Everything you Should Know About the Covid-19 Vaccines

Although there are more Covid 19 vaccines on the horizon, only three have been authorized and recommended by the CDC (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen). They are all considered safe and the CDC has recommended that people get whatever vaccine is available to them when they get the chance rather than waiting on a specific one because they all do the same thing. But of course for people with allergies and serious health conditions, that isn’t always an option. One of the biggest questions when it comes to the difference between the vaccines is do they have the same efficacy, what’s in them and what kind of side effects do they produce? Here’s everything you should know about all three vaccines:

Pfizer (95% effective)

Name: BNT162b2

Manufacturer: Pfizer, Inc., and BioNTech

Type of vaccine: mRNA

Number of shots: 2 shots, 21 days apart

How given: Shot in the muscle of the upper arm

Does not contain:

• Eggs
• Preservatives
• Latex

For a full list of ingredients click here

The Pfizer vaccine has been recommended for people 16 years of age or older.

Do Not get the Pfizer vaccine if the following applies:

• If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—to any ingredient in an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (such as polyethylene glycol), you should not get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.*
• If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—after getting the first dose of the vaccine, you should not get a second dose of either of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.*
• An allergic reaction is considered severe when a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or EpiPen^© or if they must go to the hospital. Learn about common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and when to call a doctor.
• An immediate allergic reaction means a reaction within 4 hours of getting vaccinated, including symptoms such as hives, swelling, or wheezing (respiratory distress).

Additional Info:

• 94% effective in elderly patients
• 90% effective at preventing asymptomatic infection after the second dose
• In clinical trials, reactogenicity symptoms (side effects that happen within 7 days of getting vaccinated) were common but were mostly mild to moderate.
• Side effects (such as fever, chills, tiredness, and headache) throughout the body were more common after the second dose of the vaccine.
• Most side effects were mild to moderate. However, a small number of people had severe side effects—defined as side effects affecting a person’s ability to do daily activities.
• Although few people in the clinical trials went to the hospital or died, data suggest that people who got the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were less likely to have these more serious outcomes compared to people who got the saline placebo.

Moderna (94.1% effective)

Name: mRNA-1273

Manufacturer: ModernaTX, Inc.

Type of vaccine: mRNA

Number of shots: 2 shots, one month (28 days) apart

How given: Shot in the muscle of the upper arm

Does not contain:

• Eggs
• Preservatives
• Latex

For a full list of ingredients click here

The Moderna vaccine has been recommended for people 18 years of age or older.

Do Not get the Moderna vaccine if the following applies:

• If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—to any ingredient in an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (such as polyethylene glycol),  you should not get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.*
• If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—after getting the first dose of the vaccine, you should not get a second dose of either of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
• An allergic reaction is considered severe when a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or EpiPen^©or if they must go to the hospital. Learn about common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and when to call a doctor.
• An immediate allergic reaction means a reaction within 4 hours of getting vaccinated, including symptoms such as hives, swelling, or wheezing (respiratory distress).

Additional info:

• 86% effective in those over 65 years old
• An effectiveness of about 66% at preventing asymptomatic infection
• In clinical trials, reactogenicity symptoms (side effects that happen within 7 days of getting vaccinated) were common but were mostly mild to moderate.
• Side effects (such as fever, chills, tiredness, and headache) throughout the body were more common after the second dose of the vaccine.
• Most side effects were mild to moderate. However, a small number of people had severe side effects that affected their ability to do daily activities.

Johnson & Johnson

Name: JNJ-78436735

Manufacturer: Janssen Pharmaceuticals Companies of Johnson & Johnson

Type of vaccine: Viral vector

Number of shots: 1 shot

How given: Shot in the muscle of the upper arm

Does not contain:

• Eggs
• Preservatives
• Latex

For a full list of ingredients click here

The J&J/Janssen vaccine is recommended for people 18 years of age or older.

