As a country, the United States and those who reside here find themselves in various stages of stalemate.

While (mostly) right-wing politicians continue pushing bills that dangerously restrict women’s access to reproductive healthcare, the question of whether or not Roe V. Wade will be overturned looms like a heavy shadow, forcing many to consider what comes next in the fight forwomen’’s rights over our bodies, and the security of our civil rights as a whole. 

The rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people across the country are also being stripped away, leaving thousands with nowhere to turn, and incredibly vulnerable. Alabama has gone as far as to criminalize gender-affirming care for anyone under the age of 18 - meaning it is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison to be a transgender youth secure in their body. 

Yet many community heroes have risen in the face of extremely trying times. 

As conservatives continue waging a war on books written by Black & LGBTQ+ authors, one woman is fighting to continue creating stories with diverse protagonists to reflect the diversity of classrooms across the country. 

Eldonie Mason is an entertainment and fashion attorney, as well as a business entrepreneur, and now, a published children's author. A Native of the Caribbean island of Antigua, her first book titled The Adventures of Princess Anyah of Antibarba: The Fishing Expedition,  centers on a Caribbean princess. The idea came to Eldonie after her 5-year-old niece commented that she herself could not possibly be a princess since “princesses are all white and have long hair.” 

“My heart broke in that moment and I wanted to cry,” Eldonie said in an interview with Black News. “I knew I could no longer sit idly by while my niece and other little girls like her felt they were not worthy to be a princess. Every little girl deserves to feel like a princess.”

Eldonie moved to the United States from Antigua in 1998, attending back-to-back universities to earn her bachelor's, master's, and law degree - all within her first decade of living in a new country. She is no stranger to the hard work it takes to build a successful life here, nor to the obstacles faced by Black women in particular. 

“Representation matters and if little girls like my niece can see themselves as princesses, then they will not feel less than,” the author commented.

The book is available at all major online sellers of books. 

As the United States and other countries across the world are faced with inflated gas, grocery, and other increased living expenses, Black and Brown neighborhoods continue to be disproportionately affected. 

A report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sciences found that inflation reached 8.5% in March - the highest it’s been since the 1980s. The impact of the pandemic is also a contributing factor to the steep poverty many are facing, with job insecurity and health concerns plaguing low-income households more than privileged households. Government aid to alleviate the pandemic’s detrimental effects has long been discontinued, and the weak system of social services in this country is hardly enough to make a dent in the nation’s growing homelessness crisis. 

But community activists and organizers are stepping up to help those the government continually ignores by starting grassroots organizations to directly benefit the people of their neighborhood. Hosea Helps is a Black-owned nonprofit based in Atlanta that distributes meals alongside financial aid for rental and utility assistance. Elizabeth Omilami is the chief executive of the organization, and her concern over the number of those facing food insecurity is growing. 

Jon Ossoff @ossoff

Thanks to all who gave back to the community on MLK Day with Hosea Helps, distributing donated food to Georgia families who need a hand. 🙏

January 17th 2022

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“The rent has increased so much that people don’t have a place to live,” Omilami said in an interview with NBC, “And the rise in food prices has caused our numbers of people asking for emergency food to almost triple.”

Hosea Helps is just one of the many incredible groups working together to build a network of community support, something cities across the country need now more than ever. 

Kendi is currently a student at New York University and is the author of multiple award-winning poems, short stories, stage, and screenplays.

Contact: kendi@thenorthstar.com