INNER-CITY NEWS

Vigil Remembers Year’s 1st Murder Victim

by NORA GRACE-FLOOD

Over 100 New Haveners gripping red and black balloons packed Poplar Street to mourn the New Year’s Day murder of a soft-spoken 23-year-old and to decry a deadly pattern of gun violence that also saw the victim’s younger brother killed in tragically similar circumstances just three years earlier.

That candle-lit scene took place Monday evening at the corner of Poplar Street and Grand Avenue in Fair Haven, where Dontae Myers, the city’s first homicide victim of 2023, was shot in a likely targeted act of brutality late Sunday afternoon.

“I never thought that I’d be bringing in the New Year like this, losing the only son I had left,” Myers’ mother, Laquvia Jones, said to more than 100 family members, friends, and Fair Haveners gathered for the vigil. “But here we stand.”

Jones had stood in a nearly identical position on Quinnipiac Avenue at the start of 2020. Her other child, Dashown Myers, was shot at just 18 years old on Feb. 23 of that year. Dashown’s death was also that year’s first homicide. Both shootings took place on a Sunday in broad daylight at around 3 p.m. Her children were born three years apart, Jones said, and died three years apart.

“This one is harder,” Jones declared because her older son Dontae left behind three young children who she said “will never know the real him, who will live off of memories.” She clutched Dontae Myers’ 8-year-old son, Jayceon, to her stomach as she spoke those words to the crowd growing around her. Jayceon sobbed as his grandmother held him close.

“I said it at my first son’s vigil when you pull the trigger, you don’t pull it on a target. You pull it on a community. You pull it on anyone who loves that person,” Jones stated.

Zariah Green, 25, was one person who loved Dontae Myers. She was expecting to celebrate their daughter Laani’s first birthday all together in less than a month. And it was on her own birthday on Jan. 1 when she got the news that Myers wouldn’t be making it to their celebration that night, nor to any birthdays down the line.

“He left my house at two o’clock,” Green recalled through tears while speaking with the Independent about the Jan. 1 fatal shooting. “He was supposed to come back at five or so we had plans to go out for my birthday. But he never made it back.”

“If I was able to trade places with him I would because it hurts so much,” Green cried. She described Myers as a soft-spoken person who “always kept to himself.” They got to know each other over shared lunch breaks while working at Walmart. “He was always the person you call no matter what,” Green said.

“Now my daughter has to go without her father,” she wept. “He promised me he wasn’t gonna leave us like this. But it happened anyway. He always told me he felt like he was next, but I didn’t believe him. Then I saw him in the hospital bed yesterday and I knew it was for real.”

Cierra Viera, 23, the mother of Myers’ two other children, said she and Myers grew up in Fair Haven side by side, having their first child at just 15 years old. More recently, they delivered another baby named Jaebriel, who is now just over a year old. “I’m gonna miss him terribly,” Cierra said of Dontae. “I wish we could’ve grown old together.”

“Dontae was a light that will always shine,” LaJamia Banks, Jones’ sister and Myers’ aunt, said. “Just his smile he was very low and mellow, he was not loud, just smooth.” Banks said she always referred to Myers as her “first born” the first child she loved like her own.

“He was one of the good ones,” said Larrisha Gary, a cousin of Laquvia Jones. “We’ve been hit left and right from 2020 until now,” she added, noting that in addition to losing her two nephews, her children’s father and another cousin, Natosha Gaines, had died to gun violence during those same two years.

“We’re pretty much numb to it right now. It’s just sad we’re reliving this whole situation, and you’re numb, you’re numb, you’re numb to everything.”

Addressing the larger crowd, Jones said: “Today is about Dontae, but it’s not about Dontae.” It was about families and neighborhoods slashed by bullets and violent deaths, she said, and about ensuring that more young people are able to value their own lives as well as those of others.

From her perspective, it was also about personal accountability. She, along with

“This didn’t have to happen,” Jones said. “He chose to be in New Haven, he chose this street life,” she asserted, explaining that she found her family a home in Middletown following the death of Dashown to flee the kind of violence he experienced. “Sin pays two payments: You’re either going to hell or you’re going to jail. The few dollars you get off of it, it don’t

amount to this pain,” she exclaimed.

“I’m not sugar coating anything,” she stated. “There’s no going back once bullets leave the chamber, y’all,” she urged. “Your candle gonna go out,” she promised, blowing out the wick she held in her own hand to honor Myers. “Your candle gonna go out and what did you do with the life that you lived? Were you a terrorist of the community?”

“I don’t blame the City of New Haven for my son’s death” she said. “I blame the shooter. I want someone to be bold enough to come stand in front of this eight

year old,” she demanded, “and say why [his father] had to leave.”

Mayor Justin Elicker pointed to the high number of deaths concentrated in “the 10-block radius alone” spanning around Poplar Street. Kevan Bonilla, John Tubac, Tyshaun Hargrove, and the 2022’s final homicide victim, Ernie NegroniFeliciano, he enumerated. “It’s the same thing” every time, he said “we go to the scene of the homicide, to the hospital, a grieving family… it’s ridiculous.”

Police Chief Karl Jacobson also looked around at the teenagers and 20-somethings standing around Poplar Street. “I know a lot of you from the streets from arresting you,” he said. “I’m not gonna say much because I’m having a hard time,” he began, wiping away the water brimming from his eyes. “But every time we do this it takes and takes from this community, especially the family members. And you know what, the cops too. I just saw him last month wearing a red tuxedo,” he remembered of Dontae, “and he made me laugh,” he grinned. “This family has gone through way too much, man. Please just value your life and value everybody else’s life.”

“We’ll do anything,” he claimed. Job trainings, he offered as an example. “But you have to value your own life. Your life is worth something. Everybody’s life is worth something!”

After those words, Jones instructed everyone to release their balloons into the sky on the count of three.

“One —” she began. Jayceon stepped in: “Two, three —” he completed. Jayceon peered out from the hood of his winter jacket as the balloons disappeared into the black night. When he realized the balloons were out of sight, more tears traveled down his little face and he retracted back into his winter coat.

Kia Williams, 40, stood at the back of the vigil as individuals delivered speeches and exchanged trembling hugs alongside both memories and painful warnings. A childhood friend of Jones, Williams said, “I’m feeling her pain. Though you can never say you know what she’s going through, if you’ve loved a child it’s very hurtful and it’s very sad.” Her own daughter played with another young girl nearby as Williams spoke.

She said unlike her own childhood in New Haven, she worries about letting her own children play in their backyard or walking to school alone. “Right now nobody feels safe,” she said. “This world changed, period. We used to play, we used to go out and skate. We can’t do none of that stuff no more and it’s sad. It’s sickening.”

“You can’t even walk to the store without holding a weapon, whether that’s just pepper spray or a taser,” she said.

“It’s just a lot of shit. I don’t feel like anyone should lose their life unless God calls.”

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Myers with two of his children, Laani and Jayceon.

Police Chief Karl Jacobson and Mayor Justin Elicker, used the moment on Monday to warn the youth congregated by the somber candle display against following Dontae’s path.

New

Haven

The Night Is Theirs

Lucy Gellman | January 2nd, 2023

On a wintry Edgewood Avenue, AbdulRazak Zachariah cracked open the spine of The Night Is Yours, and transported young readers to another universe. In the pages, night was falling over a West Haven apartment complex. It was summer, and the heat wrapped everything in its sticky embrace. Guided by the moon, a young girl named Amani slipped outside to play hide and seek.

As she watched the pages turn, 8-yearold Natalie Napoleon saw an image of herself, looking up at the sky. She leaned forward, kept one eye on the butter-colored moon, and stepped into the story.

Zachariah is the author of The Night Is Yours, a children’s book inspired by his sister, high school senior Aisha Nabali, and illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo. Natalie is a third grader at L. W. Beecher Museum Magnet School of Arts and Sciences. On a recent Thursday, books brought them together at Possible Futures Bookspace at 318 Edgewood Ave., as part of a grade-wide initiative to spark literacy and spread representation during the holiday season. As part of it, every student in Beecher’s third grade class left with two new books, including a signed copy of The Night Is Yours.

