Hundreds of cars snaked slowly through city streets Friday (April 10)  to collect donated groceries and supplies as health officials across the region tallied more victims of the coronavirus and urged people to remain home for weekend religious celebrations.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) held a second food and supply giveaway that drew hundreds to the city’s Fountain Park neighborhood, where volunteers dropped more than 1,500 care packages of donated fruit, milk, produce, canned and dry goods, Easter candy and toiletries into the trunks of vehicles.

Cars started lining up more than six hours before the giveaway’s noon start time. Volunteers at last week’s Urban League giveaway in Jennings distributed more than 1,000 care packages. A third event is planned for Friday in East St. Louis.

By Tana Weingartner, Cincinnati Public Radio

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine isn't requiring Ohioans to wear masks when in public, but says he will wear one and he strongly encourages everyone else do the same. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommend wearing a face covering to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

That idea is making some African Americans, especially black men, uncomfortable.

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The latest. The Urban League is here for you during this crisis. Watch Marc Morial's Facebook Live for local resources and visit our COVID-19 hub online. | Farewell to a pioneer. With the passing of Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves, Sr., we lost a champion and role model. More on his legacy. | Make Black Count! You will soon receive a paper form in your mailbox from the U.S. Census Bureau. Fill it out and mail it back or complete it online right now! | Rest in peace, Aaron Thomas. We are saddened by the passing of a longtime Urban Leaguer, brother, friend, and much more. Join us in reflection of his legacy. | Help for residents. See how the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh is working to provide much-needed household essentials to underserved neighborhoods. | COVID-19 news. Our D.C. office has rounded up the latest numbers, resources, and policies you should know about. Check it out! 

No, the coronavirus is not an “equalizer.” Black people are being infected and dying at higher rates. Here’s what Milwaukee is doing about it — and why governments need to start releasing data on the race of COVID-19 patients.

The coronavirus entered Milwaukee from a white, affluent suburb. Then it took root in the city’s black community and erupted.

As public health officials watched cases rise in March, too many in the community shrugged off warnings. Rumors and conspiracy theories proliferated on social media, pushing the bogus idea that black people are somehow immune to the disease. And much of the initial focus was on international travel, so those who knew no one returning from Asia or Europe were quick to dismiss the risk.

The back up of cars spilled out far beyond the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis' (St. Louis, MO) parking lot and onto Jennings Station Road. 

"Right now, we're trying to feed 1,000 families," Jamie Dennis with the Urban League told 5 On Your Side, "We're giving them fresh produce, dry goods, toiletries, napkins. Everything that makes a household into a home."

The giveaway came at a time when some families found themselves suddenly out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tamara Wiggins and her husband were in Thursday's pick-up line.

"It helps out a lot because my husband and I are temporarily unemployed and we need all the help that we can get," Wiggins said.

Help is exactly what the Wiggins and hundreds of others received from the Urban League and all their community partners, but from a safe distance. 

Hundreds of thousands of small business owners, many of whom already operate on very narrow margins, are struggling with questions about how their businesses will survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only do these businesses provide necessary services in communities all over the country; they provide employment, job training, and other benefits. Their survival is essential to strong neighborhoods.

To support these small businesses, Lawyers for Good Government Foundation is building a nationwide coalition of law firms and non-profit organizations.

To register for the legal clinic, click here.

NEW YORK (April 18, 2020) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said the world of Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs has lost its greatest champion with the passing of Black Enterprise Founder Earl G. Graves, Sr.

“Black Enterprise has helped to launch and nurture the careers of two generations of African American professionals and innovators,” Morial said. “Earl Graves was not just a chronicler of Black businesses and entrepreneurs, but a leader, and a role model for excellence in his own right.”

Get the latest. We're here to inform and support you during this crisis. Watch Marc Morial's Facebook Live video for more and visit our COVID-19 hub online. | Protect workers of color! A new order makes it easier for companies contracting with the federal government to discriminate. Here's what we mean. | Work from home tips. Has work-life balance been a struggle for you? Learn the keys to balance when working from home, with guest speaker Tiffany Southerland. | Make Black Count. This weekend, take 10 minutes to fill out your Census form. And if you already did, remind others to do so. Here's everything you need to know. | Millions unemployed. The coronavirus pandemic has caused record job losses. Our senior economic advisor, Dr. Bernard Anderson, explains the extent of the problem. | What's in the CARES Act? Congress passed legislation to protect unemployed and underemployed Americans. See how it could help you.

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE DENOUNCES ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE & HARASSMENT, URGES OFFICIALS TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST BIASED RHETORIC & MISINFORMATION

National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to the surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans: