Sybil Wilkes ‘What You Need To Know’ Maryland’s First Black Governor — Seeking Asylum? — Separate Housing For Trans Students

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2023

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1. It’s a New Day in the Old Line State: Wes Moore Sworn in as Maryland’s First Black Governor

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What You Need to Know:

Although he said the day was not about making history, Wes Moore did just that. With his hand on the Bible once owned by famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass, the 44-year-old Moore became the first Black Governor of the state of Maryland. Mr. Moore, introduced by former Baltimore resident Oprah Winfrey, gave his inaugural speech before the crowded mall in front of the Capitol, where a statue stands of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native and the nation’s first Black member of the highest court.

2. Seeking Asylum? There’s an App For That

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WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY

What You Need to Know:

U.S. border officials on Thursday began allowing some asylum-seekers to use a free mobile application to request an opportunity to be processed at an official port of entry. It is part of a strategy the Biden administration hopes will dissuade migrants from entering the U.S. illegally.

Eligible migrants in Mexico who use the app will be granted an appointment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at a port of entry, where officials will determine whether they should be allowed into the country under humanitarian exemptions to a pandemic-era rule known as Title 42 that has limited asylum claims.

3. China Accuses ‘Some Western Media’ of COVID-19 Coverage Bias

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What You Need to Know:

China on Thursday accused “some Western media” of bias, smears, and political manipulation in their coverage of China’s abrupt ending of its strict “zero-COVID” policy, as it issued a vigorous defense of actions taken to prepare for the change of strategy.

The move in December to end mass testing and quarantines led to a sharp rise in cases, with some hospitals and crematoriums overwhelmed with victims.

4. Ithaca College Creates Separate Housing For Trans Students

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WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY KWYN TOWNSEND-RILEY

What You Need to Know:

Ithaca College in New York will provide a separate dorm for transgender and nonbinary students.

The 20-bed residential community which is available to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors will operate ‘to provide an inclusive space for non-cis identifying students and to create a supportive community on campus,” according to the Ithaca college website.

Ithaca College stated that separate housing for transgender and nonbinary students was needed since “typical housing infrastructures throughout higher education tend to unintentionally center cisgender students, and are not always adequate to meet the needs of transgender and nonbinary students.”

5. Entrepreneur Empowers Black Women Professionals to Be Their Best Selves

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What You Need to Know

Black women are leading the charge in many industries in the U.S. From the boardroom to the halls of Congress and the White House, African American women continue to break glass ceilings and disrupt the status quo. Laura Knight, owner of Knights Consulting LLC, a professional development firm. Knight wants to help more Black women professionals advance in a more holistic way.

Realizing the unique needs of African American female professionals, Knight has launched the research-based Black Woman Leading professional development program with a focus on three key areas: leadership and career development, mental wellness, and relationship management in the workplace. Through the virtual learning program, mid-career Black women leaders share and process workplace experiences, and create action plans to take their careers to the next level.