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As IRIS Grows Its Footprint, Thousands Run For Refugees

by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

Kiana Ware came back from a pulled Achilles tendon to walk the race, carrying her mom’s immigrant journey with her every step of the way. Aahna Shah ran it for her dad Parth, who came to the U.S. from Gujarat, India, exactly 20 years ago. Diana Mashni hit the pavement for her family, and a home in Palestine from which they have been displaced her entire life.

Nearly 3,000 runners, walkers, and stroller-pushing superheroes filled the streets of East Rock Sunday morning, for Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services’ (IRIS) 16th annual “Run for Refugees.” In its 16 years, the five-kilometer race has become a Super Bowl Sunday tradition, braving multiple presidencies, freezing temps, snow and ice, and a pandemic-era pivot that made the race virtual for a year in 2021. This year, the race raised a total of $86,411, with a goal of $100,000 (donations are still open). Of 2,953 people who registered, over 2,100 ran in person; more completed the race virtually. Per tradition, it began at Wilbur Cross High School, wound through East Rock Park, and then looped around Livingston, Lawrence and Orange Streets before finishing back on Mitchell Drive.

“On the one hand, it’s really exciting, it’s heartwarming. but it’s also humbling,” said Chris George, IRIS’s executive director, in a phone call Sunday afternoon. “It’s a big responsibility. These people are saying, ‘We believe in this tradition, we believe in this American mission, and we believe in you in welcoming refugees to this country.’ They vote with their feet. They vote when they write us a check. I feel that in a way, they’re our constituents.”

For IRIS, which has resettled 903 refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants since January 2022, it has become “a huge community block party,” George said. For the thousands of people who run, it is also a reminder that many of the country’s newest residents fled their homes as a matter of survival, and are rebuilding their whole lives here in Connecticut. Sunday, some of those refugees stood at the starting line and in an informal cheer section, ready to root each other on. Just second before the starting horn, Azhar Ahmed snuck a glance at her five-year-old son Kuti, and smiled.

That sense of camaraderie wove through every part of the day, from early t-shirt pickups to final goodbyes and award ceremonies that lasted into the early afternoon. In Wilbur Cross’ buzzing gymnasium, friends Kiana Ware and Siana Smith sat against one wall, chatting before they made their way to the starting line. Both are the children of immigrants: Ware’s mother is Filipino, and Smith’s dad is Jamaican. When Ware learned about IRIS’ mission a few months ago, it resonated with her.

Growing up in Georgia, Ware heard her mom speak frequently about “the process of becoming a citizen,” she said Sunday, stretching her legs out in front of her. At home, they communicated in a kind of “Taglish,” a mix of Tagalog and English, that worked for both of them. She carries that

with her now, wherever she is in the world. She added that the 5K felt like a milestone: it’s her first race after tearing her Achilles tendon last August. She later finished at just over 40 minutes, with plenty of walkers still behind her.

It was also a way to get to know New Haven a little better, she said. Born and raised in Georgia, Ware moved to New Haven last year, when she landed a job as a construction engineer at Yale. When she arrived, she learned about IRIS through the Asian Network at Yale.

Seated beside her, Smith reflected on her own immigrant roots. Her grandmother is Panamanian, and her dad is Jamaican.

Born in New York and raised in Georgia, she watched them pass their cultures on through food and customs that she now holds close. When Ware asked if she wanted to join the 5K during a visit to New Haven, she was game.

“It’ll be the longest I’ve walked” since an injury left her with pins in her ankle, she said. A breeze drifted through the gym’s back door, too warm for February. Neither of them seemed to mind.

Outside, friends Aahna Shah, Parami Sampat, and Manya Trivedi soaked in a patch of February sunlight, excited to support IRIS for the first time. An eighth grader at the Renbrook School in West Hartford, Aahna learned about IRIS last year, after she was tasked with finding a community service project. While her peers gravitated toward food pantries and homeless shelters, she wanted to find something immigration related.

IRIS was a natural fit, she said: she’s the child of Indian immigrants, who came to the U.S. two decades ago to pursue graduate work in the U.S. She grew up hearing about the sacrifices her parents made so she could have a better education. For years, she has been fascinated by other stories

of migration—both voluntary and forced. When news of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan began to permeate the airwaves two years ago, she watched it unfold. She now pays close attention to news coming out of Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Sunday, she looked around with wide eyes, trying to take everything in. Gaggles of runners bobbed past her in light blue tshirts. State legislators milled around in the crowd. Her younger brother, Adi, buried his head in her knees with a shy smile.

“I think it hits close to home for us,” chimed in Manya, a sophomore at Avon High School. “All of our parents are immigrants.”

Aahna’s dad, Parth Shah, said the race felt personal for him too. Now a vascular surgeon in Hartford, Shah came to the U.S. to study at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. It became his bridge from Gujarat, a state in Western India, to a life and career in West Hartford. Now, he often thinks about the people who may want or need to leave their home countries, but do not have the

sion-oriented feel more meaningful to her.

As runners gathered at the starting line, speakers including Mayor Justin Elicker, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal all gathered to cheer them on—and to reflect on the work that IRIS does every day (Elicker also ran the race, as did mayoral hopefuls Tom Goldenberg and Liam Brennan).

Asking for a moment of silence for earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey, Blumenthal reflected on a recent trip to Kyiv, on which he had the chance to visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Boarding a train on his way home, “I saw some of the Ukranians who are running for their lives,” he said.

“I’ve had visits with Afghan refugees ... the interpreters, and the translators, and the guards who have helped us,” he continued. “They have targets on their backs. They are running for their lives. They are running to the United States of America because we are their last best hope.”

Pointing to the $6.3 billion in federal support that has gone to Afghan refugee resettlement efforts, DeLauro recalled Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus,” an 1883 poem inspired by the Statue of Liberty, and later cast onto its stone base. She praised IRIS for welcoming refugees and migrants—who often flee persecution, poverty, hunger and extreme violence— with housing, healthcare, education and professional training in a new and unfamiliar home.

“Run today,” she said. “Run to save lives. Run for the American dream. Run for people who yearn to be free.”

resources or the documentation to do so.

“As an immigrant, I came to pursue studies and a career,” he said. “But there are those who are less fortunate—and that doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve the same chance.”

Nearby, Diana Mashni circled up with her four children, nieces, and sister, Aida Husein, ready to run on behalf of migrants across the globe. When Mashni immigrated to the U.S. ten years ago, it marked a new chapter in a lifetime of displacement that she is still living, she said. Palestinian by birth, Mashni was born in Jordan, and grew up in Saudi Arabia. Because of constant violence in her native Palestine, she has never been able to return home. That distance is a constant, unending ache. When Mashni came to the U.S. and settled in Watertown ten years ago, she became a volunteer translator with IRIS, working mainly between English and Arabic with women and girls who were new to the U.S.. Sunday she said she was glad to return and support their work. While she’s run multiple 5K races, she added, those that are mis-

As they glided through the streets of East Rock, runners drew cheers, musical interludes, and the occasional game day cry of “Go Eagles!,” sometimes accompanied by a blur of green and white. At the corner of Mitchell Drive and Orange Street, Cross’ drumline kept a steady beat. At Livingston and East Rock Road, the sound of a lone, warbling trumpet floated over the street as Laine Harris pressed a horn to his lips.

At Lawrence and Livingston Streets, the sculptor Susan Clinard stood dancing to Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” as runners flew, and then jogged, and then walked past. All the way to the finish, it seemed that there were knots of people lining the streets, ready to cheer.

