 on ways to end the pandemic .
‘ The brightest minds in the world are in this fight , and they are moving with an incredible sense of urgency , ” said Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath , president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization , a trade group .
In a historic and global effort , the basic science behind dozens of vaccine development efforts has mostly been finished in the six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The vaccine candidates are largely in hand , ” said Dr. William Schaffner , a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University .
The global effort has been stellar , said Florian Krammer , a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City .
“ I have never seen science move so fast , ” he said .
Though the science to come up with candidate vaccines was hard , it wasn ’ t insurmountable , given advances in genetics , virology and immunology .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not possible a decade ago , ” said Prakash Nagarkatti , an immunologist and vice president for research for the University of South Carolina .
Many of the vaccines in the pipeline rely on new technologies whose underlying science is understood , although the actual techniques are being worked out .
Having a vaccine for just the USA wo n't protect us , said Erica Ollmann Saphire , a structural biologist and professor at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology .
The important date isn ’ t when the first person in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office and get the first shot .
The important date is when we have enough coverage to prevent resurgence and recirculation among the human population , she said .
`` We have seen very clearly this year that virus anywhere can become virus everywhere , '' she said .
The larger issues looming for these experts is always the messy and impossible-to-project outcomes : how safe and effective the vaccines will be when tested in people .
Chemistry is a science of formulas .
Biology is the very stuff of life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predict .
The hardest questions to answer are still to come , they said .
Will a vaccine provide lasting protection ?
Is it safe enough to provide to billions of people ?
Can it be produced quickly and reliably in huge quantities ?
Though the world clamors for a vaccine as quickly as possible , there can be no shortchanging safety for economic or political interests , said Dr. Gregory Poland , director of the Mayo Vaccine Research Group and editor-in-chief of the journal Vaccine .
Especially , he said , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use .
“ The Food and Drug Administration needs to demonstrate that it will not kowtow to political pressures and will do all the due diligence , safety testing and review necessary , ” Poland said .
The way this work is presented to the public is crucial and the urgency has gotten in the way of emphasizing the care that goes into the process , Schaffner said .
“ When we say that we are ‘ hurrying , moving fast , etc.
, ’ what the public thinks is that we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The messaging has been unfortunate.
” The goal must be to build public confidence in whatever vaccines become available by “ showing our work openly and honestly , ” Moore said .
For the world to line up for shots when they become available , researchers must “ bring the public along as partners in the process as we have not done perhaps since the early days of the polio vaccine.
” No estimate can totally predict the unimaginable complexities of the body ’ s immune response to a brand new vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates .
Presuming we can know the outcome is impossible .
“ You have an unusual virus , a bat coronavirus that has unusual features , and we ’ re going to meet that with vaccine strategies that have never been tested before in large populations .
What , ” Offit asked , “ could possibly go wrong ?
” How we did it USA TODAY received responses from 11 scientists and researchers , asking how far they think the vaccine development effort has progressed since Jan. 1 , when the virus was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggregated , and the median was calculated .
Pamela Bjorkman , structural biologist at the California Institute of Technology Dr. Florian Krammer , virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City Dr. Kelly Moore , associate director of immunization education , Immunization Action Coalition ; former member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Vaccine Practices ; chair , World Health Organization Immunization Practices Advisory Committee Dr. Paul Offit , director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , structural biologist , professor at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology Dr. William Schaffner , professor of preventive medicine , Department of Health Policy , and professor of medicine , Division of Infectious Diseases , Vanderbilt University