“I was really interested when I was in college in how people of color were represented in books,” Zachariah said as students took a seat on the rug in front of him and got cozy. “I’m always inspired to keep writing because people are excited to see themselves in stories.”

The visit grew out of a love for books and book joy among Zachariah, bookspace owner Lauren Anderson, and Beecher Literacy Coach Lauren Canalori.

In 2019, Zachariah published The Night Is Yours with Penguin Random House after studying the underrepresentation of Black characters—and Black authors— in children’s books as an undergraduate at Yale. As he wrote, he imagined Aisha slipping outside Terrace Heights, the West Haven apartment complex where they grew up, and playing by the long beams of moonlight that fell over the grass.

In the book, he named the character Amani, which translates to “wishes” in Arabic. Visits like Beecher’s are especially close to his heart, he said; the students remind him of kids he went to elementary school with. While he went on to pursue sociology at Yale and graduate work in education and urban planning at Harvard, he’s never forgotten the West Haven home where his own story began.

As students streamed into the bookspace, Zachariah welcomed them to a soft reading rug, taking a seat as he intro-

duced himself to the class (his joke that he is now in the “18th grade,” shorthand for grad school, drew both awed murmurs and giggles). Nabali, the real-life star of the book, stepped back between two sturdy wooden bookshelves, listening with a copy of bell hooks’ All About Love slack in one hand. Sugar, the bookstore’s friendly dog, curled beneath the heavy desk and settled in for storytime.

“Little one, so calm and so happy, this is your night” Zachariah began. On the first pages, Amani appeared in a pinkand-white dress and purple socks, with a smile wide enough for the whole solar system. In her face, some students later said they saw their sisters, their cousins, themselves.

As he read, Zachariah was no longer on Edgewood Avenue, but back at Terrace Heights, watching his sister dart among the trees and stoops and leaf piles playing hide and seek in the sun-warmed grass. On the pages, Amani bounced from her apartment to the steps outside, catching the breeze after a day of unrelenting summer heat. Matching pink ribbons held back two curly brown puffs, dancing above the pink and white of her dress. She burst into a smile and chatted with her friends. It was time to play.

“You are very real tonight brilliant girl, as you laugh with other kids in the courtyard, and double dutch to the rhythm of hip-hop coming from a nearby apartment’s window,” Zachariah read, and then paused. “Does anyone live in an apartment?”

“Me!” yelled Mason Miranda from the middle of the group, bodies suddenly squirming as hands went up. “I lived in

an apartment when I was three years old!” “Yeah? Wow!” Zachariah smiled. Yellow light gleamed from the windows of an apartment building illustrated on his lap. “So I lived in one too when I was three years old. This looks like the apartment complex that me and my sister Aisha grew up in, and had a lot of kids playing in.”

Some students nodded wordlessly, as if to say Yes! And Cool! and Me Too! Back in the story, Amani was counting on the moon as her friends found their hiding spots. She pulled her eyes shut, and Beecher students studied every detail to see what would happen next. The sound of laughter filled the apartment’s courtyard, and a few giggles bubbled up through Possible Futures. Amani began to find her fellow hide-and-seekers, the moon glowing on her skin.

“So bright!” piped up a small voice from the back row. “It’s like a night sun,” ventured another. “A night light!” said a third. Zachariah beamed. In the book, Amani was well on her way to winning the game. “Does anyone like looking outside at night?” he asked. “Does it make you feel calm? Peaceful?” Over a dozen hands went up. On the page, Amani ran toward her dad with a huge smile and outstretched arms. Back on the reading rug, friends Natalie Napoleon and Arelys Caporal looked closely as the illustration came into view. They burst into applause moments later, when Zachariah announced the end of the story.

As she nibbled on a donut and looked over a new copy of Matthew Cherry’s Hair Love after the reading, Natalie said The Night Is Yours stayed with her be-

cause she loves looking up at the moon from her own New Haven home, usually with her younger sister at her side. She loved the origin story of the book, and the real-life connection to Nabali.

“It’s super beautiful,” she said. “It reminds me of me.”

“His voice was really calming,” chimed in eight-year-old Fatoumata, who said that she saw in the narrative bits of her own upbringing as the child of immigrant parents from West Africa. When Zachariah told her that he grew up on stories of Anansi the Spider, she burst into a smile. “The place reminded me of places I’ve been.”

As she headed toward Zachariah to get her copy signed, 9-year-old Luz Rose Arias said she was still coming off the excitement of meeting an author for the first time. While her favorite genres are horror and mystery—her current obsession is Roald Dahl’s Matilda—“it was really great” to hear Zachariah read, she said. She loved learning that his story wasn’t so different from her own, and that she too could be an author when she grew up. As students browsed books and sipped hot cocoa after the reading, Canalori said that the visit is part of a wider effort to keep kids reading, particularly as New Haven faces a city-wide literacy crisis. This year, the literacy coach started thinking about what it would take to provide culturally responsive books to every third grader in the school, or roughly 40 students. Without funding from the district, she turned to “incredibly generous” friends and family with a goal of $600, or two books for

every student.

“My whole goal this year is to just make book joy,” she said. “If I could bring the whole school, I would.”

She was thrilled to work with Possible Futures, she added; “I come here when I need a little pick me up.” Because of the space’s size, half of the third grade class met with Zachariah; the other half met with author Winsome Bingham, whose book Soul Food Sunday was published in September 2021.

In the New Year, Anderson is continuing to grow a “book joy” fund to provide similar opportunities for kids who want or need new books, but may not be able to afford them. She stressed the importance of giving students access to books and to resources that inspire and encourage them to read.

“I think that visits like these are really wonderful for kids to experience joy related to and surrounded by books,” she said. “And also that we could see more of this happening in schools if all of our schools had fully funded school libraries and fully funded library media specialists.

“If anything, I think there’s an argument in all of it for not just full-time library media specialists and open libraries for the nine months of the school year, but for the entire 12 of the calendar year.”

Back on the bookspace’s corner couch, Zachariah said that he is working on two new book projects, one geared toward children and the other toward young adult or YA audiences, but has struggled to find time as he finishes his graduate degree in urban planning. Every so often, he smiled across the room at Nabali, who recently received an acceptance letter from Barnard College, her first choice school. She hopes to study neuroscience and film, she said.

“Sometimes we have people of color in the book, and people accept that as enough,” Zachariah said. “I’m trying to elevate that representation can look like quiet and mundane moments,” like a young Black girl playing hide-and-seek with the moon’s assistance.

“I like it!” Nabali added of the book. “It’s kind of surreal seeing someone who is supposed to be me in print. I don’t remember that many books that we had that showed Black children when I was young. It’s good for Black children to see themselves in a way that I didn’t.”

Want to contribute to the Book Joy fund? Readers can participate by sending a payment with the memo “Book Joy” or the hashtag #BabzBookJoy to Possible Futures (@possible-futures) on Venmo or leaving a donation at the bookstore. Possible Futures is closed through Jan. 13.

Third graders from L. W. Beecher Museum Magnet School of Arts and Sciences. Lucy Gellman Photos.

Reading Programs Picked For Phonics Pilot

by MAYA MCFADDEN

City public school district leaders have selected two new K-3 literacy programs to use as part of a 12-school pilot process that is set to begin later this month — all as New Haven embarks on a state-mandated shift in teaching young students how to read by focusing on sounding out words instead of looking for other clues.

New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Leadership Keisha Redd-Hannans announced that reading-program selection during a recent public meeting with city education leaders, state legislators, and the state’s top education official.

She said that NHPS has chosen Savvas Learning Company’s myView Literacy and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Reading curricula to use in a pilot program that will begin in mid January.