This year, the race comes as IRIS doubles down on its mission to welcome immigrants and refugees in both New Haven and the state—and to keep them in the U.S. In fall 2021, IRIS opened a second office in Hartford, meant to absorb some of the new arrivals coming into the state. At the time, it was still triaging arrivals from Afghanistan that followed the withdrawal of U.S. troops and ensuing Taliban takeover.

Sunday, IRIS Director of Community Engagement Tabitha Sookdeo explained that that work is not over. IRIS is still receiving arrivals from Afghanistan, including 420 individuals to Connecticut since last January. When many Afghans were evacu-

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CAW Show Makes Freedom Visible

Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

The woman is running beneath a wide open sky, a sheaf of sunlight on her face. Her eyes look out to the horizon; her arms rise and fall as she moves. Behind her, rows and rows of cotton stretch into the distance. The bolls sway and swell against the wind, some splitting open. They rise past her hips and branch out onto the wall. Everywhere, the past slams right into the present. As it unfolds, the future seems stunningly, startlingly bright.

She is part of Made Visible: Freedom Dreams, running in the Hilles Gallery at Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) through March 18. Curated by nico wheadon in partnership with the bldg fund, llc, the exhibition features work by artists Linda Vauters Mickens, Jasmine Nikole, and Y. Malik Jalal. It includes programming from Inner-City News Editor and WNHH

Radio Host Babz Rawls-Ivy, who has installed work in a corner of the secondfloor gallery.

The exhibition draws its name from Robin Kelly’s eponymous book, Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination, a copy of which is featured in the exhibition. It also marks the fourth iteration of the Made Visible exhibition series, which CAW launched in mid 2020.

“This has been three years in the making,” said wheadon, who moved to New Haven four years ago, at an opening Tuesday night. “It’s really just a look at how artists see the issues of our times, but also like, what we might do to change things for the better.”

The seed for Freedom Dreams sprouted years ago, and has been steadily growing in wheadon’s mind and curatorial eye since then. In her personal life, wheadon and her partner, bldg fund co-founder Malik D. Lewis, have been talking about what it means to freedom dream “really since we got together,” she said Tuesday. It has since taken many forms, from her book Museum Metamorphosis to her young son Nile, who is just over a year old.

Then last February, she was able to explore “what it meant to look at artists’ visions for the world and how we might change it to better reflect us” more deeply while curating a show at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz. It was a short show, she said, and she left wanting to bring the same line of questioning to New Haven. The artists she selected do exactly that, at a moment when several of the city’s arts organizations find themselves in transition.

“You know, it’s been a tough moment for New Haven,” she said Tuesday. “There’s a lot of arts leaders that are no longer here, or leading these institutions, and so it feels like a really important moment for artists to reclaim center stage and the conversation around what we want our culture to look like and how we

want institutions to support that.”

What makes the show so moving is that the artists—who range from a first-year graduate student at the Yale School of Art to a retired nurse to a self-taught painter with two children under three—are in constant dialogue with both their viewers and with each other. Even before a viewer enters the gallery, Jalal’s work is a part of their sightline, with an ode to Black New Haven that runs decades deep.

On CAW’s street-facing windows,

Over two floors of the gallery inside, wheadon has drawn that tension out, balancing both the bitter and the sweet of freedom dreaming. While one of Mickens’ angels welcomes viewers into the space, it is her 2022 “Redemption” that pulls a body into the room with nearly umbilical force, glowing bronze and gold beneath the gallery lights. Placed just beyond the center of the gallery, the sculpture turns her whole body to the left, her eyes squeezed shut. In her hands, she holds an assault rifle, her index finger on the trigger. Above it, her mouth opens in the wide, pained O of a silent scream. Her garments, which cling to her small and strong body, build a collage of names and faces that seem unending, sometimes cut off before a viewer can get a full sense of a full word. Nails—dozens of them, maybe hundreds—protrude from her skull, building a sort of barbed and armored crown. The mirror image of the word Knowledge, written in all capital letters, scrolls across the base of the milk crate she sits on.

Just over her shoulder, Mickens’ “Mother As First Teacher” feels completely of a piece with this tableau. In a single, pained moment, these women hold centuries of history, more resilient than they should ever have to be. They are Black women who deserve rest more than anything in the world, and instead must continue to fight in battle they never asked for, and didn’t start.

“Redemption dreams of the day when the mission has been complete, victory claimed and her well-deserved rest has been received,” Mickens has written in an accompanying label. “The day has not yet arrived, and so, Redemption marches on, ever fighting, never resting until her work is done and her people are free.”

Beside it, a swath of heavy, thick red velvet drapes over a cross, synonymous with the bloodshed of Jesus Christ before his resurrection. In a sacred context, it recalls the suffering of Jesus, in a form a church-goer might see during Holy Week. But Mickens has gone much deeper, peeling back the layers of Christianity to reveal something rotten underneath. That she has chosen a red cloth—rather than purple, or black, or white—feels heavy. It’s a symbol of Christ’s pain, which here becomes the pain of generations of Black people.

the artist has enlarged a series of family photographs from IfeMichelle Gardin, a lifelong New Havener who is now the founder of Elm City LIT Fest. In one image, a baby sits in an inflatable pool of water, looking up at the camera. Their tiny mouth is a wide, curious O. Above them, two elders embrace, a rose garden rising in the background. In front of them, Audubon Street is a sprawl of cement and asphalt. It sets a tone that is at once historic and very present, archival and familiar.

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On the wooden body of the cross, Mickens has painted incomplete American flags, wrapped rope, hammered in nails and shackles and added the text of “Strange Fruit,” the anti-lynching song that Billie Holiday first made famous in 1939. Taken together, it signals the abuse of Christianity as a tool of white supremacy and a disenfranchisement of Black Americans that continues today. It is powerful and arguably overdue in CAW, a secular space that has only in recent years Read More about this aricle by going to theinnercity.com

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Local Biopharma Jobs Pipeline Opens

Part 3 of our 4-part series in celebration of Black History Month

by PAUL BASS

Once upon a time, New Haveners without college degrees could pursue well-paying careers making rifles at the old Winchester factory. Today they’ll be able to pursue careers working in labs helping test drugs to cure diseases like cancer, thanks to a new pipeline created to help New Haveners find their way to some of the jobs of the future pouring into the city.

The pipeline is called BioLaunch. It’s a training program run by Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology, aka ConnCAT.

Funded by $2.5 million in state money, it will train two cohorts a year of 15 people from the Dixwell and Newhallville neighborhoods aged 18 – 26 with GEDs to work as lab techs in biotechnology and life sciences laboratories. The participants will get paid during the program, including at internships with local biopharma companies.

The first cohort launches March 6. The program will eventually move into the 101 College St. biosciences tower soon to open downtown. The program grew out of conversations over the years between ConnCAT founder and CEO Erik Clemons and Yale bio professor Craig Crews, who founded one of the city’s hottest new biotech companies, Arvinas, which devel-

ops cancer-fighting drugs. They sought a way to connect people from disadvantaged neighborhoods to employment opportunities opening up in town during a biosciences boom.

To run the program, they found a former student of Crews named OrLando Yarborough. Yarborough studied with Crews back while earning his PhD in genetics. Now he has taken the helm of BioLaunch as its program director.