Elizabeth Weise and Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY

A vaccine to protect against the coronavirus will be many things wrapped up in a small vial: a harbinger of a return to normalcy, a scientific feat for the ages and, depending on when it arrives, a politically potent symbol.
The timeline for how long it will take to get that vaccine is a moving target and depends on whom you ask – and when.
Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health, has repeatedly said he hopes a vaccine could be available by the end of 2020 or early 2021.
President Donald Trump promised a vaccine will be ready by the end of this year or by January. A White House-led partnership, Operation Warp Speed, allocated almost $10 billion to the effort, and as much as $1.2 billion has been promised on a single vaccine candidate.
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca pledged to have at least 300 million doses for the USA delivered as early as October – probably even before a vaccine is approved.
In an effort to cut through some of the hyperbole and get a realistic sense of when a vaccine will be widely available, USA TODAY created a panel of nationally known experts in medicine, virology, immunology, logistics and supply chain issues to estimate how far we are from a coronavirus vaccine. Every month, these experts will track progress and highlight inevitable setbacks.
If you think of it as a clock ticking from midnight (when the pandemic began) to noon (when vaccines will be widely available in the USA and life returns to something approaching normal), then as of June, the panel said it’s about 4 a.m.
“The sun has not yet peeked over the horizon, but the horizon glows in the East. We are no longer in darkness,” said Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of immunization education with the Immunization Action Coalition.
The USA TODAY vaccine panel is designed to offer readers an objective, nonpartisan understanding of how close we are to getting an effective vaccine distributed to the nation’s residents. We’re about a third of the way there, they said.
“I think we’ll have a vaccine by the middle of next year,” said Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.
Pamela Bjorkman, a structural biologist at Caltech University, said she agrees, though one of the hardest parts – scaling up to make enough doses of the vaccine – will be a major challenge.
“I subtracted an hour from the one-third of the way there estimate to account for manufacturability and distribution issues,” she said via email.
The challenge isn't just to create a safe and effective vaccine – more than 11 possible candidates will be in human testing this summer. But for a vaccine to end up in a pharmacy or doctor's office near you, companies will have to produce hundreds of millions of doses, then deliver them across the country and eventually the world.
It’s 4 a.m.: Vaccines are on their way
For June, 11 panelists answered our timeline question. Their answers fell between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., with a median of 4 a.m. – the point where half of the answers were earlier and half were later.
The majority said progress on coronavirus vaccines is remarkably far along as scientists work 24/7 on ways to end the pandemic.
‘The brightest minds in the world are in this fight, and they are moving with an incredible sense of urgency,” said Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, a trade group.
In a historic and global effort, the basic science behind dozens of vaccine development efforts has mostly been finished in the six months since the virus first appeared.
“The vaccine candidates are largely in hand,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University.
The global effort has been stellar, said Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
“I have never seen science move so fast,” he said.
Safety first in coronavirus vaccines
Though the science to come up with candidate vaccines was hard, it wasn’t insurmountable, given advances in genetics, virology and immunology.
“Science has provided cutting-edge technologies that were not possible a decade ago,” said Prakash Nagarkatti, an immunologist and vice president for research for the University of South Carolina.
Many of the vaccines in the pipeline rely on new technologies whose underlying science is understood, although the actual techniques are being worked out.
Having a vaccine for just the USA won't protect us, said Erica Ollmann Saphire, a structural biologist and professor at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology.
The important date isn’t when the first person in the USA can go to the doctor’s office and get the first shot. The important date is when we have enough coverage to prevent resurgence and recirculation among the human population, she said.
"We have seen very clearly this year that virus anywhere can become virus everywhere," she said.
The larger issues looming for these experts is always the messy and impossible-to-project outcomes: how safe and effective the vaccines will be when tested in people. Chemistry is a science of formulas. Biology is the very stuff of life, and as such is almost impossible to predict.
The hardest questions to answer are still to come, they said. Will a vaccine provide lasting protection? Is it safe enough to provide to billions of people? Can it be produced quickly and reliably in huge quantities?
Though the world clamors for a vaccine as quickly as possible, there can be no shortchanging safety for economic or political interests, said Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Vaccine Research Group and editor-in-chief of the journal Vaccine.
Especially, he said, when it comes time to license vaccines for use.
“The Food and Drug Administration needs to demonstrate that it will not kowtow to political pressures and will do all the due diligence, safety testing and review necessary,” Poland said.
The way this work is presented to the public is crucial and the urgency has gotten in the way of emphasizing the care that goes into the process, Schaffner said.
“When we say that we are ‘hurrying, moving fast, etc.,’ what the public thinks is that we are cutting corners,” he said. “The messaging has been unfortunate.”
The goal must be to build public confidence in whatever vaccines become available by “showing our work openly and honestly,” Moore said. For the world to line up for shots when they become available, researchers must “bring the public along as partners in the process as we have not done perhaps since the early days of the polio vaccine.”
No estimate can totally predict the unimaginable complexities of the body’s immune response to a brand new vaccine, so they remain just that, estimates. Presuming we can know the outcome is impossible.
“You have an unusual virus, a bat coronavirus that has unusual features, and we’re going to meet that with vaccine strategies that have never been tested before in large populations. What,” Offit asked, “could possibly go wrong?”
How we did it
USA TODAY received responses from 11 scientists and researchers, asking how far they think the vaccine development effort has progressed since Jan. 1, when the virus was first internationally recognized. Those responses were aggregated, and the median was calculated.
This month's panelists
Pamela Bjorkman, structural biologist at the California Institute of Technology
Dr. Florian Krammer, virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City
Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, president and CEO of Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of immunization education, Immunization Action Coalition; former member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Vaccine Practices; chair, World Health Organization Immunization Practices Advisory Committee
Prakash Nagarkatti, immunologist, vice president for research, University of South Carolina
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Greg Poland, director, Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, editor-in-chief, Vaccine
Dan Salmon, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Institute for Vaccine Safety
Erica Ollmann Saphire, structural biologist, professor at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine, Department of Health Policy, and professor of medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University
Prashant Yadav, senior fellow, Center for Global Development, medical supply chain expert


usatoday--2020-07-04--'Growing pains are good': Matthew McConaughey calls on America to reflect, other celebs criticize Ju