The Savvas program will be piloted at Bishop Woods, Conte West Hills, Truman, Nathan Hale, John C. Daniels, and Lincoln Bassett Schools. The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt program will be piloted at L. W. Beecher, John Martinez, Clinton Avenue, Troup, Worthington Hooker, and Barnard Schools.

Reached by comment via email after the public meeting, Redd-Hannans told the Independent that the new instructional materials should arrive at the schools upon the return from the district’s holiday break.

Teachers will be given eight days to wrap up their present classroom units

and then will have to bridge to the pilot unit instruction in all classrooms during the week of Jan. 17.

NHPS’s selection of Savvas’s and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s reading programs for its soon-to-start literacy pilot comes roughly a month after district leaders hosted a reading expo at Betsy Ross school’s parish hall on

Kimberly Avenue. That expo presented teachers, parents, and other school district “stakeholders” with five choices for which state-sanctioned program NHPS should adopt as it builds out an enhanced K-3 literacy plan that is required to follow the “science of reading.”

In the wake of the state legislature’s

passage of a Right to Read law, New Haven and all other public school districts in Connecticut are required to implement a “science”-based reading curriculum for kindergarten through third grade to improve student reading scores by the 2022 – 2023 school year. That refers to a curriculum that is based more on phonics than ones used in New Haven before, and less on “cueing” techniques that have been shown to either

At the recent meeting with state legislators and Connecticut’s education commissioner, which mostly focused on the state’s concerns around chronic absenteeism in New Haven, Redd-Hannans described New Haven as at a “critical crossroads” because of low reading and math scores. She said her team’s literacy and math enhancement plans intend to address those very concerns. She said the district chose the two curricula for its new pilot program after gathering feedback from the over 400 people who work within NHPS and attended NHPS’s reading expo.

“We have also laid out a ‘quality indicators of teaching and learning’ document. This document is important because it level-sets what good instruction looks like in the classroom,” ReddHannans said. “This is about norming the district about classroom instructional practices. It is critically important.”

Redd-Hannans said the district selected Savvas and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for its pilot because staff members’ collected feedback identified Savvas and HMH as the programs that best meet the needs of diverse learners by prioritizing the seven components of reading. She said these programs also have broad multicultural representation and engaging stories and texts with rich vocabulary.

For the past month, the district has been amping up its professional development opportunities for subjects beyond literacy and math in order to “shore up our practices in order to help and assist our students as well as our families,” Redd-Hannans said.

Teachers participating in the pilot have already received professional development training from one of the two companies, Redd-Hannans said.

“I am excited to enter the next phase of the selection of a comprehensive reading program,” Redd-Hannans told the Independent by email. “It is critically important that we select the best program to meet the needs of our students because we owe it to them, our families, and our community to improve academic outcomes in our District.”

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MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTO NHPS Supervisor Of Literacy Lynn Brantley and Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans at recent reading expo.

Probate Judge Torch Passed At Carchia’s Swearing In Ceremony

by THOMAS BREEN

Surrounded by family, friends, fellow Democratic politicos, and his two probate court predecessors, Americo Carchia took the oath of office as New Haven’s new probate judge during a lunchtime celebration at a waterfront Morris Cove restaurant.

That was the scene Monday midday at Amarante’s Sea Cliff restaurant at 62 Cove St.

With his right hand raised, Carchia recited the oath administered by one of his five children (and fellow attorney) Ettore. Carchia promised to perform to the best of his abilities the duties of his office which involves making sometimes heart-wrenching decisions about child custody, parental rights, adoption, and guardianship of intellectually disabled individuals, as well as approving wills and name changes.

Carchia, a local lawyer who has spent the past quarter-century representing clients going through those very same circumstances, was elected in November to be New Haven’s next probate judge. His four-year term officially begins on Wednesday.

He succeeds in that elected judgeship role retiring New Haven Probate Judge Clifton Graves, who took office in 2018, as well as retired Probate Judge Jack Keyes, who served on the probate court

bench from 1986 to 2018.

Graves and Keyes along with Connecticut Probate Court Administrator Judge Beverly Streit-Kefalas, New Haven State Sen. and President Pro Tem Martin Looney, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, and dozens of others all attended the swearing-in ceremony / buffet lunch at the New Haven Harbor-fronting restaurant and banquet hall.

“I hope I’m able to administer compassion, dignity, and caring throughout my time at probate,” Carchia told the crowd before him after taking the oath of office.

Speakers at Monday’s ceremony said the role of probate judge is markedly different from those of other judges in Connecticut’s judicial system.

For one, probate judge is the only elected judgeship in the state.

“The probate judge has to be a person of the people, and that’s what Americo is,” Blumenthal said. “The election of someone like Americo is a great tribute to our democracy.”

Bysiewicz described Carchia as “a person of great compassion,” “fair,” and as having the “right demeanor” and the “right legal background” for the challenging role. Because of his decades of experience working in the field, she said, “he’s someone that lawyers who come before the probate court will respect.”

Blumenthal, Looney, and Streit-Kefalas

spoke about how probate judges preside over uniquely challenging and intimate cases.

“It is one where the judge has to not only be a knowledgeable lawyer and skilled in the law of trusts estates, conveyances, gifts and bequests and things of that nature, but also has to understand how to deal with people in crisis, at a time of

death, at a time when someone may need a conservator,” at a time when a parent is unable to take care of children, Looney said. “These are the decisions that have to be made with sensitivity in probate court.”

“Not everyone skilled in the law” is a good fit for the job, Looney said. One must also be “skilled in the heart.”

“The probate court system in the State of Connecticut is not a court of trusts and estates,” Streit-Kefalas said. Rather, roughly half of the work involves dealing with “our most vulnerable constituents in the state,” including guardianships for young children whose parents suffer from psychiatric or substance use disorders, conservatorships of young and elderly individuals alike whose “capacities are impaired,” and “psychiatric commitments when psychiatric disorders reach crisis intervention levels.” In recent months and years, she said, “those crises are accelerating.” She said that Carchia “knows firsthand vulnerabilities, the resources, and the needs of the probate court system.”

After congratulating Carchia on taking on his now-former role, Graves called on the probate court system to recognize and work to address a statewide challenge. He also urged Carchia to always “try to live right and try to do right,” and to “be careful of those who smile in your face and then stab you in the back.”

Of the 54 probate court judges in Connecticut, Graves said, only two are African American. With his retirement, that number is now down to one.

“This is not South Dakota,” Graves said. “This is Connecticut. We have a rich, culturally diverse community that we serve, especially in the cities. … We have to do a better job.”

Yale New Haven Hospital is pleased to o er patients and their familie s nancial counseling regarding their hospital bills or the availabilit y of nancial as sistance, including free care funds.

By appointment, patients can speak one - on- one with a nancial counselor during regular busines s hours. For your convenience, ex tended hours are available in-person at Yale New Haven Hospital once a month.

Date: Tuesday, Januar y 17

Time: 5 - 7 pm

Location: Children’s Hospital, 1 Park St., 1st Floor, Admitting Parking available (handicapped accessible)

An appointment is necessar y. Please call 855-547- 4584 .

In light of COVID -19, patients may call 855-547- 4584 any time during regular weekday hours to speak with a counselor on the phone.

Spanish-speaking counselors available.

THOMAS BREEN PHOTOU.S. Sen. Blumenthal, Judge-elect Carchia, retiring Judge Graves at swearing-in ceremony.

The Seven Days of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Day 1)

by Karen Heslop, BlackDoctor.org

Kwanzaa is an annual African American celebration. It’s comprised of seven days where you’ll discuss and celebrate specific principles that are meant to strengthen relationships. These principles are known as the Nguzo Saba. To experience the full benefits of this tradition, it’s good to know what each principle represents and how to celebrate Kwanzaa properly.