Yarborough described the program as a winwin for New Haveners needing solid work, growing companies needing reliable trained workers, and a biopharma industry that will benefit from a diversified workforce.

“This is about providing an avenue and a platform for New Haven residents to do well, in biotech companies,” Yarborough said.

He said biotech companies “don’t have a good system of finding New Haven residents that are highly qualified to work. Now we’re creating a system … and a pipeline to make it happen.”

Yarborough said that during a conversation on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven” program, which also included ConnCAT’s Clemons. Click on the above video to watch the full discussion, which included how BioLaunch fits into ConnCAT’s broader goals of creating opportunity in historically Black neighborhoods.

IN CELEBRATION OF HISTORY MONTH

HONORS INNOVATORS AND TRAILBLAZERS IN SCIENCE & MEDICINE

Today, we can thank leaders like inventor Lewis Howard Latimer, scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson, chemist Marie M. Daly, heart surgeon Daniel Hale Willams, doctor and astronaut Mae C. Jemison and mathematician Katherine G. Johnson for their contributions to and advancements in science and medicine. Boscov’s remembers with respect African-Americans who set the standard and pushed the boundaries, developing breakthroughs in their fields.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Mae C. Jemison

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams

Marie M. Daly

Katherine G. Johnson

Lewis Howard Latimer

PAUL BASS PHOTO OrLando Yarborough and Erik Clemons at WNHH FM.

“Unsung Heroes” Get Their Due At NXTHVN

by Marie Sanford, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

Jazz clubs may no longer line Dixwell Avenue, but the heart of jazz in New Haven is far from dead. And as another generation takes up the tradition, it’s not going anywhere.

That takeaway was one of many last Thursday night, as over 100 New Haveners gathered at NXTHVN for a screening of Rebecca Abbott’s Unsung Heroes: The Music of Jazz in New Haven. As attendees poured wine and scooped cheese and salami onto paper plates, the room hummed with anticipation. By the time Programs Manager Victoria McCraven called for people to settle down, all seats were filled.

In attendance were parents with their young children, New Haven musicians old and young, and several seasoned artists who likely knew many of the documentary’s subjects firsthand. Many spilled over into the built-in auditory seating in the hall.

“It’s pivotal that New Haven’s music history is uplifted and put on the world stage,” said McCraven in a comment after the screening. “When people think of jazz they don’t necessarily think of New Haven, but this city and in particular the Dixwell neighborhood has such a rich music history, from its bandstands and jazz clubs to modern-day performances and jam sessions. One of the best ways to understand a place is to celebrate its artists and view its history through the lens of the arts, and Unsung Heroes does just that.”

Unsung Heroes tells the story of New Haven’s African American community and thriving jazz scene from the turn of the 19th century into the present day. The film opens with a tribute to Bobby and Eddy Buster, two local musicians and mentors famous for jazz organ, before delving into the history of jazz’s rise in New Haven.

As the film outlines, there was always a small Black community in New Haven, but the first World War brought industry and jobs to the city that spurred a large wave of Black migration from the American South. With many in the Dixwell and historic Oak Street neighborhoods working morning, swing, and night shifts at the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, jazz clubs became a central fixture of urban living.

For men working long and hard shifts, music was “nurturing” and as one interviewee said, could soothe “a savage beast.”

Concurrently, big band jazz—and later bebop—was exploding around the country. Positioned between New York City and Boston, New Haven became a common stopping point for famous musicians such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Ella

Fitzgerald, Johnny “Hammond” Smith and Billie Holiday, to name a few. These musicians played clubs up and down Dixwell Avenue, including the Golden Gate, Dinkie’s Jazz Club, The Democratic Club, The Musicians’ Club, and most famously, The Monterey.

New Haveners weren’t just drawn to big names; they also were formidable musicians in their own right. As the documentary rolled Thursday, audience members audibly reacted to seeing footage of the Buster brothers on the screen. Oohs and fingers pointed towards the screen continued as local legends such as Allen “Rubbs” Wilson and Reginald Jackson appeared in the film.

“It was great because many of the folks were experts just because they had lived a life and they had been participants,” said William Frank Mitchell, co-writer of the film, in an interview before the event. “There just aren’t that many projects you get to do where everybody is an authentic expert and some people are amateur musicians, but even they are authentic experts.”

The non-hierarchical nature of the interviews recalled an important tenet of jazz itself—musicians are on a sonically level playing field. In the film, Abbot gives equal if not more airtime to New Haven names over mainstream musicians. In addition, while she notes the segregated musicians unions that kept many great Black musicians from booking gigs, the film also acknowledges that both Black and white musicians made an impact on Dixwell Avenue’s jazz scene.

As one interviewee said, “In the arts, people relate to what you play.” As long as you could keep up, you were welcome on New Haven’s jazz scene.

Following the screening, Mitchell wel-

comed New Haven musicians Jesse Hameen II and Ryan Sands as well as Delores Greenlee, the daughter of Monterey owner and proprietor Rufus Greenlee, for a panel discussion. Hameen is a prolific New Haven drummer who recently won the prestigious Ellington Award, and Sands is a former student of his and now a formidable drummer in his own right. Instead of a hyper-academic discussion on the history of jazz, the panelists spent most of their time together honoring New Haven-raised musicians. After Mitchell asked the panelists who they’d like to

discussed how to continue the legacy of jazz in New Haven today. Particularly important to audience members was how to expose New Haven youth to jazz.

Hameen spoke to resources in New Haven that already exist: an all-ages summer band camp at the Neighborhood Music School, programs in select public schools, and the ability of parents to play jazz at home for their kids.

Hameen also stressed the importance of New Haven players giving back to their community. Sitting forward in his seat with his hands splayed over his chest, he told the audience, “I give everything I have to my students.” Sands echoed this, telling his fellow musicians to always engage young kids they see at gigs.

Marcella Monk Flake, a longtime educator and founder of Monk Youth Jazz and STEAM Collective, Inc., pointed to jazz programming for youth at the Trowbridge Environmental Center in East Rock. There are programs for kids as young as nine years old, she said. Monk Flake also leads a STEAM summer learning program at Davis Street School each summer, in which jazz music is a woven into the curriculum.

Patricia Escoffery, mother of Wayne Escoffery, spoke to the importance of encouragement. When Wayne was younger, she said, she wanted him to be a lawyer or a doctor. When she realized how serious he was about his craft, she wholeheartedly supported his tutelage in saxophone. Musicians may stay in your house a bit longer, she said to audience laughter, but if parents and mentors support them, they can make it.

Speakers also pointed to the future of the Monterey Club, which the city bought from mega landlord Ocean Management in a $1.3 million deal last month. Greenlee said she hopes that the site remains a jazz venue; Hameen suggested using the site as housing for jazz musicians. There is currently very little subsidized housing for artists in the city.

see receive the Ellington Award, the trio paid homage to both living legends and past musicians whose impact could not go unrecognized—many of whom were featured in the film but are no longer here.

As names such as Wayne Boyd, Rohn Lawrence, Jeff Fuller, Hank Bolden, Wayne Escoffery, and Sands’ older brother, the jazz pianist Christian Sands, rang out, the audience applauded for their friends, mentors, and musical inspirations.

Later, the panel morphed into a forum as panelists and audience members alike

Hameen also emphasized the importance of a “for us, by us” mentality, saying he didn’t “want to see us be observers and consumers” when it comes to Black New Haven institutions. Conversations around the future of The Monterey have been ongoing; as proceedings continue to unfold, Greenlee implored residents to make sure their voices are heard. Overall, the evening was both informative and generative.