The Fourth of July holiday is usually filled with an air of joyous celebration — another reason to bring out the grill and have a great time with friends and family — but this year , some stars like Matthew McConaughey , Wale and Madonna are urging people to look critically at the holiday .
In light of Black Lives Matter protests and the coronavirus pandemic that has disproportionately impacted communities of color , Juneteenth has been raised as the country 's Independence Day as it commemorates when all enslaved people were free .
Many argue that July 4 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to celebrate ' : July 4th protesters say not all Americans are free In a Twitter video , McConaughey , donning a red , white and blue bandanna , wished the United States a happy 244th birthday and acknowledged the growing pains that have marked 2020 .
`` We is ( sic ) going through some growing pains in this one are n't we ?
It is hotter in more ways than one , but growing pains are a good thing because how the hell else are we going to grow up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actor encouraged people to reflect and ask themselves how they can be better whether it comes to being `` fair '' or wearing a mask .
`` We individually make these changes that 's how we make a collective change , that 's how we get to next year 's birthday and birthdays beyond that .
And we start partying again , looking around and saying 'Oh yeah , we always got work to do .
We never arrived , but we improved , '' McConaughey said in the video .
Former California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message of hope amid the coronavirus pandemic , protests calling for racial equality and loss of jobs .
`` Happy birthday , America .
Thank you for letting me live the American Dream .
We must fight every day to make sure that dream is as true for a Black child born in Minneapolis as it was for a white bodybuilder born in Austria , '' he captioned his video .
'How can I do better as a white man ? '
: Matthew McConaughey talks about race with Emmanuel Acho Madonna shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` What to my people is the Fourth of July ?
My people who are failed every day by every country . ''
The video showed images and clips of Black pain and Black joy including a kneeling Colin Kaepernick and footage of police brutality .
`` The 4th of July is a lie , '' Madonna captioned the video .
Grammy-nominated rapper Wale also tweeted that today was not a holiday and called out institutions for being performative .
`` Performative bare minimum ytpipo give us everything but what needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daylight and they pander us wit things nobody asked for .401 years of guilt is eating away at folks so ignore Elijah Breonna George etc becuz cartoon voice acting is the prob , '' he wrote .

'Growing pains are good': Matthew McConaughey calls on America to reflect, other celebs criticize July 4th holiday
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump opens Fourth of July weekend with fireworks The opening of the Fourth of July weekend at the iconic Mount Rushmore ended with fireworks on Friday, after US President Donald Trump gave a speech lashing out at "left-wing mobs." (July 4) AP
The Fourth of July holiday is usually filled with an air of joyous celebration — another reason to bring out the grill and have a great time with friends and family — but this year, some stars like Matthew McConaughey, Wale and Madonna are urging people to look critically at the holiday.
In light of Black Lives Matter protests and the coronavirus pandemic that has disproportionately impacted communities of color, Juneteenth has been raised as the country's Independence Day as it commemorates when all enslaved people were free. Many argue that July 4 is a hypocritical celebration of freedom.
'We refuse to celebrate': July 4th protesters say not all Americans are free
In a Twitter video, McConaughey, donning a red, white and blue bandanna, wished the United States a happy 244th birthday and acknowledged the growing pains that have marked 2020.
"We is (sic) going through some growing pains in this one aren't we? It is hotter in more ways than one, but growing pains are a good thing because how the hell else are we going to grow up?" McConaughey said.
The 50-year-old actor encouraged people to reflect and ask themselves how they can be better whether it comes to being "fair" or wearing a mask.
"We individually make these changes that's how we make a collective change, that's how we get to next year's birthday and birthdays beyond that. And we start partying again, looking around and saying 'Oh yeah, we always got work to do. We never arrived, but we improved," McConaughey said in the video.
happy 244th birthday America pic.twitter.com/S9R469Wot4 — Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) July 4, 2020
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger shared a video message of hope amid the coronavirus pandemic, protests calling for racial equality and loss of jobs.
"Happy birthday, America. Thank you for letting me live the American Dream. We must fight every day to make sure that dream is as true for a Black child born in Minneapolis as it was for a white bodybuilder born in Austria," he captioned his video.
Happy birthday, America. Thank you for letting me live the American Dream. We must fight every day to make sure that dream is as true for a Black child born in Minneapolis as it was for a white bodybuilder born in Austria. via @attn pic.twitter.com/rM95vb3twC — Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) July 4, 2020
'How can I do better as a white man?': Matthew McConaughey talks about race with Emmanuel Acho
Madonna shared a video of actor Daveed Diggs asking, "What to my people is the Fourth of July? My people who are failed every day by every country." The video showed images and clips of Black pain and Black joy including a kneeling Colin Kaepernick and footage of police brutality.
"The 4th of July is a lie," Madonna captioned the video.
Grammy-nominated rapper Wale also tweeted that today was not a holiday and called out institutions for being performative.
"Performative bare minimum ytpipo give us everything but what needs to be done .We gettin killed in broad daylight and they pander us wit things nobody asked for .401 years of guilt is eating away at folks so ignore Elijah Breonna George etc becuz cartoon voice acting is the prob," he wrote.


usatoday--2020-05-22--Four things to avoid when grilling burgers this weekend

Four things to avoid when grilling burgers this weekend Grilling your burgers wrong could kill you .
Here are four @ @ @ @