Do Not get the J&J/Janssen vaccine if the following applies:

• If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—to any ingredientexternal icon in the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (such as polysorbate), you should not get the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
• An allergic reaction is considered severe when a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or EpiPen© or if they must go to the hospital. Experts refer to severe allergic reactions as anaphylaxis. Learn about common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and when to call a doctor.
• An immediate allergic reaction means a reaction within 4 hours of getting vaccinated, including symptoms such as hives, swelling, or wheezing (respiratory distress).

Additional Info:

• 42% effective in those over 60
• About 74% effective at preventing asymptomatic infection 
• In clinical trials, side effects were common within 7 days of getting vaccinated but were mostly mild to moderate.
• Side effects were more common in people 18–59 years old compared to people 60 years and older.

The side effects for all three vaccines are essentially the same and are as follows:

• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Chills
• Fever
• Nausea

The main difference between the vaccines is that Pfizer and Moderna are made using messenger RNA, or mRNA, a technology that delivers a bit of genetic code to cells and are done in two doses. This is a a recipe to make the surface protein (known as spike) on the SARS-2 virus. Essentially the proteins made with with the mRNA will activate the immune system, spiking protein as foreign and developing antibodies and other immunity weapons to fight.

The J & J vaccine is a viral vectored vaccine, which can be done in only one dose. The vaccine instructs human cells to make the SARS-2 spike protein ,triggering an immune response. Once the harmless adenovirus, the cause of many common colds, enters cells the code is used to spike proteins.

The consensus is that yes the vaccines are all very similar and as the CDC recommends many people may get the first one that is available to them, but for others health problems, allergies, age, etc. may play a part in which one they get. Remember that everyone is different and the vaccines/side effects may effect everyone differently.

*Note- A new CDC study found that Moderna and Pfizer were 80% effective in preventing Covid after a single dose and jumped to 90% effective two weeks after the second dose.

The Challenges of Remote Learning

What have the challenges been and how do we keep students engaged in a difficult remote learning climate?

Remote learning is a role that parents and caregivers were thrown into with little to no warning or ways of preparing. There have been some success and some failure with the process. A big determining factor of whether or not parents have had any success with their children through remote learning plays a lot into the ways their children learn best. Some kids are thriving in remote learning and others work better in a classroom setting where they can be more social. Regardless of whether children are doing well in remote learning is the fact that some of the problems that have come up have been ones that are completely out of their control. Many parents and students in low-income families worried about how they would keep up without any access to the internet or laptops, computers and tablets. Some schools, including CPS, sent out tablets and provided hard copies to students who were unable to get their hands on internet access. Comcast even offered up free Wi-Fi to students with no internet access. Despite all this though, there were still many problems with remote learning that would cause many people to say that it was unsuccessful.

Online Training

Many teachers are trained to teach in the classrooms so transferring their teaching methods to online zoom calls hasn’t necessarily been easy. Some teaching methods may not be as successful online as they would be in person. It’s also harder for teachers to get students to engage and participate. It also makes it harder on the teacher to come up with homework assignments and tests/quizzes and actually ensure that the students are retaining the information.

Solution: Authoring tools have been very helpful for teachers because they provide them with software to create their own e-learning programs. Click here for a list of helpful authoring tools.

Technical Issues

When dealing with the internet it’s inevitable that problems will arise such as no Wi-Fi, bad internet connections, problems with apps and software and simply people not knowing how to work certain things. These things can be a headache on all parties involved (parents, students and teachers) and interrupt important learning lessons.

Solution: The biggest way to prevent any technical problems is to login to class early to ensure that you have a stable internet connection and your logins/passwords are working. It might also be helpful for schools to have technical support people on standby to help anyone that may be experiencing technical difficulties.

No One-on-One Time For Students

Some students require extra attention and may need to have a one-on-one with teachers to ask questions and get additional help. That is not entirely easy to do through e-learning, which may leave some students falling behind in the classrooms.

Solution: For students who need help during the e-learning session let them know how they can ask questions during class, i.e. using the “hand up” function or using the chat feature. It might also be helpful to have another person on standby to help answer the questions of students that need additional help. Aside from that teachers can elect to hold individual calls with a student if they need more help.