An Introduction To Kwanzaa Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966 and is based on certain African festival traditions. The tradition is based on seven distinct principles and you’ll celebrate one per day. During Kwanzaa, you’ll need an altar, a unity cup, seven candles, and a kinara. Your altar should be placed on a table that is broad enough to hold everything that will be placed around the altar over the seven-day period. This table should be in the center of the room and you’ll place a traditional tablecloth as well as a mat or mkeka on it.

The kinara is a candle holder that you’ll use to hold one black candle in the middle as well as three red candles to the left of the black one and three green candles to its right. Black represents the people, red represents their struggle, and the green represents their hope for the future. These colors also correspond to each principle and as such, they’ll be lit on specific days. Since gift-giving is a part of the tradition, you’ll need to make preparations for these as well. It’s important to note that these gifts don’t have to be expensive and

emphasis is placed on them being meaningful or even homemade.

Additionally, You’ll need to prepare specific foods and drinks on each day of the celebration. It’s typical for corn to be an essential ingredient in the meals that are prepared. Finally, the festivities are usually led by a minister or leader.

Day 1 of Kwanzaa: Umoja Umoja is the first principle of Kwanzaa and the word means unity. The first day of Kwanzaa is celebrated on December 26th

and will be centered around this principle. This is the day that those involved in the celebration discuss how to strive for unity in the family and the overall community. Some people extend it further to include unity within the Black race and African Americans throughout the nation.

How To Celebrate Umoja

To start the first day of Kwanzaa, the leader asks, “Habari gani?” or “What’s happening?” of those who are in atten-

dance. Everyone will reply “Umoja” to signify which principle is being celebrated. Fresh fruits are placed around the altar to represent African idealism and prayers are said. The leader will then recite a Harambee, which is known as a call for unity.

At that point, the older adults will prepare libations or a beverage that will be placed in a unity cup or Kikombe cha Umoja, that’s also on the altar table. While you don’t have to use a particular

beverage, it’s typical for a Black family to use fruit juice since younger people are involved.

In some cases, everyone present will share the same cup but some celebrations have separate cups for all the attendees. This cup is important as it symbolizes being unified with your loved ones as well as your ancestors.

Once the libations are prepared, someone will light the black candle. Traditionally, that responsibility is given to the youngest child but anyone can be chosen.

After lighting the candle, they may make a statement about the principle of Umoja to everyone present. It’s also common for them to share a passage, story, song, or poem that relates to how Umoja is reflected in their daily lives. The aim of this part of the ceremony is to explain the first principle in a way that everyone understands it.

With the presentation complete, everyone will share the libations to represent that they are all of one accord with Umoja. It’s not uncommon for others to also share their stories while discussing Umoja. Sometimes, you’ll exchange gifts on this day and every day after. Other families wait until the last day to give everyone their gifts as there is no preference. That marks the end of the first day’s ceremony and the black candle is extinguished.

Umoja is just the beginning of Kwanzaa and will set the mood for the rest of the festivities.

Reaffirming Solidarity Between Blacks and Jews in America

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

I will not be silent on the issues of racial hatred, violence, and prejudice. I am speaking out publicly in support of the recent call by billionaire African American business leader and philanthropist, Robert F. Smith, to stand up against the resurgence of racism and antisemitism in America.

Blacks and Jews in the United States have had a long history and tradition of working together and sacrificing together for freedom, justice, equality and equity. Lest we forget that we have marched together for over a century. We have shared blood together. And we have died together for the cause of freedom in the Civil Rights Movement.

Both of our communities today increasingly are the targets of violent hatred, ignorant stereotypes, and a demonic supremacist ideology. Racism and antisemitism are twin evils that cannot be ignored or trivialized.

In a recent full page paid advertisement in The New York Times, Robert F. Smith affirmed, “At a time when racism and antisemitism are on the rise, I am determined

to partner with leaders from all faiths to recognize ‘Fifteen Days of Light’. We are unifying to celebrate Chanukah and Kwanzaa together, and encourage communities nationwide to join us in our support for one another.”

“Fifteen Days of Light” is a timely national opportunity to do what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. prophetically defined as the development and establishment of a “Beloved Community.” Dr. King envisioned that this would be a nationwide multiracial community where there would be no racism, no antisemitism, and no hatred toward anyone. All people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or faith would live together with mutual respect and unconditional love for all.

As we prepare to go into 2023, disunity between Blacks and Jews is ahistorical and counterproductive. We cannot afford to be nonchalant or indifferent. Smith’s statement to encourage participation in acts of remembrance across the nation celebrating both Chanukah and Kwanzaa together over a 15-day period this month reminded me of the need to reaffirm the solidarity between Blacks and Jews.

I attended the historic 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his eloquent and transcendent “I Have a Dream” speech. I recall the strong advocacy from Jewish leaders like Arnold Aronson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights that supported Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the NAACP,

and other civil rights organizations at the March on Washington.

That day I also remember hearing from a dynamic young freedom fighter named John Lewis who emphasized the urgency for racial equality. Then there was a young Jewish folk singer named Bob Dylan who performed at the March a haunting song he wrote about the tragic assassination of civil

rights leader Medgar Evers in Mississippi.

On that sunny day in August of 1963 in Washington there were other freedom movement speakers that included a number of prominent Jewish voices from across the country, including the outspoken Rabbi Joachim Prinz, who spoke about “the shame and disgrace of inequality and injustice” facing the Black community.

Later that year in November 1963 Dr. King joined with theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel at the United Synagogue of America’s Golden Jubilee Convention in New York City. King and Heschel pledged to work together to end racism and antisemitism. In 1965 when Dr. King, John Lewis, Hosea Williams and other civil rights leaders marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, the historic Selma to Montgomery March, for voting rights, Rabbi Heschel was there marching shoulder to shoulder in solidarity.

The Black community and the Jewish community share a long, shared history of struggle and fighting for civil rights – from August and Henrietta Bondi’s

The Black community and the Jewish community share a long, shared history of struggle and fighting for civil rights.

No Blacks on jury of ex-cop who killed Atatiana Jefferson

by Defender News Service

A jury of eight men and six women has been selected for the trial of former Fort Worth officer Aaron Dean, who is charged with murder in the 2019 shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson.

No Black jurors were selected for the case, which in 2019 sparked protests from the Black community over the killing of Jefferson, a Black woman. A majority of the selected are white; several jurors are people of color, though none are Black.

Opening statements began Dec. 5. The 200 potential jurors were randomly numbered. After dozens of potential jurors were excused either because they had conflicts at home or work or because they told the court they were biased or the judge deemed them to be biased based on their answers, the potential jury pool was “shuffled,” meaning they were given new random numbers.

Sources with knowledge of the jury selection process said the jury was ultimately picked from the first 46 potential jurors. Among that group, there was a Black female who was excused from jury service because her spouse was having surgery.

The judge gave both sides the opportunity to challenge the jury members that were picked, and neither side had any objections.

Aaron Dean is accused of shooting Atatiana Jefferson in October 2019 in her home. Jefferson’s neighbor, James Smith, called a non-emergency number to check on Jefferson’s home after he saw an open door.

Dean and his partner responded and went around the back of the home. Dean shot Jefferson within seconds after she peered out the window to see who was in her backyard and was holding a gun. Police have said Dean never announced himself as an officer.

During jury selection this week, prosecutors allowed prospective jurors to ask questions and talk about how they felt

about law enforcement.

Several jurors stood up and said they could not be impartial and were biased toward Dean because he is a police officer.

“I am sick and tired about the way police officers are treated and how they do their jobs,” one juror said. “You could present your case but I am not going to be unbiased. I couldn’t convict any law enforcement of murder while involved in a shoot-

ing because they are doing their jobs and trying to come home to their families.”

One potential juror served 32 years as an officer in Tarrant County and said, “You will have an uphill battle convincing me that 10 seconds you can get into his mind and see what he saw and heard.”

Cory Session, a Fort Worth community leader, said that he was concerned about the makeup of the jury.