Four things to avoid when grilling burgers this weekend
Grilling your burgers wrong could kill you. Here are four things to avoid.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-07-05--2 dead, 8 hurt in South Carolina nightclub shooting

GREENVILLE , S.C. – Two people are dead and eight are injured after a shooting at a nightclub in the early hours of July 5 , according to Lt. Jimmy Bolt of the Greenville County Sheriff 's Office .
The shooting occurred around 2 a.m. at Lavish Lounge , according to the Sheriff 's Office .
Investigators are looking for two suspects but do not have descriptions to release .
At an early morning press conference , Sheriff Hobart Lewis said the incident was `` probably gang related . ''
`` It 's sad to see on any day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy drove by the club at 1701 White Horse Road and heard gunfire when he called for back-up , Bolt said .
Once inside , law enforcement found multiple victims and learned of others being transported to the hospital in personal vehicles .
The eight injured victims ' conditions range from minor to critical , Bolt said .
All victims are being treated at Greenville Memorial Hospital , Lewis said .
Their names have not been released .
Early Saturday morning , a shooting at Dolce Club — which is next door to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injured , the Sheriff 's Office said .
Bolt said investigators are interviewing witnesses and will look for any connection to the July 4 incident .
`` We will certainly look at that .
But at this point ...
I do n't know of any connections between the two , '' he told The Greenville News .
Other shootings happened early July 4 in the Gantt neighborhood of southern Greenville and at Haywood Mall .
In the press conference , Lewis said a `` very , very large crowd '' was gathered for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lewis said he did not know if the club , which appeared to have a crowd gathered larger than what 's permitted under emergency orders due to the pandemic , had an exemption to gather and serve alcohol .
The nightclub is about 5 miles southwest of downtown Greenville , in South Carolina ’ s Upstate region .
Coronavirus cases in South Carolina have risen swiftly and the state ’ s rate of positive tests is three times the recommended level .
In late June , Greenville – which has experienced some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates – became the first city to mandate face coverings in South Carolina , where Gov .
Henry McMaster has refused to implement a statewide mask requirement .
McMaster reminded South Carolinians last week that he hadn ’ t lifted restrictions on large crowds , and that those operating nightclubs illegally or holding concerts against his orders don ’ t have to be caught in the act to face criminal charges , but instead could be charged weeks later if COVID-19 cases are traced back .
The Associated Press contributed to this report @

South Carolina nightclub shooting leaves 2 dead, 8 hurt
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Two people are dead and eight are injured after a predawn Sunday shooting at Lavish Lounge, a bar and nightclub in Greenville County, South Carolina.
A Greenville County Sheriff's Office deputy driving in the area just before 2 a.m. local time noticed a "disturbance" at the nightclub and called for emergency backup because of active gunfire inside the building, according to Lt. Jimmy Bolt.
County deputies, officers from the Greenville Police Department and troopers from the state Highway Patrol responded and found multiple gunshot victims inside. Some had already been taken away from the club in personal vehicles, Bolt said.
Greenville County Coroner Parks Evans Jr. identified the dead as 23-year-old Mykala Bell of Greenville and 51-year-old Clarence Sterling Johnson of Duncan.
The people who are hurt have a range of injuries, some minor and some critical. All of the injured are being treated at Prisma Health Upstate's Greenville Memorial Hospital, investigators said.
Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said at a Sunday press conference that the shootings are "probably gang related." He said there is a search for at least two suspects, including some who are "known gang members." No descriptions of them have been made public.
Club was in violation of coronavirus emergency orders, sheriff's office says
Rapper Foogiano posted on social media late Saturday night that he was going to perform at Lavish Lounge.
"Greenville y'all ready!?" reads a post from his Instagram account that was still visible Sunday morning.
Sheriff Lewis said Sunday that after watching surveillance footage from the incident, investigators believe people involved with the club's performing artist were involved in the shooting but that the performer himself was not part of the violence.
Lewis said investigators are still working to determine what happened in the moments before the shooting began. "We're hearing about five different stories," he said.
Lewis said the investigation indicates there were about 200 people inside the club at the time of the shooting — more than the maximum capacity allowed in the business during emergency restrictions that are in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Henry McMaster has ordered nightclubs shut down, and Lewis said the Sheriff's Office is working to confirm that the club did not have a special exemption to the order.
Lewis said he would work with the State Law Enforcement Division and the state Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation on the possibility of getting the club's license revoked.
Woman says her son was one of the shooting victims
One of the onlookers near the club Sunday, Margaret Spurgeon, said she'd just come from the hospital where her son was admitted after being grazed by a bullet in the shooting.
Spurgeon said her son works there. She said the club is a place people come to gather and hang out.
"It's not a troubled spot," Spurgeon said.
But Lewis told The Greenville News of the USA TODAY Network that Lavish Lounge has a history of crime and a large volume of calls for service. The Greenville News is seeking information and documents related to previous times officers have responded to the club.
"There have been shootings here before, some fights here before and that kind of thing," Lewis said.
'We're talking about 10 people shot in one place, within minutes'
More than seven hours after the shooting, investigators and forensics units were still at the club collecting and cataloging evidence, including multiple shell casings and attendees personal belongings that were scattered throughout the venue.
Lewis said there is "a large amount of blood" inside the club and "a lot of spent rounds" of ammunition.
"There's a lot to be collected in there, for sure," he said. "Anytime you see this amount of violence, it's not typical at all. I mean, we're talking about 10 people shot in one place, within minutes. There's nothing typical about this at all."
Greenville resident Markeese Brand said he works part-time at Lavish Lounge as security but was not there Saturday night.
"It's shocking, but at the same time we got the coronavirus, people are not working... they want to get out of the house," Brand said. "So you've got innocent people who want to step out to the club and enjoy themselves, and then this happens... in the blink of an eye."
Mike Riley, who has lived in a home near Lavish Lounge for the past 18 months, said he was awakened early Sunday by the sound of gunfire.
"I was in bed, and all of the sudden you hear pop, pop, pop, pow," said Riley. He said he heard four or five gunshots.