“[Unsung Heroes] does suggest that there’s an opportunity to reimagine how we make culture and to kind of privilege and chase the more intimate to the extent that you can…be in a room with people that’s tightly packed, breathing their breath,” said Mitchell. “There was something important about that and the ways that it helped to build neighborhoods and that it made people connected.”

NXTHVN Programs Manager Victoria McCraven. Marie Sanford Photos.

Ryan Sands, William Frank Mitchell, and Jesse Hameen II. Delores Greenlee, the daughter of Monterey owner and proprietor Rufus Greenlee, joined virtually. Marie Sanford Photos.

200 years of medical innovation go into every procedure we do.

Through our affiliation with Yale School of Medicine – which pioneered x-rays, penicillin, and chemotherapy – we’re discovering new ways to improve our patients’ lives every single day. Learn more at ynhhs.org

Madeline's Cooks Up Community On Spring Street

By Corey Schmidt, The Arts Paper www.newhavenarts.org

Just past the front door of Madeline’s Empanaderia, it’s the art that catches you.

A portrait of the Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, his hair a shock of neon green, hangs from the wall. A collage of old Airbnb magazines is plastered beside the doorway. A bright orange mural stretches across the back wall, with orange-and-white lettering that announce the restaurant’s brand. The scents of rice and beef waft through the space, brewing from the kitchen.

It highlights what owner Hazel Lebron envisions for the new Spring Street location of her restaurant, Madeleine’s Empanaderia—a space to lift up art and artists in greater New Haven. The cafe, focused on establishing a community collective, celebrated its Hill neighborhood grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Lebron’s journey to the culinary arts has neither been easy nor expected, she said Saturday. After bouncing around the East Coast as a military child, she found herself in New Haven to pursue her studies in psychology at Gateway Community College and Post University. She decided to stay in New Haven after completing her degree, despite her initial goal to move to New York City.

As time went on, she found the kitchen therapeutic and shifted gears to food service by opening a food truck. For years, she was the face behind Caribe Soul, which served empanadas and spicy, homemade chipotle mayo from its sliding window. A chef and a mom, she found that owning a food business required sacrifice: she rented out part of her home as an Airbnb and constantly was constantly adapting her business model.

“Cooking and psychology, to me, was brought together because I was always able to share stories in the kitchen,” Lebron said. “My experience cooking is therapeutic, it’s like art. Whether I’m just by myself or with the team, I can zone out and I listen to my music. I’m just cooking, [I can forget everything else.]”

When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, food trucks were still highly regulated; the city did not allow them to operate for nearly four months. Lebron, who was by then used to shifting gears, sold the truck and started thinking of a storefront. She opened Madeline’s first location at 44 Middletown Ave. with chef Maurice Watson, whose Lunch Box 23 food truck had also become a Covid casualty. The restaurant is named after her daughter, who is now 11 years old.

After adapting to a permanent location in 2021, Lebron was forced to adapt once again due to a water line problem that ended her lease in June 2022. She deliberately chose to relocate to the Hill, New Haven’s largest and most diverse neigh-

borhood, for the draw of a hometown crowd. While she considered opening downtown, it didn’t have the same feel.

“I decided to relocate here so I can create a ‘Mom and Pop’ neighborhood space,” she said. “It’s the community too. I thought, ‘Yeah, this is the Hill and why not? Why not make a spotlight for our city.’”

“Downtown is really pretty but it’s also predominantly for college students,” she added. “That’s okay and it’s super dope to go out there but the locals need a spot.”

Lebron said the theme of embracing the New Haven community continues with the Madeline’s Collective, a group of vendors who set up shop at Madeline’s and help host monthly open mic nights, puff n’ paint sessions, and art exhibitions. While Madeline’s might be the brand listed outside the building, “it is just one vendor out of the collective,” Lebron said.

“There are phenomenal artists here who need a spot to shine,” she said. “If we don’t lift our own community and artists up, who will?”

The Madeline’s Collective currently consists of Infused 203, LaCroix Artistry, Good Vibes, Multifaceted, The Healing Garden, Hikotea Art, My Sweet Gratitude, Madeline’s and Caribe Soul. The collective also features a new artist every month in a gallery covering the cafe’s back wall.

This month, the artist is West Havenbased painter and muralist Elizabeth Taylor, who creates individual pieces while also running a small art business. Her work featured alongside a booth by Madeline’s Curator Joel Cruz.

Cruz is a self-taught artist who creates petroglyph carved artwork. He said establishments like Madeline’s are important in providing exposure to artists still looking to catch their big break.

“It’s a good opportunity to get eyes on

your work because that usually isn’t given to most artists,” Cruz said. “Without being seen, it’s hard for people to take you seriously and help lift your art up.”

Cruz said he looks forward to collaborating with new artists each month and has ideas to incorporate “abstract” artists with “different types of style and techniques.” He said the theme should always be a little different.

When deciding who will be the monthly feature “I go through local artists one by one and think about the theme we are trying to incorporate,” Cruz said.

Lebron echoed that sentiment. She said having a collective of vendors helps lift up local entrepreneurs, just like the featured artist position helps shed light on New Haven’s creatives. It helps them get ahead one small step at a time.

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur that didn’t really have a chance to shine,” Lebron said. “I don’t want to say I didn’t have the chance to shine, it just takes a lot for somebody to trust and allow you to put your product in their store.”

The cafe itself serves Caribbean-influ-

ated in 2021, they took on parolee status— which granted them two years in the U.S., but no formal pathway to permanent residence and citizenship.

Now, explained Sookdeo, those two years are almost up—and IRIS is trying to keep them in the U.S.

“They can apply for asylum,” but it’s a lengthy and labor-intensive process, Sookdeo said. While IRIS advocated for the Afghan Adjustment Act last year, it died in Congress. In October of last year, President Joe Biden also ended humanitarian parole for Afghans.

In addition to 420 people who have arrived from Afghanistan and 196 from Ukraine in the last year, refugees are coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Sudan, El Slvador, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Eritrea, Guatemala, Honduras, and Iraq. Alongside asylum seekers and migrants, Sookdeo said they represent a need that spans nearly 20 languages, from Arabic, Dari, Pashto and Spanish to Sinhala, Tigray, Dinka, Kiswahili and Wolof. Last month, the organization announced that it would be part of the Welcome Corps, a new program from the U.S. Department of State for any citizen to sponsor and take on resettling a refugee.

For the first time in its 41-year history, IRIS has also expanded its reach to migrants who come to the U.S. in search of asylum, but have not gone through the U.S. State Department, and arrive with little to no documentation. When they get to the U.S.—often from Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvdor but also from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Angola—they are not eligible for federal benefits.

enced food with a focus on empanadas. It boasts a menu with empanadas ranging from a cheeseburger flavor to ‘Banana Puddin’ and sweet-and-savory plantainmozzarella-agave to the classic beef, with vegetarian and vegan options. People can also order a variety of other small plates, sides and beverages.

Cafe-goers can also venture off to the downstairs lounge where Madeline’s hosts open-mic nights to support musical and poetic artists, Lebron said. The space has couches and standing tables to provide an open space for socialization.

True to adapting to the current business climate, Madeline’s is open for indoor dining with several delivery options. Lebron said customers should order delivery from Eatzy, a New Haven-based delivery service, but delivery is also offered on UberEats, DoorDash and GrubHub.