“It’s just mind-boggling that this would happen at this date and time given the circumstances,” Session said. “If he’s found not guilty of the charges, race will be brought up and it could be a bad day for the city of Fort Worth and race relations. But the people who are the custodians of the judicial process are the ones who should answer for how this jury pool ended up this way.”

Valerie Baston, a former Tarrant County prosecutor, said she was not shocked at all by the composition of the jury.

“It is a typical Tarrant County jury,” Baston said. “I was a prosecutor in Tarrant County for many years… and the jury pools would be predominantly white.”

Legendary ‘Soccer King’ Pele Passes Away at 82

by Barry Anderson, BlackDoctor.org

The man known to the world as Pele, born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, passed away two days before New Year’s Eve in São Paulo at the age of 82. He lost his long battle with colon cancer after being admitted to a hospital in São Paulo last month.

One of his daughters, Kely Nascimento, announced his death on Instagram — showing a picture of his family’s hands holding his hand. “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”

Pelé was soccer’s global face for decades and is regarded by many as its best player of all time. He rose from humble beginnings in rural Brazil to eternalize a powerful and creative style of play. A great number of people worldwide believe him to be the greatest soccer player who ever lived. Many, many others crowned a new Greatest of All Time less than two weeks ago, which makes it even harder today to talk about the legend.

“The whole world cares about football, and the biggest footballer was Brazilian,” says Brazilian sports commentator Marcelo Barreto. “I think we related to Pelé because of his creativity.”

During a career including three World Cup titles — more than any other player in history — and over 1,200 goals, Pelé became known for his flair and unpredictability. He would blow past his opponents

by dribbling the ball off their shins. He was also a playmaker and one of the early pioneers of the bicycle kick, a leap upward at an airborne ball to rocket it backward.

He earned the nickname O Rei, “the King”, at age 17 while leading his country to its first-ever World Cup title in 1958. He scored two goals in the final, which finished 5–2 in favor of Brazil over the hosts Sweden. But it’s the nature of the goals that turned him into a global superstar while still a teenager.

During the championship game, Pele slides around an unsuspecting defender to take a cross from the left off his chest, then juggles the ball up and over the head of the next Swede before volleying it home without letting it hit the ground. It is balletic, improvisational brilliance, happening at a speed decades ahead of Liedholm’s opener. Somewhere in between that game’s first and fourth goals, some even claim that the world would never be the same after that win.

The passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, the talented star best known for his portrayal of the superhero Black Panther, at the age of 43 to colon came as a shock to many but it also put colon cancer among Black men on the radar. Pele’s high profile passing has also led others to look more into colon cancer among Black men.

Colorectal cancer disproportionately affects the Black community, where the

rates are the highest of any racial/ethnic group in the US. African Americans are about 24% more likely to get colorectal cancer and about 47% more likely to die from it than most other groups.

To drill down further as to why more black Americans are likely to die from colon cancer, the answers may come from diet, genetics, and lifestyle.

The diet of many black individuals includes more animal fat and less fiber which are risk factors for colon cancer.

Lifestyle factors include higher tobacco related illnesses, obesity, less physical activity, and lower intakes of Vitamin C and E all connected to developing colon cancer.Genetic factors include a high incidence of mutations in the KRAS gene.

This affects a cell’s ability to repair errors in DNA which increases cancer growth.

Be Aware Of These Symptoms

See Colorectal Surgical Associates if you have any of the following symptoms for more than a few days:

Any change in bowel habits like constipation, diarrhea, or narrow stool Rectal bleeding Blood in stool making it look dark brown or black Cramping or pain in the abdomen Weakness and fatigue Unexplained weight loss Feeling like you need to move your bowels, yet it is not relieved afterward Screening, Early Detection, And Survival The American Cancer Society recommends that those with a higher risk for colon cancer begin screening at age 45. There are several screening tools available including at-home kits and of course, colonoscopies.

Mourning Pele

The Brazilian coastal city of Santos started bidding goodbye to its hero on Monday with a 24-hour wake.

Mourners lined up to see Pele’s body in an open casket in the center of the field at the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of the Santos Football Club.

In the early hours of Monday, January 1st, his body arrived under fireworks in the city of about 430,000 people from Sao

Op-ed: The insensitivity of speculation when someone dies by suicide

By ReShonda Tate

By now you have heard of the unfortunate passing of dance star Stephen “Twitch” Boss, who took his own life in Encino, California. last week.

The social media mental health specialists are out in full effect. And it’s nauseating.

I have read so many comments of people saying things like “something seems off” and “he seems so happy and excited about his work.” Someone even said there was “no way he committed suicide because he was rich.”

People don’t understand what internalized depression looks and feels like for people and there’s a whole different level to it with Black men. His wife lost her husband and instead of people sending condolences, folks are diving deep into conspiracy theories.

Some think his wife should have acted sooner. Others have concluded that Twitch was rich, had a beautiful family and friends–he would never have taken his own life. Right?

The reality is that it is absolutely possible to be genuinely happy for someone else and still have an internal struggle with your own reason for living. I don’t know what he was going through. Twitch was someone that I actually met.

He was an absolute light, but often people who are able to be lights for others, can’t see the light for themselves.

I think it’s difficult for some people to understand that you absolutely can

be in both of those spaces at the same time: genuinely happy for someone else and unable to grasp and hold on to happiness for yourself. But we don’t know what truly was going on with him. Hap-

piness may be something he had in his life and there’s something else that may have been a burden on him.

We will never know exactly what pushed Twitch to feel as if suicide was the best choice. As someone who has a clinician as a mate, we’ve had these discussions about how people can mask being OK when they absolutely are not–including with their significant other, because he may have felt guilty for not feeling fully complete within himself.

We don’t know if there was an illness–physical or mental. Similar to how our bodies can get sick, sometimes the mind can go through something as well.

No matter what we may think about what happened with Twitch, it clearly was something that he planned. There’s no doubt that he loved his wife and his children, but that love did not override whatever internal thing that he was dealing with.

It bothers me that people are trying to lean into blaming someone else without accepting that it’s a choice Twitch made. He was going through something that he felt like no one would understand or maybe he didn’t want anyone to understand. Maybe it was something so intense that he just wanted it to stop and people don’t know how to accept that you cannot guilt people into wanting to live. Whatever pain he was going through, he decided that living was not

the best option.

Let’s not blame anyone else for the decision he made while in a state that was clearly based on pain. I understand pain and sometimes it can be so unbearable. I pray for his family and his friends.

I hope that whatever ails you–whether it’s physical or mental–you can find peace and contentment within yourself. Take care of you!

This belief that we have a right to know everything is hurting our society. Leave it alone, leave Twitch’s family alone and if you want to do something–pray.

Your words and your “discernment” can make it worse for the families. And if you don’t think your words will ever be seen, trust me, there is always someone out there heartless enough to share and broadcast the messages.

You never know!

Please be sensitive–stop speculating on the internet!

ReShonda Tate is a former television and radio announcer, who has worked as a reporter for The National Enquirer, NBC, ABC-TV and FOX news. Tate is the author of more than 30 novels including, “Let the Church Say Amen,” which was adapted into a film directed by actress Regina King in 2013.

Harvard University Announces Dr. Claudine Gay as New President

By Stacy Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Dr. Claudine Gay, the dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, becomes just the second woman to hold the post as University president in the institution’s history.

The university was founded in 1636. Dr. Gay will take office in July 2023.

“Claudine is a remarkable leader who is profoundly devoted to sustaining and enhancing Harvard’s academic excellence, to championing both the value and the values of higher education and research, to expanding opportunity, and to strengthening Harvard as a fount of ideas and a force for good in the world,” Penny Pritzker, senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation and chair of Harvard’s presidential search committee, told the Harvard Gazette.

“As the Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences since 2018, and previously as dean of social science, Claudine has brought to her roles a rare blend of incisiveness and inclusiveness, intellectual range and strategic savvy, institutional ambition and personal hu-

mility, a respect for enduring ideals, and a talent for catalyzing change. She has a bedrock commitment to free inquiry and expression, as well as a deep appreciation for the diverse voices and views that are the lifeblood of a university community.