Gunfire at neighboring club the day before
The day before the shooting at Lavish Lounge, there was a separate shooting Saturday at nearby Dolce. A security guard was injured in the shooting at Dulce, and that case remains under investigation.
A sign outside Dolce describes the business as a as a bistro, hookah bar and lounge. It sits on the other side of Fuji Steak & Seafood, which is next to Lavish Lounge.
Bolt said investigators are interviewing witnesses and will look for connections between the two weekend shootings.
Follow reporter Zoe Nicholson on Twitter: @zoenicholson_
Colleges are racing to create 'a new sense of normalcy': Will new rules, COVID-19 testing be enough?
Columbus statue comes down: Protesters tore down, threw a statue of Christopher Columbus into Baltimore's Inner Harbor


usatoday--2020-07-04--Billy Graham, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass: Who Trump wants in the 'National Garden of America

President Donald Trump announced during a speech in front of Mount Rushmore on Friday an executive order to establish a `` National Garden of American Heroes '' featuring statues of `` historically significant Americans . ''
The executive order includes a list of former American presidents and historical figures to feature – with Ronald Reagan , Abraham Lincoln , Amelia Earhart , and Billy Graham among them .
Trump 's effort to build more statues comes as protesters across the U.S. have torn down statues in protest of police violence against Black people in the wake of George Floyd 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shifts amid national unrest : A look at how cities , states are responding to police brutality Trump has condemned the protesters tearing down statues , which have included Robert .
E. Lee and Christopher Columbus , among others , and signed a separate order in June to provide long prison sentences to people who remove or vandalize statues and other historical monuments .
In his speech Friday in South Dakota , Trump said protesters were `` determined to tear down every statue , symbol , and memory of our national heritage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tear down statues .
“ To destroy a monument is to desecrate our common inheritance , '' the order says .
`` These statues are not ours alone , to be discarded at the whim of those inflamed by fashionable political passions ; they belong to generations that have come before us and to generations yet unborn .
My Administration will not abide an assault on our collective national memory.
” More : 'We refuse to celebrate ' : July 4th protesters say not all Americans are free The National Garden will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures mentioned in the order .
The order stipulates that the Garden should include `` historically significant Americans , '' who `` contributed positively to America throughout our history , '' offering Founding Fathers , abolitionists , religious leaders , police officers `` killed or injured in the line of duty , '' and `` opponents of national socialism or international socialism '' as some examples .
The order further clarifies that any `` individual who was , or became , an American citizen and was a public figure who made substantive contributions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise had a substantive effect on America ’ s history '' is eligible , including Columbus and Junipero Serra .
Both Columbus and Serra , who are cited in the executive order , have been subjects of removal for protesters .
The order states that none of the Garden 's figures `` will have lived perfect lives , but all will be worth honoring , remembering , and studying . ''
A task force from the Department of the Interior will be responsible for adhering to these guidelines , as well as choosing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the order .
The order 's aim is open the garden to the public in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 , 2026 .
The full list of historical figures featured in the executive order are included below :