Even with addressing the problems above, remote learning still had some problems that were hard to solve. For starters many students were disinterested and failed to show up to class; and with parents too busy to keep track of their kids’ work and teachers not able to get in contact with them many students fell behind. Some districts even stopped requiring students to do any work at all or told them that no one wouldn’t fail either way, which in turn causes students to stop caring. Many teachers also were putting in minimal effort with their teaching methods hopping on calls for only a few minutes leaving parents to deal with the fallout of how to teach their children in something they weren’t trained for.

In the future, in order for educators to keep children engaged during remote learning the following needs to happen:

1. Allow students to feel like they are actually learning something rather than just doing busy work
2. More strategy and planning
3. Equal opportunity across the board for low-income families and families of color
4. Better support for students without internet access
5. Better support for students with disabilities
6. Unique and creative ways for students to learn and socialize besides sitting in front of the screen all day
7. More enforcement on making sure students are actually attending classes, engaging, learning and getting the help they need
8. More communication and effort between teachers and parents

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/local/305/2020/03/18/817691597/as-classes-move-online-what-happens-to-students-without-internet-or-computers

https://www.wsj.com/articles/schools-coronavirus-remote-learning-lockdown-tech-11591375078

https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/6/26/21304405/surveys-remote-learning-coronavirus-success-failure-teachers-parents

https://trainingindustry.com/articles/remote-learning/5-remote-learning-challenges-and-how-to-overcome-them/

The Truth Behind Microaggressions Including Ones Your Child Might be Facing In the Classroom

Microaggressions are extremely dangerous because in most cases people are unintentionally projecting them unto others. At the same time, microaggressions can also be intentional and used as a passive-aggressive way to spread bias or stereotype about a specific group without coming off too hateful. This includes “hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups.” In other words they can be instances of racism, homophopia, sexism, etc. masked as innocent comments, gestures, jokes, etc. They also be often masked as back-handed compliments that compliment you, but bashes the community you belong to. They can cause people to feel slightly uncomfortable. Nonetheless, whether intentional or not, microaggressions are not cool and can cause a lot of damage. Let’s take a look at some variations of microaggressions and what they look like.

Racism	Sexism	Homophobia
You don’t talk like a black person.	Act more like a lady.	It’s just a phase.
You must be good at math.	Women are bad drivers.	You don’t act gay.
Are you the new diversity hire?	Stop being so emotional.	Who’s the man/woman in the relationship?
You all look alike.	Men don’t cry.	You’re too pretty to be gay.
Can I touch your hair?		What are you?
You’re pretty for a black girl.

Microaggressions can also be found in the classroom. According to Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D., these are the microaggressions to watch out for in the classrooms:

 Failing to learn to pronounce or continuing to mispronounce the names of students after they
have corrected you.
 Scheduling tests and project due dates on religious or cultural holidays.
 Disregarding religious traditions or their details. (Ex. Impacts of fasting)
 Setting low expectations for students from particular groups, neighborhoods, or feeder
patterns.
 Calling on, engaging and validating one gender, class, or race of students while ignoring other
students during class.
 Assigning student tasks or roles that reinforce particular gender roles or don’t allow all students
flexibility across roles and responses.
 Anticipating students’ emotional responses based on gender, sexual orientation, race or
ethnicity.
 Using inappropriate humor in class that degrades students from different groups.
 Expressing racially charged political opinions in class assuming that the targets of those opinions
do not exist in class.
 Using the term “illegals” to reference undocumented students.
 Hosting debates in class that place students from groups who may represent a minority opinion
in class in a difficult position.
 Singling students out in class because of their backgrounds.
 Expecting students of any particular group to ‘represent’ the perspectives of others of their race,
gender, etc. in class discussions or debates.
 Denying the experiences of students by questioning the credibility and validity of their stories.
 Assigning class projects or creating classroom or school procedures that are heterosexist, sexist,
racist, or promote other oppressions, even inadvertently.
 Using sexist language.
 Using heteronormative metaphors or examples in class.
 Assuming the gender of any student.
 Continuing to misuse pronouns even after a student, transgender or not, indicates their
preferred gender pronoun.
 Assigning projects that ignore differences in socioeconomic class status and inadvertently
penalize students with fewer financial resources.
 Excluding students from accessing student activities due to high financial costs.
 Assuming all students have access to and are proficient in the use of computers and applications
for communications about school activities and academic work.
 Assuming that students of particular ethnicities must speak another language or must not speak
English.
 Complimenting non-white students on their use of “good English.”
 Discouraging students from working on projects that explore their own social identities.
 Asking people with hidden disabilities to identify themselves in class.
 Forcing students with non‐obvious disabilities to “out” themselves or discuss them publically.
 Ignoring student‐to‐student microaggressions, even when the interaction is not course‐related.
 Making assumptions about students and their backgrounds.
 Featuring pictures of students of only one ethnicity or gender on the school website.
 Having students engage in required reading where the protagonists are always white