“As her many admirers know, Claudine consults widely; she listens attentively; she thinks rigorously and imaginatively; she invites collaboration and resists complacency; and she acts with conviction and purpose,” continued Pritzker.

“All of us on the search committee are excited by the prospect of her bringing her high aspirations and interdisciplinary outlook across the Yard from University Hall to Massachusetts Hall. We are confident Claudine will be a thoughtful, principled, and inspiring president for all of Harvard, dedicated to helping each of our individual Schools to thrive, as well as fostering creative connections among them. She is someone intent on affirming the power of curiosity-driven learning. And she is someone eager to integrate and elevate Harvard’s efforts — throughout the arts and sciences and across the professions — to address complex challenges in the wider world.”

The Gazette reported that since 2018, Gay has served as the Edgerley Family

ences and engineering, the social scienc-

As dean, she has guided efforts to expand student access and opportunity, spur excellence

and innovation in teaching and research, enhance aspects of academic culture, and bring new emphasis and energy to areas such as quantum science and engineering; climate change; ethnicity, indigeneity, and migration; and the humanities. She has successfully led FAS through the COVID pandemic, consistently and effectively prioritizing the dual goals of safeguarding community health and sustaining academic continuity and progress.

The disruptive effects of the crisis notwithstanding, the school newspaper reported that she has also launched and led an ambitious, inclusive, and faculty-driven strategic planning process, intended to take a fresh look at fundamental aspects of academic structures, resources, and operations in FAS and to advance academic excellence in the years ahead.

“I am humbled by the confidence that the governing boards have placed in me and by the prospect of succeeding President Bacow in leading this remarkable institution,” Gay stated.

“It has been a privilege to work with Larry over the last five years. He has shown me that leadership isn’t about one person. It’s about all of us, moving forward together, and that’s a lesson I take with me into this next journey.”

Dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), the University’s largest and most academically diverse faculty, spanning the biological and physical sci-

es, and the humanities and arts.

Dr. Claudine Gay, the dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Small Arkansas City Elects Youngest Black Mayor in Ua.S. History

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

At 18, Jaylen Smith recognizes the need for civic involvement.

He believes his small city of Earle, Arkansas, would benefit from improved public safety measures and less blight.

Smith will now have the chance to implement those improvements after becoming the youngest Black mayor in America.

He earned that distinction by defeating his friend, Nemi Matthews Sr., who works as the city’s street superintendent.

“I’m your newly elected mayor, and it’s time to build,” Smith declared following his Dec. 6 election victory.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Earle is a small city of 2,164 residents just 28 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee.

According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Earle was named after Englishborn Josiah Francis Earle, who had land holdings in the area.

Earle had served in the Mexican War and with the Arkansas militia and regular Confederate cavalry during the Civil War.

Following the war, Earle became active in the Ku Klux Klan, and on one occasion in Memphis, he was rescued by Klansmen before he could be executed by hanging.

Earle died in 1884 and left his considerable holdings to his wife and four children. When the railroad through Earle was built in 1888, Earle’s widow constructed

a small depot to encourage trains to stop there; she named it for her late husband.

The most recent train depot was built in 1922 and was abandoned when passenger and freight stops were discontinued in the 1960s; the old depot now operates as the Crittenden County Museum.

Today, the city has an unemployment rate (5.8%) below the national average and enjoys recent job growth.

The cost of living in the predominantly Democrat city is nearly 27% lower than the national average, and the median

home cost is $68,400. Additionally, Earle Public Schools spend $13,778 per student, about $1,300 more than the average school expenditure in the United States.

“It’s time to build a better chapter of Earle, Arkansas,” Smith declared. He said he intends to improve public safety, tear down abandoned houses, and open a new grocery store.

“You’re never too young to want to make a difference in your community,” Smith asserted.

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Eddy was beloved for her role on the iconic daytime soap opera “General Hospital.”

By Terry Shropshire | RollingOut.com

Sonya Eddy, the multitalented actress who boasted the rare Hollywood distinction of really being a licensed vocational nurse instead of an actress who just played on television, has died. She was 55.

Eddy’s passing was confirmed by her close confidante and Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer. The Help star penned a poignant tribute to her friend for her 1.5 million Instagram followers, saying “the world has lost another creative angel.”

Other industry colleagues were also crestfallen at the tragic news of her sudden passing. “TMZ” reported that Eddy went into the hospital for routine surgery on Dec. 9 but acquired an “uncontainable” infection during the process. After being discharged, she was readmitted several days later for treatment but had to be put on life support. She passed away on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.

“I am heartbroken about the loss of the

incredible Sonya Eddy,” “General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini lamented on his Twitter account. “I truly loved her not only as an actress, but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurse’s station will now be a little dimmer, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set.”

In addition to the “General Hospital” role, Eddy also starred in such series as “Those Who Can’t” and “Fresh Off the Boat,” as well as guest stints on “Seinfeld,” “PEN15,” “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Glee,” “Mike & Molly,” “2 Broke Girls,” “The Middle, Mom” and “Castle,” according to IMDb.com.

Valentini continued on about the vivacious Eddy, saying, “On behalf of the entire ‘GH’ cast and crew, we send our deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and fans. She will be very missed.”

This article originally appeared in RollingOut.com.

Michelle Obama Shines Her Light on Fashion on ‘The Light We Carry’ Tour

by Gemma Greene, BDO Staff Writer

Our former First Lady Michelle Obama is in the middle of her sold out book tour to promote her latest novel, The Light We Carry. Yet, as always, its not just her words that are making headlines, it’s her fashion sense as well. Obama has been handing out look after look as she hit stages in Atlanta, Chicago, D.C., and more.

While she was in the White House, her style was indeed impeccable – making her one of the top best-dressed First Lady’s ever. And now that she’s on her new journey as a businesswoman and wife, her style game seems to have been elevated. From President Joe Biden’s inauguration, where she blew everyone away with her stylish plum-colored turtleneck, flared pants, and oversized belt–it’s like she’s gone from a classic style with a pop of

flair to a more relaxed and playful look that women can also relate to. She’s taking style risks that would have surely gotten her securitized as the First Lady, but now we see more of her personality coming it and the internet is loving it.

Behind Mrs. Obama’s looks is her longtime stylist, Meredith Koop, who has been documenting each outfit on Instagram.

“I’m always thinking through the different moments: what’s appropriate, what’s appropriate for the audience that’s going to be seeing her, what’s comfortable, and what’s going to look cool,” Koop told InStyle last year.

She told Vogue in late November of this year that the former First Lady “is wanting to be more and more comfortable. That is huge. That’s like most of it. What’s going to be physically comfortable for her body, for her.”

“She’s incredible at what she says, what

she does, how much she cares. We all know this, and most of us agree,” Koop told Insider. “The legacy is her. The clothing is that extra element that is transcendent in nonverbal communication.”

During this book tour, Obama also opted to wear her hair down naturally, something she spoke about during her book stop in Washington, DC. According to The Washington Post, Obama felt America were “just getting adjusted” to having a Black president when the Obamas were in the White House, so she opted to wear her hair straight during Barack’s time in office.

“Let me keep my hair straight,” she recalled thinking. “Let’s get healthcare passed.” The former First Lady noted that constituents “tripped out when Barack wore a tan suit,” so she assumed natural hair would cause an absolute uproar and distract from getting actual work done.

Late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis honored with a stamp

by INNER-CITY NEWS

Civil rights giant and former U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who spent decades fighting for racial justice, will be honored with a postage stamp next year.

In a Tuesday announcement, the U.S. Postal Service said the stamp “celebrates the life and legacy” of the leader from Georgia, who risked his life protesting against segregation and other injustices in the violent Jim Crow-era South.

“Lewis spent more than 30 years in Congress steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he had helped achieve in the 1960s. Even in the

face of hatred and violence, as well as some 45 arrests, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call ‘good trouble,’” USPS said in a news release.