Billy Graham, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass: Who Trump wants in the 'National Garden of American Heroes'
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump vows to protect Mount Rushmore from any changes In the wake of statues and monuments being desecrated and taken down, President Trump vows to protect Mount Rushmore from any changes. USA TODAY
President Donald Trump announced during a speech in front of Mount Rushmore on Friday an executive order to establish a "National Garden of American Heroes" featuring statues of "historically significant Americans."
The executive order includes a list of former American presidents and historical figures to feature – with Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, and Billy Graham among them.
Trump's effort to build more statues comes as protesters across the U.S. have torn down statues in protest of police violence against Black people in the wake of George Floyd's death in May.
More: Policy shifts amid national unrest: A look at how cities, states are responding to police brutality
Trump has condemned the protesters tearing down statues, which have included Robert. E. Lee and Christopher Columbus, among others, and signed a separate order in June to provide long prison sentences to people who remove or vandalize statues and other historical monuments.
In his speech Friday in South Dakota, Trump said protesters were "determined to tear down every statue, symbol, and memory of our national heritage." The executive order also mentions efforts to tear down statues.
“To destroy a monument is to desecrate our common inheritance," the order says. "These statues are not ours alone, to be discarded at the whim of those inflamed by fashionable political passions; they belong to generations that have come before us and to generations yet unborn. My Administration will not abide an assault on our collective national memory.”
More: 'We refuse to celebrate': July 4th protesters say not all Americans are free
The National Garden will include but is not limited to the figures mentioned in the order. The order stipulates that the garden should include "historically significant Americans," who "contributed positively to America throughout our history," offering Founding Fathers, abolitionists, religious leaders, police officers "killed or injured in the line of duty," and "opponents of national socialism or international socialism" as some examples.
The order further clarifies that any "individual who was, or became, an American citizen and was a public figure who made substantive contributions to America’s public life or otherwise had a substantive effect on America’s history" is eligible, including Columbus and Junipero Serra. Both Columbus and Serra, who are cited in the executive order, have been subjects of removal for protesters.
The order states that none of the Garden's figures "will have lived perfect lives, but all will be worth honoring, remembering, and studying."
More: D.C. protesters toppled a Confederate statue sparking President Trump's response
A task force from the Department of the Interior will be responsible for adhering to these guidelines, as well as choosing the park's location, according to the order. The order's aim is open the garden to the public in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.
The full list of historical figures featured in the executive order are included below:
John Adams
Susan B. Anthony
Clara Barton
Daniel Boone
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Henry Clay
Davy Crockett
Frederick Douglass
Amelia Earhart
Benjamin Franklin
Billy Graham
Alexander Hamilton
Thomas Jefferson
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Abraham Lincoln
Douglas MacArthur
Dolley Madison
James Madison
Christa McAuliffe
Audie Murphy
George S. Patton, Jr.
Ronald Reagan
Jackie Robinson
Betsy Ross
Antonin Scalia
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Tubman
Booker T. Washington
George Washington
Orville and Wilbur Wright


usatoday--2020-07-05--1 killed, 1 injured after car hits protesters on closed Seattle highway

A 27-year-old Seattle man was arrested Saturday after his white Jaguar struck two women during a protest along a closed stretch of Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle , killing one and critically injuring another , state police said .
The driver , Dawit Kelete , of Seattle , was booked on two counts of vehicular assault and denied bail .
Troopers did not know if the incident was a targeted attack , but impairment was not considered a factor , Washington State Patrol Capt .
Ron Mead said .
Video on social media showed a white car traveling at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicles positioned across the lanes as a barrier .
The vehicle careened toward a handful of protesters on the freeway , striking two people who flew into the air before landing on the ground .
Summer Taylor , 24 , of Seattle died in the evening at Harborview Medical Center , while Diaz Love , 32 , of Portland , Oregon , remained in critical condition with multiple injuries , spokesperson Susan Gregg said .
A woman filmed the protest in a nearly two-hour-long Facebook livestream captioned “ Black Femme March takes I-5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with about 15 seconds left , shouts of “ Car !
” can be heard as the camera starts to shake before screeching tires and the sound of impact are heard .
Officials were trying to determine the motive as well as point of entry onto the interstate .
Mead said the driver was suspected to have driven the wrong way on a ramp .
Mead said troopers did not know whether it was a targeted attack , but impairment was not considered a factor .
Earlier this week : Seattle police clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders protesters to leave Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , which sparked nationwide protests .
Dozens of people were arrested this past week in connection with protests as demonstrations continue after authorities cleared the “ Capitol Hill Occupied Protest ” zone Wednesday morning .
Mead told reporters that protesters had shut down the interstate for 19 days in a row .
He emphasized that the freeway is “ simply not a safe place ” for pedestrians , and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ termed “ unlawful behavior ” in blocking the interstate .
“ My hope is , as a result of this tragedy , protesters will reconsider their desire to be on the interstate because I can not guarantee their safety , plain and simple , ” Mead said .