Madeline’s 86 Spring St. location is open for both in-person and online orders Tuesday through Sunday. More information is available at the restaurant’s website www.madelinesempanadas.com/ home-1

“While they wait for their asylum claim to be processed, they need food stamps,” George said in a phone call Sunday. “They need cash assistance. They need work. We should allow asylum seekers to work as soon as they file for asylum. Let them work. They want to work.”

To support those migrants, who receive no support from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, IRIS has to clear a hurdle that relies heavily on private funding and advocacy, George said. This week, he plans to testify on behalf of Husky4Immigrants, which would expand healthcare access to all immigrants, with or without documentation. That work is separate from a new federal program for Venezuelans, Cubans, and Haitians for which IRIS has established Sponsor Circles.

“It’s only recently that IRIS has opened up our doors to help them,” George said. “We realized that we have a lot to offer other people and that other people have very similar needs [to immigrants and refugees].”

In a separate call Sunday, Sookdeo noted that some of those migrants are fleeing not just violence and persecution, but also climate-inflicted disaster. An average of 21.5 million people become climate refugees each year, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Owner Hazel Lebron during Saturday’s grand opening. Corey Schmidt Photos.

New Teachers Union Contract Advances

by LAURA GLESBY

Frustrated by years of working extra jobs to support her family, Fana Hickinson nearly left the teaching job she loves at New Haven Academy until a draft union contract promised her a salary increase that convinced her to stay.

The Board of Alders Finance Committee heard from Hickinson on Monday evening as local legislators reviewed the latest proposed contract between the New Haven Federation of Teachers (NHFT) and the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS).

That contract which won the Board of Education’s vote of support in November, and which now heads to the full Board of Alders for a final vote would grant a nearly 15 percent raise over the course of the next three years.

The raise amounts to an additional $20.1 million toward teachers’ salaries over the next three years. The school system currently budgets about $130 million toward teacher salaries.

After hearing presentations from NHFT President Leslie Blatteau and Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans Monday night, the committee did not vote on the item. Rather, committee Chair Adam Marchand decided to recommend

that the full Board of Alders “discharge” the contract and decide its fate at the next meeting, accelerating the approval process.

If the full Board of Alders approves the new union deal, it would extend from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026. Click here to read all of the documents associated with the new contract.

Throughout her 10 years living and teaching in New Haven, Hickinson said, she’s worked second jobs behind a jewelry counter, at a summer camp, in a library, and as a tutor. She watched as the friends she made while earning her master’s in education moved on to make more money and find more stability while she continued to juggle shifts in order to make ends meet.

“This new contract has literally shown me a way to continue my teaching career,” Hickinson said told the alders.

The agreement has also supplied her with more hope for her students. Hickinson teaches a “college-bound seminar” at New Haven Academy, helping students research higher education institutions and prepare for college life. Every year, she said, she has at least one student who wants to be a teacher.

“I want them to be appreciated and also compensated,” Hickinson said. “I really

want them to view teaching as their first option and best option … This profession is not a dead end or a pit stop.” While Hickinson has decided to stay in New Haven, she was far from alone in considering whether to leave.

Since the pandemic, many of Hickinson’s colleagues in the district have left New Haven public schools for other school districts or other career paths.

A union-conducted survey taken in the fall of 2022 showed that nearly a third of responding teachers were planning to leave their jobs. The growing teaching shortage has only stretched the remaining educators in the district more thin, as their students face the academic and emotional ramifications of the pandemic, and as their pay lags behind teacher salaries in the surrounding suburban districts.

This new teachers union contract comes as the district struggles with high levels of chronic absenteeism and low levels of student reading and math scores. The district has also begun searching for a new superintendent to replace Iline Tracey after she retires in June. Monday’s committee meeting also took place soon after the teachers union hosted a rally outside City Hall, where they called for a school system less reliant on test scores as well as for a transparent, inclusive superintendent search process.

The Details

Both Blatteau and Redd-Hannans framed the contract, which union members ratified in a vote of 1,000 to 30, as a measure to retain and attract teachers in New Haven.

“We knew we needed to make our teachers’ contracts competitive,” said Redd-Hannans, summarizing the nego-

tiation process from the administration’s perspective. “They deserve more than what they were getting. … This is an investment we needed to make.”

The proposed contract would grant teachers a 14.79 percent salary increase over the course of three years, with the largest bump a 5.94 percent raise occurring for the 2023 – 2024 school year.

That means that while the starting salary for New Haven teachers with a Bachelor’s is currently $45,357, it will eventually increase to $51,421 by 2026. (By comparison, East Haven’s starting salary for teachers is currently $49,054; Bridgeport’s is $45,591; Hartford’s is $47,464; and Meriden’s is $48,209.) Meanwhile, the highest possible salary for a teacher with a master’s degree will increase to $97,356 by 2026.

The agreement entails between a 2 and 5 percent increase in employee contributions to healthcare plans. The exact amount of money that those percentages translate to depends on the fluctuations of insurance costs, Blatteau and ReddHannans said.

The contract would pay teachers an additional $42 per hour for covering classes

Read More about this aricle by going to theinnercity.com

LAURA GLESBY PHOTO Hillhouse teacher Raven Mitchell: "We take on more than what's in our contracts.”

New Haven Independent

Are we finally getting after-school programs right?

By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black

There’s some good education news: As students, parents, and educators work to make up for setbacks caused by virtual learning and the COVID-19 pandemic, extra academic help is getting to students who need it

More than half — 56 percent— of public schools in the United States reported offering after-school programs for students in need of academic assistance during the 2022-2023 school year, according to a recent report from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Overall, this is exciting, says Jodi Grant, the executive director of Afterschool Alliance. It shows that resources are going to communities that need them, mostly those hit hardest by the pandemic.

When it comes to students seeking academic assistance, as opposed to those who need or might have been required to do it, the programs drop to serving 44 percent of students.

“The demand is so high,” Grant said. “We know that, prior to COVID, we weren’t reaching enough kids, so now we have this opportunity to really reach more of them in a way that we can sustain.”

Academic support – and so much more Expanding after-school programs brings so many benefits to students and families.

Of course, there are the obvious academic benefits, which are why the programs exist in the first place. But beyond that, “parents, teachers, and students, they’re concerned not just about academic losses, but all sorts of non-academic losses,” Grant said.

Those losses include professional skills, interactions with other kids, and regularly communicating with mentors and caring adults. after-school can provide all of that, Grant said.

“It can provide academic support, but it

can also provide a safe place where kids can explore their passions and really feel safe to be who they are and enjoy a variety of enrichment,” Grant said. There’s evidence that a holistic approach — which includes all of these aspects — leads to better academic outcomes. Plus, Grant says, kids in after-school programs are more likely to go to school.

“It’s done at a time where kids can, ideally, be in a more flexible, individualized setting where they can build skills and maybe not even realize that they’re doing

academics. We want them to have fun,” Grant said. “I need to flat out say that kids should be having fun, particularly after COVID.”

Reaching Black students

Even with the caveat that schools are the ones reporting access to these programs, there’s still good news: The majority of schools with more than 75 percent minority students say they offer after-school programs for students who both need (70

percent) and seek (63 percent) additional academic assistance, which is more than the average for all public schools. The same was true for schools with higher rates of poverty.

And about half of schools, regardless of student demographics, offer what experts in the field call “high-dosage” programs, meaning the sessions are one-on-one or in small groups.