Now that you know exactly what microaggressions are, I’m sure majority of you can say you’ve experienced it at least once. So, how do you react the next time someone hits you with one? How you respond is up to you. You can either let it go if you decide it isn’t that big of a deal or if you feel the person meant no harm or you can decide to address it. If you do decide to address it, you have the power to decide how and how much time you want to spend on it. You can simply tell them not to do that anymore or you can decide to challenge and educate them. The point is to not allow these microaggressions to consume you and take up your life, but to use them as a teaching point especially in a time when race relations and conversations are so pivotal.

8 Tips for Parents Starting the Homeschooling Journey

This year has been unlike any year before. As majority of schools have already started the fall semester, some have opened classrooms back up while others remain remote. Some parents refuse to send their children back to school in the middle of a pandemic, understandably so. We’ve just seen a alarming number of children test positive for coronavirus and frankly for some parents it’s hard to put your faith in the schools that they are doing everything necessary to keep your child safe. For very young children, who are prone to touch everything and are walking germs, it’s going to be harder to get them to follow the rules, social distance, wear a mask, etc. because they don’t understand the extent of the virus. For those reasons many parents are opting to home-school their children whether their child’s school is back open or not. For those embarking down that journey, we’ve got you covered with some helpful tips.

1. Schedule: First things first a schedule is very important for both you and your child. You can start by creating a schedule similar to one your child would have in school. This will help them keep that same sense of routine. A schedule will also help you as well because you can map out when you have time to tackle your tasks (perhaps when they’re taking a nap or eating lunch).
2. Get Creative: We know it’s not going to be easy, especially if you have no experience being a teacher, but your best bet will be to get creative. As parents you have the luxury of knowing your child better than any teacher could, try incorporating their likes/hobbies into the lesson as a way to get them excited to learn.
3. Patience: Patience is a virtue, so remember to be patient with both yourself and your child. It might take some time to get into a good rhythm.
4. Work Space: For parents of younger children, it could be helpful to create a small workplace with a desk, supplies, etc. to resemble the classroom. This can help them feel like they are at school and not home.
5. Set Goals: It can be helpful to set some beginning of the year goals for your child based off of their age (for example maybe you want your child to be able write their name by the end of the year). This will allow you to track your child’s progress throughout the year and keep them up to date with other children their age. Also make sure they are on target for their age group with math, writing and reading skills.
6. Keep in Contact with your child’s teacher: Older children are homeschooling, so their teacher is still available for contact. Use this to your full advantage for any questions or concerns you may have about your child’s learning.
7. Family Activities: Have multiple children or a big family? Try making everyday family activities into a learning experience. This kills two birds with one stone. It is helping the children learn, but can also be something fun for the family to do together as everyone struggles to stay entertained in a pandemic.
8. Allow Break Time: Everyone needs a break, including children. Allow them some break time much like the recess they would have in school. You can come up with different activities everyday. This will help keep them active as well.
9. Work with other parents: The best thing about this, is that you aren’t going through it alone. There are parents all over the country embarking on the same journey. You can try contacting a friend with children or even contact one of your child’s parents to share what works for you and get some advice or tips from them. If nothing else, it may help you feel better to just know that they’ve experienced the same challenges as you.

Got some more tips for homeschooling share? Share them below.

8 Ways to Keep your Mental Health in Order While Dealing With Racial Injustice

These past few weeks have been trying. We’ve had to see countless black people killed (George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, etc.) We’ve had to deal with the racist comments and overall ignorance of others, one of them being the President of the United States. We’ve had to deal with this all while fighting for justice in our own way, whether it be through protesting, donating, educating, etc. We’ve had to deal with the backlash of peaceful protesting, be sprayed with tear gas, rubber bullets, etc. All of this has been very painful, but at the core of it all; the lives lost and lives we are continuing to lose as I write this serve as a reminder of all the lives we’ve lost in the past that have not gotten the justice they deserve. It also serves a reminder that we’ve been dealing with oppression for over 400 years and it goes much deeper than racism and white privilege. It lies withing our justice system as well. Despite what some may think, America has never been great for us and we’ve been fighting for as long as we’ve been alive and before that it was our parents and our parents’ parents.

We know all this can be heavy and weigh down on many people’s mental as people try to find the right balance between doing their part and taking a much needed break to decompress. Here are some ways you can keep your mental health in order right now:

 

1. Self-care

We’ve heard the phrase you can’t help anyone if you don’t take care of yourself first. That phrase is just as relevant now. Take the time for yourself to just be, relax and do what makes you happy.

 

 2. Connect with other Black people

During these times it’s important that you have someone to talk to that understands what you are going through and how you feel.

 

3. Limit your Social Media Intake

It’s okay to turn your social media off or choose to not watch or engage in certain things you may see. You may also seek to follow more lighthearted or upbeat pages as well.

 

4. Blocking/Unfollowing

We live in a society where cancel-culture can be overbearing, but at this time give yourself permission to distance yourself from anyone who you feel isn’t behind you without worrying about what others may say. This applies to both social media and real life.

 

5. Celebrate your culture/Support other Black people

Now is the time more than ever to celebrate how great black culture is. It’s also important to stick together as a community. One of the best ways of doing that is supporting black artists and creators, buying black, etc.

 

6. Remind yourself that you don’t have to discuss things when it gets too heavy nor is it your job to educate others.

 

7. Mantras

It’s important to remind yourself that you matter in a world that on a daily is trying to convince us otherwise. Mantras/positive affirmations are a great way to do that. Find one that’s good for you and repeat it daily.

 

8. Let yourself have feelings. Everyone is going to react in different ways. There is no right or wrong way. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

 

Know of any other ways to protect your mental health during difficult times? List them below.

White Privilege And How it Can Be Used to Help the Black Community

In the wake of everything that is going in on the country right now, white privilege is at the helm of it. Everything from the death of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor to the calling of the police on members of the black community for simply bird watching, working out or going about their day-to-day business relate back to white privilege. Yes, we know all cops aren’t bad. Yes, we know all white people aren’t racist. But the thing we need white people to understand now more than ever is that whether they are racist or not, they have white privilege. Their skin tone does not warrant the level of fear for their lives that black people have had to deal with for far too long. Right now what we need is for white people to understand the white privilege, accept it, speak on it and use it to become allies to the black community so that change can be made. Now is not the time to be silent or mutual. Now is the time to take action and if you don’t know how to take action, learn, research, ask questions, etc. At this point it is not enough to simply not be racist, if you aren’t on the front line with the black community helping to make change and putting your white privilege to good use, you aren’t helping create change. If you question what white privilege has to do with all the recent events, look at Amy Cooper and how she deliberately lied on Christian Cooper when calling the cops and made sure to mention his race. Those actions could of led to the same thing that happened to George Floyd. In fact it did, back in the 50s with Emmett Till. This is the kind of harm white privilege does, especially if people like Amy Cooper are using it in the way they are and putting black people in even more danger than they are on the daily. Black people have been fighting for years, it’s time members of other communities join us. And for those that have, we see you and we thank you. But make sure to ask yourself how can I take it further than social media?

For those looking to learn more about white privilege and address the issue, check out girlupcampaign’s post on Instagram.