1 killed, 1 injured after car hits protesters on closed Seattle highway
Show Caption Hide Caption Seattle police disperse protesters in occupied CHOP area Police disperse Seattle's Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone (CHOP) and arrests have been made after an emergency order by Mayor Jenny Durkan. USA TODAY, Wochit
A 27-year-old Seattle man was arrested Saturday after his white Jaguar struck two women during a protest along a closed stretch of Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle, killing one and critically injuring another, state police said.
The driver, Dawit Kelete, of Seattle, was booked on two counts of vehicular assault and denied bail. Troopers did not know whether the incident was a targeted attack, but impairment was not considered a factor, Washington State Patrol Capt. Ron Mead said.
Video on social media showed a white car traveling at a high rate of speed navigate around two vehicles positioned across the lanes as a barrier. The vehicle careened toward a handful of protesters on the freeway, striking two people who flew into the air before landing on the ground.
Summer Taylor, 24, of Seattle died in the evening at Harborview Medical Center, while Diaz Love, 32, of Portland, Oregon, remained in critical condition with multiple injuries, spokesperson Susan Gregg said.
A woman filmed the protest in a nearly two-hour-long Facebook livestream captioned “Black Femme March takes I-5” when the video ended abruptly; with about 15 seconds left, shouts of “Car!” can be heard as the camera starts to shake before screeching tires and the sound of impact are heard.
Officials were trying to determine the motive as well as point of entry onto the interstate. Mead said the driver was suspected to have driven the wrong way on a ramp. Mead said troopers did not know whether it was a targeted attack, but impairment was not considered a factor.
Earlier this week: Seattle police clear CHOP zone and make arrests after mayor orders protesters to leave
Here are two pictures of the suspect vehicle that struck two protesters on I-5 this morning. Investigation into motive and point of entry in to I-5 are still under investigation. pic.twitter.com/gU1QH6TFTu — Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) July 4, 2020
Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests.
Dozens of people were arrested this past week in connection with protests as demonstrations continue after authorities cleared the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone Wednesday morning.
Mead told reporters that protesters had shut down the interstate for 19 days in a row. He emphasized that the freeway is “simply not a safe place” for pedestrians, and said he hoped protesters would cease what he termed “unlawful behavior” in blocking the interstate.
“My hope is, as a result of this tragedy, protesters will reconsider their desire to be on the interstate because I cannot guarantee their safety, plain and simple,” Mead said.
Contributing: Associated Press
More: Teenager killed, another wounded in shooting inside Seattle's occupied zone


usatoday--2020-07-05--How one school district tends to students' emotional health during coronavirus pandemic

SADDLE BROOK , N.J. — Three months ago , the Saddle Brook school district was making steady progress toward social and emotional learning as a part of a district initiative .
In-class yoga , mindfulness mantras and coping strategies for anxiety were part of the daily routine .
Then came the pandemic .
Virtual learning separated children from schoolmates and teachers at a time when the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other health experts were noting a surge in stress and depression .
Next came the killing of George Floyd and racial tensions that heightened anxiety for many families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were in front of social and emotional learning , that we had this wellness initiative in place , because we had already been talking about it and doing it , ” said Superintendent Danielle Shanley .
To address a complicated new reality , the entire faculty worked together to keep social and emotional learning at the forefront .
“ My concern was the kids need to be OK , '' Shanley said .
`` If they ’ re not OK , they won ’ t be able to learn anything — they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that is going to matter.
” Saddle Brook schools began online instruction in mid-March .
Communication and rapport between the teachers and students were desperately needed during this time .
Teachers were required to do a live face-to-face with students once a week .
“ That was really to check on their wellness , so that students and teachers could make eye contact , '' Shanley said .
Some students flourished in the virtual environment , but others struggled .
“ That loss of human connection on such a grand scale is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our faculty and some of our students , ” Shanley said .
Meghan Walls , a pediatric psychologist with the National Alliance on Mental Illness , said it ’ s important to understand how stressful the pandemic is for families .
Disrupted routines are especially troubling for children .
“ One of the things that sustains anxiety is having this lack-of-control feeling , ” Walls said .
What the district did for students After schools closed , students took park in virtual Mindfulness Monday and Fitness Friday .
Across the district , students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mantra to themselves : `` I am responsible , I am kind , I am strong . ''
It mirrored activities children had done in classrooms , such as deep belly breaths , and cupping their ears and replicating the sound of a buzzing bee through a long humming sound .
Activities during remote learning included writing a journal or practicing mindful eating .
Students were asked to give feedback on their favorite activity , in the hope that they would find practices they can continue during the summer .
Jillian Shadis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association , said mindfulness and wellness practices are strong preventive measures .
They `` provide kids with skills , resources and coping mechanisms that they need , so they know how to handle the anxiety that is inevitable in life , '' Shadis said .
The killing of Floyd on May 25 added urgency to the district 's efforts to confront issues of racism as part of social and emotional wellness practices .
Coronavirus and schools : Kids need to talk about George Floyd , protests and racism .
With closures , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the district 's director of curriculum and instruction , urged teachers to integrate diversity into their lessons and teach `` how to confront the racial injustice that continues to occur in our world and give our students the skills and mindset to think critically and be culturally responsive . ''
A physics teacher did a lesson on minorities in the sciences .
`` She wanted to have them start to think critically and realize that there is so much underrepresentation of minority groups in all their textbooks , '' Violetti said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the voices of underrepresented groups .
The message , essentially , was `` put your privilege aside for a moment and climb inside the head and the heart of somebody else — how might you see this differently , '' Shanley said .
`` We are trying to promote some empathy and understanding and tolerance and action , maybe a little bit of rage , '' she said .
With school set to close , Violetti and the Social and Emotional Learning Committee had a day of professional development for teachers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' : self-awareness , self-management , responsible decision-making , social awareness and relationship skills .
Violetti and the committee created a social and emotional learning bingo board for students , with squares containing a social competency activity , such as : write down 10 things you are grateful for , check in on elderly neighbors , get the family together .
What reopened schools will look like : Scheduled days home , more online learning , lots of hand-washing Students have told her it was exactly what they needed at the time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have asked to use the bingo board '' It 's very exciting , '' Violetti said .
Shanley said mindfulness is being considered as part of summer assignments .
`` We are putting in for summer hours for all of our guidance counselors , '' she said .
`` We anticipate there will be a need , at the elementary level , in particular . ''
Emma Byrne , the counselor at Helen I. Smith School , said , `` Students carry this invisible backpack , and we do n't always know everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal is for them to feel calm and safe . ''