However, a setback with this data is that it does not offer breakdowns of access for each demographic, just the blanket term “minority.”

Equitable distribution among kids of color is common for after-school programs funded by federal, state, or philanthropic dollars, Grant says. But the problem is that there’s higher demand, and we still have a long way to go to meet that demand.

“The good news is those are the kids that need this support,” Grant said. “Our concern is that a lot of schools are either not using the funds they’re getting, or they say they’re doing after-school or summer learning or even enrichment, but they’re not actually doing what we think is comprehensive enrichment with community partners that we would say is the gold standard for serving kids.”

Read More about this aricle by going to theinnercity.com

Get ‘Em Boy Boxers Take Home 3 Belts

Heating Bill Help Offered On Whalley

by NORA GRACE-FLOOD

Symone Wilson was taking a walk along Whalley Avenue last fall when she found a way to stay warm come winter, in the form of one-time emergency utility assistance and an energy matching payment plan.

The 28-year-old New Havener connected with those programs to keep her heat pumping and lights shining thanks to the Community Action Agency of New Haven (CAANH).

That’s the 419 Whalley Ave. social services organization where Wilson now works and where local leaders gathered to help get the word out about how a growing number of those in need can find a way to lower their energy costs and consumption as prices soar.

That press conference took place Monday afternoon at CAANH’s Whalley Avenue headquarters.

CAANH President and CEO Amos Smith hosted that programmatic pitch alongside the organization’s Director of Energy Assistance Daisy Sanchez, Mayor Justin Elicker, city Climate & Sustainability Director Steve Winter, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven Executive Director Jim Paley and Director of Community Sustainability Kathy Fay, United Illuminating representative Sarah Wall, and Anthony Afriyie, who works as a aid in the office of U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

“Since the conflict in Ukraine we have seen the cost of energy just go through the roof,” Elicker said on Monday. “Today is very much about supporting those who are struggling.” He expressed pride in the United States’ commitment to Ukraine while emphasizing the impact of rising energy costs on New Haven’s lowincome residents.

by THOMAS BREEN

Four young New Haven boxers traveled to Missouri to test out their “silver gloves” and three came home bearing championship belts, after ending up on top at a national tournament.

Those pre-teen New Haven athletes made that trip across the country for the 2023 National Silver Gloves tournament at the Stoney Creek Hotel in Independence, Missouri.

The youth boxing tournament took place from Feb. 8 to Feb. 11.

The four New Haveners who participated in the tournament were 9-year-old Michael “Duke” Rollins, 10-year-old Amare “Triple R” Foster, 12-year-old Amir “No Fear” Foster, and 12-year-old Troy “Trigga” Moore.

All four traveled with their Elm City boxing coach, Solomon Maye of Get ‘Em Boy boxing.

In a phone interview with the Independent Tuesday morning, Maye celebrated a successful trip with three of his young boxers winning their respective weight classes, and all four growing as athletes while testing out their gloves on a national stage.

“It was exciting for them just to be in that place and watch them win,” Maye said. “Just looking at the guys, the experience that the guys go,” being in the same room with “the top fighters in the nation,” made the trip well worth it.

According to Ringside Tournaments, which sponsored the “Silver Gloves” tournament in Missouri earlier this month, Amare Foster won the championship in the 9 – 10-year-old, 80-pound male weight class; Amir Foster won the championship in the 11 – 12 year-old, 106-pound male weight class; and Troy Moore won the 11 – 12-year-old, 110-pound male weight class.

A press release sent out by the mayor’s office Monday said that “since the conflict in Ukraine began one year ago in February 2022, energy prices for home heating oil, natural gas, and electricity have increased by 30 to 50 percent for most customers.” Read more in the Connecticut Mirror about the reasons behind spiking prices here and about how state legislators are trying to combat those rising costs here.

Smith said that CAANH helped 10,400 families with energy assistance and social and human services last year. Of CAANH’s clients, about 20 percent are unable to afford the monthly cost of deliverable fuels, he said.

“It’s still cold, it’s gonna be cold for a while,” Smith stated. In the meantime, he and others underscored a range of programs the public can participate in to reel in the proportion of their budget spent on energy needs.

At CAANH, individuals can apply for the same short-term help that Symone Wilson relied on to keep her gas and electricity on, such as “Operation Fuel,”

which offers a one-time benefit for those in immediate need. They can also apply for a matching payment plan with Southern Connecticut Gas that to help pay back outstanding bills. CAANH also operates the state’s Energy Assistance Program, which provides additional energy-related benefits for residents. Call CAANH at 203 – 286-8018 for more information on those programs.

At Monday’s presser, Jim Paley and Kathy Fay highlighted “I Heart My Home CT,” a longer-term program provided by the Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine last February which offers free counseling and energy audits for renters, homeowners and landlords alike to lower utility bills. “If you can replace an oil service with a heat pump, that saves you money and can even provide you with cooling,” Fay gave as an example. Learn more by calling 475 – 227-7579, for both English and Spanish services.

Sarah Wall, who works for United Illuminating, also pinpointed ways the utility company is aiming to support existing clients.

“We really feel our customers’ pain,” she said. “We do not control the costs, they’re driven largely by the conflict in Ukraine.” Those who qualify can enroll in UI’s hardship assistance programs. Wall said that UI will have customer service workers stationed at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 111 Whalley Ave. from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Steve Winter, meanwhile, encouraged New Haveners to check out alternative suppliers for electricity, noting that switching from United Illuminating to other suppliers is a no-cost move that could save individuals hundreds of dol-

lars over time.

He pointed to Energize CT, an energy assessor that compares various supplier’s rates, as calculating that the average home would save about $80 per month by switching energy suppliers. “You could switch to a plan for 100 percent renewable energy and still save money on your electric bill,” he added. He reminded consumers to check how rates change over time to continue saving as much as possible.

Winter also called attention to the city’s Financial Empowerment Center, which residents can call at 203 – 946-8523 and aims to connect the public to financial assistance programs to pay back bills and enroll in more manageable payment plans.

“I feel a lot better, a lot less stressed,” Symone Wilson said of her day-to-day well-being since overhauling her monthly energy payment plan. She recalled returning to her apartment one day to find a notice that her gas and electricity would be turned off if she didn’t catch up with her rising bills.

Wilson, a single mom to her just-undera-year-old daughter, not only got urgent help with her utility bills, but access to a diaper bank and food pantry when she happened to walk into CAANH last year. She ultimately found employment at the site as well.

“I applied because I like the work they did here,” she said. “I like helping people.” Now Wilson works as a case manager at CAANH, helping New Haveners apply for supplemental nutrition assistance, get their GED, or seek out stable housing. “If you’re struggling, come on down to 419 Whalley Avenue!” she said.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Coach Solomon Maye (back center) with New Haven fighting champs Amare Foster, Amir Foster, and Troy Moore.

NORA GRACE-FLOOD PHOTO CAANH's Prez Amos Smith “It’s still cold, it’s gonna be cold for a while.”

New Haven Independent

curiosity Set your free

Edward A. Bouchet, was the valedictorian of the Hopkins class of 1870, the first

to graduate from Yale College, and the first

to receive a Ph.D. in physics. His intellectual drive and dedication to his studies remain hallmarks of a Hopkins student today.

Hopkins is where high-achieving, motivated students inspire one another in a collective pursuit of excellence.