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Or theconsciouskid’s post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAx4-8GpHvK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

What You Should Teach Your Children About Black Culture Ahead of Black History Month

With January quickly coming to an end, that can only mean one thing: Black History Month is approaching. Of course we celebrate our culture and our people year round, but February gives us a chance to really reflect and bask in our accomplishments a little more than usual. It’s also a good time to celebrate with your kids and teach them about our history as well as why February is an important month. Here are a list of things you should talk to your child about to prepare them for Black History Month:

1. Jim Crow laws
2. Ancestry
3. Important black leaders
4. The history of black artists/musicians/actors/authors, etc.
5. Black scientists
6. Slavery
7. The history of racism
8. Civil Rights Movement
9. The Black Panthers
10. Africa
11. HBCU’s
12. Black Lives Matters
13. Black Veterans
14. African Americans and politics
15. Juneteenth
16. Thurgood Marshall/Supreme Court Cases that helped African Americans secure rights

Know of any more things that are important to teach children about Black History? Share them below.

How to Get the Most Out of a Parent-Teacher Conference: Questions You Should Be Asking

Although parent-teacher conferences tend to be a short opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher and learn about their progress as a student, there is still an opportunity to make the most out of it. If you are looking to be hands on with your child’s education, learn about their progress and where there can be room for improvement; the objective should be to go in with an agenda. Don’t just wait to find out what the teacher has to say. Come in with your on set of questions based off of what you already know to be true about your child. This will give you insight into how your child behaves in the classroom versus at home. You can also give the teacher a little insight into how your child behaves at home. This allows both parties to gain an understanding of the best possible way to teach a child and allow them to reach their full potential. It’s also important that prior to the conference you have been keeping up with each day of your child’s life by asking them questions such as “How was school?” and “What happened at school today?” that way if there are any concerns or issues about something, you are prepared to bring them up and ask questions.

Here are a list of starter questions you can think about asking at the next parent-teacher conference, but again the best way to make the most of this is to tailor the questions to fit your individual child:

1. How is my child doing socially/emotionally?
2. What are my child’s academic strengths and weaknesses?
3. Is my child performing at his or her’s grade level?
4. Are there any areas my child can use extra help in?
5. How can I help at home?
6. What’s the best way to communicate with you?
7. How can I stay on top of what is happening in the classroom?
8. Is my child giving his or her best effort?

It may also be a good idea to take notes of everything addressed in the conference so that it can be referenced at a later date. You can also schedule a follow-up if you would like more time with the teacher or would like to see if your child has made any improvements since the last conference.

If you are looking for more personalized questions that more closely fit the concerns you have for your child, click here.

Everything You Should Know About Trafficking From Avoiding Becoming a Victim to Learning the Signs of Someone Being Trafficked

If you keep up with news, then you’ve probably heard about the growing trafficking epidemic and the warning signs for women and young girls to be safe when going outside and take preventative measures to ensure it doesn’t happen to them. So what exactly can you do avoid trafficking especially if you must travel alone or in dangerous/secluded areas.

Here are some things you can consider to ensure your safety and avoid becoming a victim of trafficking:

1. Be Aware of Your Surroundings

This is probably one of the most obvious things you can tell someone, but the reality is that most people don’t pay attention to what is going on around them. A lot of times people are looking down when walking or are in their phone. This video gives an in depth look at how you can better be aware at all times.

2. Take a Self-Defense Class

It’s important that you know at least some basic fighting skills. So that if worst comes to worst, you have the ability to fight off an attacker.

3. Carry A Safety Kit

Carry a small kit with easily accessible items such as a flashlight, tactical knife, pepper spray, a taser, etc. But before you try to use any of these items make sure you understand how to properly use them.

4. Conceal to Carry

If you are looking to carry a firearm, take the necessary steps to understand what that means, how to get licensed, the laws in your state and lastly but most importantly train on how to use a firearm.

5. Avoid Going To Nightclubs, Deserted/Bad Areas and Parking Lots Alone Especially At Night

If you must attend any of these places, try to do so in groups when able.