How one school district tends to students' emotional health during coronavirus pandemic
Show Caption Hide Caption Mindful and wellness practices at Saddle Brook schools Mindful and wellness practices at Saddle Brook schools. Tariq Zehawi, NorthJersey
SADDLE BROOK, N.J. – Three months ago, the Saddle Brook school district was making steady progress toward social and emotional learning as part of a district initiative.
In-class yoga, mindfulness mantras and coping strategies for anxiety were part of the daily routine.
Then came the pandemic.
Virtual learning separated children from schoolmates and teachers as the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other health experts noted a surge in stress and depression. Next came the killing of George Floyd and racial tensions that heightened anxiety for many families.
“I’m glad that we were in front of social and emotional learning, that we had this wellness initiative in place, because we had already been talking about it and doing it,” Superintendent Danielle Shanley said.
To address a complicated new reality, the entire faculty worked together to keep social and emotional learning at the forefront.
“My concern was the kids need to be OK," Shanley said. "If they’re not OK, they won’t be able to learn anything – they can’t be focused. None of that is going to matter.”
Saddle Brook schools began online instruction in mid-March. Communication and rapport between the teachers and students were desperately needed during this time. Teachers were required to do a live face-to-face with students once a week.
“That was really to check on their wellness, so that students and teachers could make eye contact," Shanley said.
Some students flourished in the virtual environment, but others struggled.
“That loss of human connection on such a grand scale is really troubling and really impacted some of our faculty and some of our students,” Shanley said.
Meghan Walls, a pediatric psychologist with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said it’s important to understand how stressful the pandemic is for families. Disrupted routines are especially troubling for children.
“One of the things that sustains anxiety is having this lack-of-control feeling,” Walls said.
What the district did for students
After schools closed, students took part in virtual Mindfulness Monday and Fitness Friday. Across the district, students practiced yoga positive affirmation, repeating a mantra to themselves: "I am responsible, I am kind, I am strong."
It mirrored activities children had done in classrooms, such as deep belly breaths and cupping their ears and replicating the sound of a buzzing bee through a long humming sound.
Activities during remote learning included writing a journal. Students were asked to give feedback on their favorite activity, in the hope that they would find practices they can continue during the summer.
Jillian Shadis, president of the New Jersey School Counselor Association, said mindfulness and wellness practices are strong preventive measures.
They "provide kids with skills, resources and coping mechanisms that they need, so they know how to handle the anxiety that is inevitable in life," Shadis said.
Addressing racism
The killing of Floyd on May 25 added urgency to the district's efforts to confront issues of racism as part of social and emotional wellness practices.
Coronavirus and schools: Kids need to talk about George Floyd, protests and racism. With closures, it's hard to do.
Toni Violetti, the district's director of curriculum and instruction, urged teachers to integrate diversity into their lessons and teach "how to confront the racial injustice that continues to occur in our world and give our students the skills and mindset to think critically and be culturally responsive."
A physics teacher did a lesson on minorities in the sciences. "She wanted to have them start to think critically and realize that there is so much underrepresentation of minority groups in all their textbooks," Violetti said.
Other teachers assigned students to write essays in the voices of underrepresented groups. The message was "put your privilege aside for a moment and climb inside the head and the heart of somebody else – how might you see this differently?" Shanley said.
"We are trying to promote some empathy and understanding and tolerance and action, maybe a little bit of rage," she said.
Teacher training
Before school closed, Violetti and the Social and Emotional Learning Committee had a day of professional development for teachers. They focused on the "five competencies": self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness and relationship skills.
Violetti and the committee created a social and emotional learning bingo board for students, with squares containing social competency activities, such as: write down 10 things you are grateful for, check in on elderly neighbors, get the family together.
What reopened schools will look like: Scheduled days home, more online learning, lots of hand-washing
She said students told her it was exactly what they needed. Educators from North Jersey and beyond have asked to use the bingo board
"It's very exciting," Violetti said.
Shanley said mindfulness is being considered as part of summer assignments.
"We are putting in for summer hours for all of our guidance counselors," she said. "We anticipate there will be a need, at the elementary level, in particular."
Emma Byrne, the counselor at Helen I. Smith School, said, "Students carry this invisible backpack, and we don't always know everything they are going through.
"Our goal is for them to feel calm and safe."