To learn more, please visit us at hopkins.edu

“biased: uncovering

prejudice

shapes

Op-ed: The 1619 Project centers us and our story

by Aswad Walker

Attempts to block, discredit, distort, colonize and criminalize Black (African, PanAfrican) history have been going on since the early 1470s. That’s roughly 550 years worth of eurocentric whitewashing; or as folk in the halls of academia call it, “epistemic violence.”

Epistemic violence is not physical violence, like busting somebody upside the head. Rather, it’s purposefully removing, distorting or erasing the contributions to society and humanity of a specific group of people, be they Blacks, Latinx, women, etc., from books, school curriculums, movies and TV shows, etc.

The result? Psychological and emotional violence is perpetrated upon those who don’t see people who look like them in history books, or read great literature written by folk who could be their relatives. Thus, a powerful lesson is taught by NOT teaching about or celebrating on the big and small screens (TV & movies) the achievements and striving of the group whose achievements and strivings have been whited out. The lesson is “Your people haven’t done anything in the history of humanity worth studying, worth celebrating, worth taking any time out of the day to spotlight.”

But it’s not just Blackfolk or Latinx folk or women who are damaged psychologically and otherwise when their contributions are erased from the social discourse. All people are lesser for it. Whitefolk grow up believing the lie of the supposed superiority, and then spend the rest of their days trying to live up to something that they see on the daily that is absolutely not true. Especially when they have to go to everyone else’s culture to appropriate (steal) stuff and claim it as their own just to maintain that illusion of supposed superiority.

Imagine growing up being told (con-

sciously and subconsciously) by every institution in the country (schools, media, the church, criminal justice system, healthcare system, etc.) that “white is right and if you’re Black, stay back,” but going out into the world and seeing Blackfolk, who had and still have darn near every roadblock and disadvantage known to humanity thrown our way, yet still we rise—in every arena, every field imaginable. Seeing Black brilliance in every corner of the globe, every day, all the time, would literally drive your distorted, “believing in the myth of white superiority” mind crazy (FYI, check out Dr. Carol Anderson’s book “White Rage.” It deals directly with this topic). Hence, this modern-day attack on “critical race theory” and the demonizing of the

term “woke.” All that madness is, is the predictable, understandable responses of a people who have been raised to believe they’re at the top of God’s “Great Chain of Beings,” being dogged every day by their conscious and/or subconscious feelings of their own inferiority. Think about it. Johnny Whiteboy or Becky O. Fay see Beyonce, Michael Jackson or Prince as the pin-ultimate entertainer; Jordan, Lebron, Kobe or Kareem as the greatest hooper; President Barack Obama and the gold standard for elected officials. Plus, Johnny and Becky have grown up, like the rest of us, knowing as fact that Blacks are the best cooks and the most spiritual/religious of people. Then Johnny and Becky go off to college, and come to find out,

Tong: Juul’s 2 UnCool 4 School

by PAUL BASS

The state’s attorney general joined New Haven officials at Hillhouse High School to proclaim the death of cool at least for a certain e-cigarette manufacturer. The attorney general, William Tong, held a press conference at Hillhouse’s Floyd Athletic Center to announce the state has received the first $1.5 million of an eventual $16 million expected over the next six to 10 years from a court settlement reached with the Juul Labs vaping products company.

That’s Connecticut’s share from a $438.5 million settlement Tong helped lead on behalf of a 34-state consortium over the role the once-high-flying, now struggling company’s youth-oriented marketing practices played in leading millions of kids to develop addictive nicotine vaping habits. Under the settlement, Connecticut and other states will devote the money to nicotine “cessation, prevention, and mitigation” programs.

The money’s important because those programs work, Tong said at the press conference. More important, he argued, are the settlement’s ban on Juul marketing its products through celebrities and social influencers, on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and TikTok, on public transportation, with cartoons or a range of banned flavors, or in any media outlet with an audience less than 85 percent adult.

“They’ve made it cool. That’s how they get you,” Tong said. Click on the above video to watch him say more about that. An estimated 14 percent of American highschoolers vape regularly, as do an estimated 3 percent of middle schoolers.

Tong pointed to the success of programs that succeeded in slashing traditional cigarette smoking along with the habit’s allure.

“We’ve cut smoking in half. It’s demonstrably not cool in many circles to smoke cigarettes. These programs do make a difference. We have to put resources into

them,” he said.

Will any of the initial $1.6 million of that new state money come specially to New Haven?

”I should hope so,” Tong said, surrounded by New Haven officials eager for the injection. But he said it’s too early to tell: The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) will convene a group to decide how to allocate the money. DMHAS Deputy Commissioner Colleen Harrington said that group’s members haven’t been selected yet.

Tong was also asked about criticism of states directing proceeds from a previous successful lawsuit against tobacco companies to fill general budget holes or to already funded smoking-cessation and prevention efforts. The attorney general replied that the new Juul agreement contains “guardrails” to prevent that from happening. Click on the above video to watch the full response to that question.

supremacy. So, the parents and grandparents of those white youngfolk who were awakened to the reality of systemic racism and who started demanding change, went to work on protecting the lie.

As a result, the term “woke” was successfully redefined from what it had been (becoming awakened or conscious to racial realities and new or hidden truths) to how it’s used today (a derogatory term to describe folk who foolishly attack good ole fashioned American values). Also, as a result, came the war on CRT, or rather the war on Black history and Black thought and Black literature (an attack that had zero to do with what CRT actually is). These folk are literally burning books and refuse to see that they are the villains from “Fahrenheit 451.”

those Blackfolk who they were always told couldn’t match their intellect, are matching and/or surpassing them in grades and GPA and test scores on the regular.

It’s enough to drive Johnny and Becky to either confront the inherent bias that was drilled into them from birth and wake up to the humanity of Blackfolk and the centuries of crimes against them/us…or to double-down by any means necessary on things that will allow them to hold onto their false illusion of their “superiority.”

And when the Summer of George Floyd hit, a whole lotta whitefolk saw their children choose to confront the systemic biases against Blackfolk; a move that could possibly overturn everything in this country— since it’s all built upon the fallacy of white

But the first thing to come under attack after the Summer of George Floyd, was the work of award-winning journalist and scholar Nikole Hannah-Jones—the 1619 Project. That New York Times series and later the book were attacked by “scholars” and trashed by conservative media talking heads because the “1619 Project” had the audacity to center Blackfolk in the American story.

And in a world where movie executives were actually thinking about casting Julia Roberts as Harriet Tubman (I kid you not), centering Blackfolk (giving our voice, our views, our thoughts, our opinions and our experiences primacy) is the ultimate crime.

And now, Hannah-Jones’ work has been made into a documentary series available right now on Hulu. I would strongly suggest reading the book and checking out the essays that were part of the original New York Times series. But for the time being, don’t miss the docu-series.

This article was originally published by the Houston Defender Network

PAUL BASS PHOTO

At Hillhouse Tuesday announcing first $1.5 million in Juul bucks: DMHAS Deputy Colleen Harrington, Attorney General William Tong, city Maritza Bond, Mayor Justin Elicker, community services chief Mehul Dalal.

New Haven Independent

10 Black CEOs who changed the face of leadership in corporate America

by Ben Ebuka, Face2FaceAfrica.com

The top executive position of the American corporate cycle has been dominated by Whites over the years, with fewer people of color holding such C-Suite positions. In the history of the Fortune 500 list, there have been about 22 Black CEOs out of 1800 C-level executives.