In March of 1965, then-25-year-old Lewis led a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery alongside other civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. The peaceful protest calling for equal voting rights came to be known as “Bloody Sunday” after Alabama State Troopers descended on the non-violent demonstrators in a brutal attack that left Lewis with a cracked skull.

His public service career spanned nearly 60 years. As a young student he joined lunch-counter protests; later, he became a member of the Freedom Riders; and at 21, he was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington. After serving on the Atlanta City Council, Lewis was elected to Congress where he spent more than 30 years representing the Atlanta area in the House of Representatives.

He died at age 80 in 2020 after suffering from advanced-stage pancreatic cancer.

USPS said the stamp features a portrait of Lewis taken by Marco Grob for Time magazine.

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

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THE GLENDOWER GROUP, INC.

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield CT We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

NOTICE

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Contact: Tom Dunay Phone: 860- 243-2300

Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valid drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 6211720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Request for Qualifications

IQC Architectural Services

Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Drug Free Workforce

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PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

The Glendower Group, Inc. is currently seeking proposals for IQC Architectural Services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Glendower’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway

beginning on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 3:00PM.

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

NOTICIA

Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Large CT Fence Company looking for an individual for our PVC Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. Use of CNC Router machine a plus but not required, will train the right person. This is an in-shop production position. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and more. Must have a valid CT driver’s license & be able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com. AA/EOE-MF

Invitation for Bids

Agency Wide Roofing Repairs/Replacement

Union Company seeks:

Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of operating heavy equipment; be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Construction

Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valid drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Drug Free Workforce

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Municipal Finance Policy Development Coordinator

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at:

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The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking bids for agency wide roofing repairs/ replacement. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway

beginning on Monday, December 12, 2022 at 3:00PM.

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Request for Proposals

Communications Media Consultant

Elm City Communities is currently seeking proposals for a communications media consultant. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/ gateway beginning on

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ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

Cornell Scott Ridge

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437 M&N Eastern Street Fire Damage

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for Cornell Scott Ridge I 437 M&N Eastern Street Fire Damage. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, December 12, 2022 at 3:00PM.

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Invitation for Bids

Uniform Services

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for uniform services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 3:00PM.

2016 - August 02, 2016

Custodian

NOTICE

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Request for Proposals

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Maintenance workers needed for the Wallingford Public Schools to work the 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. shift. Hourly rate: $19.78 to $24.83 hourly. Requires some experience in building maintenance work. The closing date for applications is December 28, 2022 or the date we receive the fiftieth (50) application whichever occurs first. Apply: Human Resources Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Human Resources Department or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Phone #: (203) 294-2080 Fax # 203-294-2084. EOE.

Building Maintenance Worker Training and Testing

HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

LEGAL NOTICE

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT MANAGER

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Services

Elm City Communities is currently seeking proposals for building maintenance worker training and testing. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/ gateway beginning on

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

FHI Studio is seeking a full-time Community Engagement Project Manager to join our team. As a Project Manager, you are vital to managing project teams, project budgets, schedules, workflows, and responsible for high quality project deliverables. Strong candidates have strong organizational and planning skills and have experience in developing and implementing engagement strategies. Our ideal candidate preferably has experience with a variety of stakeholders and presenting public presentations. A bachelor’s degree in urban planning, event organizing, public relations, or related field with a minimum of 8 years of experience is required. Salary ranges from $93,600 to $145,600 yearly, commensurate with level of experience. Please apply at https://fhistudio.isolvedhire.com/jobs/ or send a cover letter and resume to Bonnie Torres, 416 Asylum Street, Hartford, CT 06103.

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management, is seeking proposals to provide certain services related to financial management of the City of West Haven, Connecticut. The intent of the request is to identify individuals or firms with the necessary expertise to provide these services within a stated timeframe.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 3:00PM.

THE GLENDOWER GROUP, INC.

FHI Studio is an EEO/AA /VEV/Disabled employer. For more information, visit fhistudio.com.

INVITATION TO BID: SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 2:00 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for ROOF

REPLACEMENT at the Reverend Albert Callahan House, 32 Smith Street Seymour. The work includes the removal and replacement of asphalt shingle and built-up roofing as well as ACM abatement.

A non-mandatory pre-bid conference will be held at the Reverend Albert Callahan House at 2:00 pm, on Tuesday, December 20, 2022.

Bid documents may be obtained by visiting www.seymourct.org under the Bids and RFPS tab and the Connecticut State Contracting Portal www.das.ct.gov/portal.

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 NEW HAVEN 242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host,General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor ofPitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the Housing Authority.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

The RFP is available online at: https:// portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/BidBoard and https://portal.ct.gov/OPM/Root/RFP/ Request-For-Proposals or from Kevin Meakem, Office of Policy and Management, Finance Division, 450 Capitol Ave., MS# 54FIN, Hartford, Connecticut 06106-1379. E-mail: Kevin.Meakem@ct.gov. Telephone (860) 418- 6313. Deadline for response submission is 3:00 PM EST February, 3, 2023.

Request for Qualifications

Architectural Design for 201 Hazel Street

The Glendower Group, Inc. is currently seeking proposals for Architectural Design for 201 Hazel Street. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Glendower’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway

beginning on Monday, December 12, 2022 at 3:00PM.

Information Technology

Data Application Specialist: The Wallingford Public Schools is seeking a highly technical individual to assist in managing its organizational data system needs. Candidates must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent and 2 years’ experience working with computer software applications with 1 year working with PowerSchool, or an equivalent combination of experience and training substituting on year-for-year basis. School or district office experience is preferred. Must possess and maintain a valid State of CT motor vehicle operator’s license and a personal vehicle to travel between schools. Compensation is $32.86 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefits package. A complete job announcement and application may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by the closing date of December 28, 2022. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 2942084. EOE

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

Invitation for Bids

Plumbing Repair Services

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour. A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for plumbing repair services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Office, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 3:00PM.

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the

Snow Removal at McConaughy Terrace

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for snow removal services at McConaughy Terrace. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, December 12, 2022 at 3:00PM.

BALDWIN HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTICE

An Instrumentality of The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposals (RFP)

Town of Bloomfield

Building Maintainer

NOTICE

OF

INVITATION

FOR BID

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DANBURY

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Low Income Housing Tax Credit Equity Syndicator, Construction and Permanent Lender Solicitation Number: 25-BH-23-S

HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Baldwin Holdings, Inc. a nonprofit development instrumentality of the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport (HACB) is currently seeking proposals from qualified firms to partially finance the rehabilitation of Harborview Towers. Solicitation package will be available on December 20, 2022, to obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-proposal conference will be at 376 East Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06608 on January 10, 2023, @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities. org no later than January 17, 2023 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Proposals shall be mailed, or hand delivered by January 24, 2023 @ 3:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Late proposals will not be accepted.

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510

Listing: Mechanic

Immediate opening for a full time mechanic; maintenance to be done on commercial diesel trucks and trailers. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email hrdept@eastriverenergy.com

$25.37 hourly (40 hrs weekly) Pursuant to Teamsters Collective Bargaining Unit This position has a 9-step hourly range ($25.37 to $28.54) Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.

Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Town of Bloomfield

Finance Director

Salary Range $101,455-$156,599 Pre-employment drug testing.

AA/EOE. For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Office, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the

Power Washing IFB No. B23001

BID SUBMITTAL RETURN:

Housing Authority of the City of Danbury, 2 Mill Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 Envelope Must be Marked: IFB No. B23001, Power Washing

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

January 31,

2023,

at 2:00pm (EST)

State of Connecticut

Office of Policy and Management

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for an Agency Labor Relations Specialist Trainee position and an Associate Accountant position.

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

APPLY NOW!

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpreview.asp? R1=221207&R2=5989VR&R3=001 and https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpreview.asp? R1=221207&R2=0941AR&R3=001

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.

Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Housing Authority the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposal (RFP)

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER

CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 221215&R2=1581MP&R3=001

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport (HACB) d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is seeking proposals from developers and owners of New Construction, substantial rehabilitation projects, or existing units that desire to enter into an Agreement for a Housing Assistance Payment (AHAP) Contract for Project Base Vouchers (PBVs) for Contract Units under PCC’s Project Based Voucher Program. Under this Request for Proposals, PCC will make available PBVs for units that will house extremely low and very low income households. A complete set of RFP documents can be obtained on October 24, 2022, by emailing your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org. Proposals shall be mailed, or hand delivered to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement,150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. This RFP will remain Open until Completion of PBV.

COMMENTARY: Tis a Time for Political Change

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher | San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

Locally in the State of California, we have a first with an African American woman as the first female Mayor of the City of Los Angeles. The significance of this is not that she is a woman, but that she is qualified for the position.

A former member of the U.S. Congress and chairperson of The Congressional Black Caucus; former member of the California Legislature where she served as the first woman to ever become Speaker of the Assembly; and member of the Legislative Black Caucus in the Assembly with a string of achievements.

But perhaps the most important thing about the new Mayor, which represents a change, is her stated commitment to attack the problem of the 40,000 individuals in the City of Los Angeles who are homeless.

Although we have millions of dollars here in California allocated to the issue of

homelessness, one unanswered question is how do we reduce or eliminate homelessness without addressing the issues of “rent control?”

The absence of rent control means that landlords can raise rents almost at will, force people out of their homes because they complain about the lack of repairs or other problems with their dwellings and not experience any real problems under the very laws that call such actions “Retaliatory Evictions.” In the City of San Diego, we added one new council member, with those running for office, reelected. We also experienced redistricting, with changes in the areas now being

represented by people re-elected to office.

We also have new mayors in the cities of Chula Vista and National City, California cities connecting with the City of San Diego. All of this represents elements of change and new opportunities for governance for those who see such possibilities. The question here is where do you stand? Do you see the opportunities? Are you concerned about the mounting problem of homelessness and making tough decisions beyond how much money is available to tackle the problem? Let us hear from you on these issues and opportunities as we confront the changes before us.

Congressional Black Caucus Names Nevada’s Steven Horsford as New Chair

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford, who earned the distinction of Nevada’s first African American State Senate Majority Leader, will lead the Congressional Black Caucus during the 118th Congress in January.

Horsford, who won reelection to Nevada’s fourth congressional district in November, was announced on Thursday as the CBC’s choice as its 28th chair.

“Over the last 50 years, the CBC has served as the ‘conscience of the Congress,’ helping guide the legislative priorities that have shaped our nation and helped improve the lives of African Americans and all our constituents,”

Horsford, 49, said in a statement.

“As Chair, I will provide the leadership, strategic vision and execute on our plans to guide us on a path that will deliver positive socioeconomic outcomes for the communities and constituencies we serve.”

Horsford’s selection as chair comes as the Democrats fall into the minority in the House.

Known for successfully working across party lines and being calm under the everyday pressures of Congress, has continued his work to ensure veterans and seniors citizens, receive needed benefits.

He authored and passed the Nevada Lands Bill to create jobs across the state and fought to protect a woman’s right to

make healthcare decisions.

In addition to Horsford’s chairmanship, the CBC announced Rep. Yvette Clarke, 58, of New York as first vice chair; Rep. Troy Carter, 59, of Louisiana as second vice chair; Rep. Lucy McBath, 62, of Georgia as secretary; and Rep. Marilyn Strickland, 60, as whip.

“I am so honored to have been elected as the CBC Secretary for the 118th Congress. It is always necessary we continue to forge a path toward getting into Good Trouble and do the work to make life better for American families,” McBath asserted.

“Together, we must build a brighter, more just future for our communities, our caucus, and our country.”

Blacks and Jews

home in Kansas being used as a stop on the Underground Railroad to Jewish organizations participating in the protests following the murder of George Floyd and the acceleration of the Black Lives Matter movement.

According to recent national law enforcement data, today there has been an unprecedented increase in hate crimes targeted against Black and Jewish communities. According to the Anti-Defamation League, 2021 was the highest year on record for documented reports of harassment, vandalism and violence directed against Jews since the organization began tracking incidents in 1979.Thus far in 2022 the incidents of antisemitism have not declined but have steadily increased.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has documented a constant increase in racially motivated attacks on Black people throughout the United States during the past decade. All forms of racism and antisemitism should always be challenged relentlessly. Dr. King said it best, “We must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools.”

Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Chairman, Carnegie Hall, is taking the right stand at the right time. Smith stated in the ad, “Michael Eric Dyson recently wrote that ‘… African Americans and Jews are passengers on the same ship facing the ferocious headwinds of bigotry and hatred.’ It is time to put aside differences and shift our focus to the shared values that bring all Americans together as God’s children.”

Former Texas Cop Gets 11 Years in Atatiana Jefferson Killing

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Aaron Dean, the white police officer who shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson in her home in Texas, has received an 11year prison sentence following his conviction on manslaughter charges.

Dean,38, counted among the officers responding to an “open structure” call at Jefferson’s home in October 2019.

Jefferson, 28, left her door open while she and her 8-year-old nephew, Zion, were inside.

Noticing the open door, a neighbor called police for a welfare check.

Jefferson and her nephew were playing video games that night and Jefferson opened the doors to allow smoke from hamburgers to dissipate after they burned.

Zion, now 11, testified that he was in the room when his aunt was shot.

After the sentence was pronounced, one of Jefferson’s sisters, Ashley Carr, read

statements, including one from her sister, Amber Carr, Zion’s mother.

Amber Carr said Jefferson, who planned to go to medical school, “had big dreams and goals” and that her son “feels he is responsible to fill the whole role of his aunt, and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

Ashley Carr called her sister “a beautiful ray of sunshine.”

“She was in her home, which should have been the safest place for her to be, and yet turned out to be the most dangerous,” she said.

The manslaughter conviction allowed the jury to sentence the disgraced former officer to 11 years rather than the 20 years he could have served on murder charges.

Body-camera footage revealed that Dean and his partner did not identify themselves as police officers.

Dean and Officer Carol Darch testified that they thought the house might have been burglarized and quietly moved into the fenced-off backyard, looking for signs

of forced entry.

Dean drew his service weapon and fired through the window a split-second after shouting at Jefferson to show her hands.

Dean testified that he had no choice when he saw Jefferson pointing a gun at him. But under cross examination he admitted to several errors and conceded that actions before and after the shooting were “more bad police work.”

Zion testified that Jefferson took out her

gun because she thought there was an intruder in the backyard.

Ashley Carr said the family wanted the officer sentenced to more time but was still pleased with the 11 years he received.

“Eleven years, that’s the same age as Zion,” Carr said. “Ten months, 12 days, that’s the day that it happened. It’s a message in this. It might not be the message that we wanted and the whole dream, but it’s some of it.”

The call to action is: “Join us this holiday season at public events from Los Angeles to New York, or in your own home, to light the Eight Nights of the Chanukah Menorah followed immediately by the Seven Nights of Kwanzaa and the Kinara. Post your own photos of Black and Jewish friends, neighbors and colleagues coming together to #lightthecandles.”

Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital.

“Pele leaves millions of Santos fans across our country. He was the creator of Brazilian soccer,” said Antonio da Paz, a fan outside the stadium for the memorial that began at 10 a.m. (1300 GMT).

FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among the first to arrive for the service and said he would ask every country to name a stadium after Pele, the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player.

“Pele is eternal,” Infantino told reporters. “FIFA will certainly honor the ‘king’ as he deserves. We have asked all football associations in the world to pay a minute of silence before every game and will also ask them, 211 countries, to name a stadium after Pele. Future generations must know and remember who Pele was.”

Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford

The greatest of care for your heart

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Find your Heart and Vascular Center specialist: 833-346-3637

Arnar Geirsson, MD