6. Keep Control of Your Drinks

While on the subject of nightclubs/bars, make sure your are aware of your drink at all times. Never leave it unattended. If you do, it’s best to order another one rather than take your chances.

7. Stay Aware From Unknown Drugs, Especially From Unknown People

8. Don’t Get In The Car With Someone You Just Met

It’s best to call a cab, Uber, Lyft or get a ride from someone you know. If you call for a Uber or Lyft, make sure the driver and car matches the description in the app. Also make sure the child locks are off the car in case you need to make a quick escape and/or jump out of a moving vehicle.

9. Help Someone in Need

If you see other women or young girls in a potential dangerous situation offer to help in anyway you can or point them in the right direction to get the help they need.

10. Know What Countries Are Safe To Travel To

When traveling abroad it’s best to educate yourself on the countries you’re planning on visiting, especially if you’re traveling alone. Make sure to avoid ones that pose a high threat to crime, economic crisis, genocide, etc. Also note that women between the ages of 15 and 23 pose the highest threat of being trafficked, so they should never travel abroad alone.

For other informative tips on how to avoid being trafficked watch these videos:

 

Another important part of putting an end to trafficking is knowing the signs that someone is already being trafficked, if it’s to late to prevent them from being trafficked in the first place. Here are signs someone is being trafficked and may need your help:

1. Signs of physical abuse such as cuts, marks, bruises, etc.
2. Avoids eye contact/Social Interaction with law enforcement and figures of authority
3. Appearing malnourished/poor physical health
4. Lack of identification documents
5. Tattoos/Branding
6. Not allowed to go out alone or speak for themselves
7. Measures of keeping people trapped on houses, buildings, etc. such as barbed wire and bars around windows
8. Checking into hotel with males
9. Scripted or rehearsed responses
10. Working long hours

Trafficking is at an all time high so it is important that we all do what we can to prevent it from happening to ourselves, those around us and even strangers. Know of some more ways we can put an end to trafficking? List them below.

Hair Discrimination and Why Stylists Should Be Trained For All Hair Types

By now many people have heard about the salon in New York that prohibited workers from wearing natural hairstyles such as braids and afros. Of course this sparked a huge debate and shed light on the many other instances of hair discrimination. It also led to an investigation into the biased practices of the salon after a former white manager claimed that they were forced to place stricter dress codes on black employees.

Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger has now reached an agreement with the New York City Commission on Human Rights, who updated a pre-exisiting law to ban hair discrimination in February. The salon that once prohibited workers from wearing such hairstyles will now work to teach employees how to style black hair that will serve as an initiative to help the career advancement of black stylists. The salon will also have to pay a $70,000 fine, partner with a New York City styling school that serves as an authority on Black hair, start an internship program for minority groups and complete community service with a racial justice group that fights hair discrimination.

While this is great progress that has been made as well as a teaching moment, we have to think about the fact that this is one salon in one city of a very large country. The issue of stylists not knowing how to do black hair is an issue that affects many. It affects celebrities, it affects jobs, it affects photo shoots etc. Just recently Tyra Banks discussed how she initially missed out on the opportunity to work for Victoria’s Secret because the stylist didn’t know how to do her hair. We’ve also seen less than flattering photo shoots of African Americans simply because a stylist didn’t know what to do with their hair. There’s also a large number of women that have had their hair damaged by stylist who didn’t know what they were doing.

In 2019, it’s ridiculous that we have to miss out on job opportunities, not because of our own incompetence but because of the incompetence of companies/stylist to diversify their staff/skills. It’s also ridiculous to have to bring in your own stylist separate from everyone else, much like Tyra did when she eventually landed another opportunity to work with Victoria’s Secret.

As a stylist, or in any job for that matter it’s important to perfect your craft as much as you possibly can. This means learning about all different types of hair/styles. In 2019, almost 2020, we must do better as a community to insure that no one is discriminated for simply being them and certainly not for choosing to rock what grows out of their heads in it’s natural state.

Have thoughts on the issue of hair discrimination and stylists not knowing how to work with black hair? Share them below.