Clifton Wharton broke into the age-long White dominated rank in 1987 when he took the leadership of TIAA, making him the first Black Chief Executive Officer of a major US corporation. In 1999, Franklin Raines became the CEO of Fannie Mae, placing him in the second position of a Black CEO to lead a Fortune 500 company. On February 14, 2022, Frank Clyburn took the reins of International Flavors & Fragrance Inc., making him the 22nd Black CEO to lead a Fortune 500 company.

Out of the 22 Black CEOs, only four women – Ursula Burns, Mary A. Winston, Rosalind Brewer, and Thasunda Brown Duckett, have ever risen to the level of CEO of a Fortune 500 company. On July 2009, Ursula Burns became the CEO of Xerox, making her the first African American to head a Fortune 500 company.

The number of Black CEOs is a paltry figure compared to the number of Blacks that make up about one-eighth of the US population. Observers believe that the situation is worrisome and even getting worse, with only about six Black persons currently holding the CEO position in 2022, representing less than 1% of the CEOs in the Fortune 500 list. Issues like racism and the school from which big corporations recruit their CEOs (mostly the traditional elite schools) are some of the numerous barriers to the success of Black people in the US.

In no particular order, here are some of the Black CEOs in corporate America

who overcame many odds to reach the pinnacle of success in their career, paving a way for the next generation of leaders.

Cliff Reginald Wharton, Jnr.

Cliff Wharton, Jnr., is a pioneering economist, corporate executive, and the son of Clifton R. Wharton Snr. Wharton received his diploma from Boston Latin School in 1943, and a B.A degree in History from Harvard University in 1947. He achieved many firsts, including being the first Black American to earn a master of arts degree in international affairs from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of John Hopkins University; the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago; and the first Black American to hold the position of the President of Michigan State University.

In 1978 he became the Chancellor of

the 64-campus State University of New York System, making him the first Black American to lead the largest university system in the United States.

In 1987 he became the CEO of TIAACREF, making him the first Black American to ascend to the C-level position of a major corporation in the US.

Franklin Delano Raines

Raines became the second Black American CEO of a major US corporation when he took the Chief Executive position of Fannie Mae in 1999. He began his career as a staff in Richard Nixon’s Administration and served in the Jimmy Carter Administration as Associate Director for economics and government in the Office of Management and Budget and later the Assistant Director of the White House Domestic Policy.

In 1991 he became the Vice Chairman

of Fannie Mae but left in 1996 to serve as the Director of the US Office of Management and Budget in the Bill Clinton Administration. He left the government job and returned to Fannie Mae in 1999 as the Chief Executive Officer.

Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns started her career in 1988as a summer intern at Xerox. She joined Xerox a year later, after completing her master’s degree, and worked in different positions in the company. She became the Vice President in 1999, Senior Vice President in 2000, President in 2007, and the CEO of Xerox from 2009 to 2016, making her the first Black American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. She was also the Chairman of Xerox from 2010 to 2017.

Winston is a chief executive with extensive finance and accounting experience. She is the second Black American woman to become the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. She served as the interim CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond. She is currently the President and CEO of WinsCo Enterprises – consulting firm offering financial and strategic advisory services.

Rosalind G. Brewer

Rosalind, also known as Roz, is an experienced American business executive currently serving as the CEO of Walgreens Bouts Alliance Inc. She joined Walgreens Bouts Alliance (WBA) on March 2021, making her the third Black American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. She is also a Director on the WBA Board. She was the COO and Group President at Starbucks and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sam’s Club.

Thasunda Brown Duckett

Thasunda Duckett became the CEO of TIAA in May 2021, making the fourth Black American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Nike since 2019. She is currently the Chair of the Otis and Rosie Brown Foundation and a board member of several companies, including Brex, Sesame Workshop, Medal of Honor Museum, and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation. She was the CEO of Chase Bank and CEO of Chase Auto Finance.

Kenneth Irvine Chenault

Kenneth Joined American Express in 1981 and rose to the level of CEO, serving 17 years (January 2011 – February 2018). He holds the record of the longestserving Black American CEO and the third Black American CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He has held chairmanship Con ‘on page 16

Mary A. Winston

and director roles at several companies, including Berkshire Hathaway.

Marvin R. Ellison

Marvin is currently the only Black American to serve as the CEO of two Fortune 500 companies. He was the CEO of J.C. Penney from 2014 – 2018 and became the CEO of Lowe’s in July 2018. He is currently the President and CEO of Lowe’s company.

Roger Watson Fergusson

Roger Watson Fergusson is an American economist, attorney, and corporate executive. In 1997, he became a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors before he became the 17th Vice Chairman, making him the first Black American Vice Chairman of the organization (1999 – 2006) and the CEO of TIAA from 2018 to 2021. He is on the board of several companies, including Alphabet Inc.

Kenneth Carleton Frazier

Kenneth is an American business executive, Chairman, and CEO of Merck & Co. Inc. He is the first Black American to head a major US pharmaceutical and Fortune 500 Company. He became a board member and the CEO of Merck in January 2011 until he retired in June 2021.

Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee Introduces Anti-White Supremacy Bill then Schools Republican Boebert on Hate

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

That’s enough of racism and bigotry, says Rep. Sheila

Jackson Lee.

The Democratic representative from Texas has introduced House Resolution 61, which would amend Title 18 of the United States Code to broaden the definition of hate crimes, with the goal of preventing and prosecuting hate crimes motivated by white supremacy and conspiracy to commit such crimes.

The text of the bill reads as follows:

“A person commits a white supremacy inspired hate crime when white supremacist ideology has motivated the planning, development, preparation, or perpetration of actions that constituted a crime or were undertaken in furtherance of activity that, if effectuated, would have constituted a crime.”

With respect to any information or evidence obtained by the Department of Justice of any unlawful action specified in Jackson-Lee’s bill, the DOJ shall have the authority to conduct operations and activities pursuant to such crimes.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) would also be authorized to conduct investigations, intervene, and take any other measures it deems necessary and appropriate to prevent, mitigate, or stop any potentially violent action.

The Department of Justice’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program would keep track of white supremacist-inspired hate crimes and other related actions, and Justice Department officials would have the authority to prosecute those responsible for them.

Jackson Lee has requested that the DOJ

report its findings annually to the relevant Congressional committees.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican from Colorado, claimed the legislation “makes a mockery of the First Amendment.”

While Boebert, a right-wing leader, misrepresented the legislation after reading a misleading news article, Jackson Lee schooled her on Twitter.

“First of all, it took me about 32 seconds of reading the article you cited to understand that none of you know what you are talking about,” Jackson Lee scolded.

To be convicted of a hate crime in some jurisdictions, “H.R. 61 simply deals with adding white supremacy to a list of reasons,” the Texas Democrat explained.

She elaborated:

“So, when the article states that ‘only white people can be charged with’ this crime, that’s flagrantly false.

“Your argument assumes that only white people can hold white supremacist views and that only certain groups of people can perpetrate violence motivated by white supremacy.

“I would hope now that your argument would not shift to ‘why is white supremacy being added to this law?’ That would be egregious.

“Yes, white supremacy should be added to this law. Why? Because as Director Wray testified, it’s a major domestic terrorist threat.”

The post Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee Introduces Anti-White Supremacy Bill, then Schools Republican Boebert on Hate first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

Aviso

NOTICE

Town of Bloomfield

Deputy Finance Director/Controller

Notice

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Efectivo inmediatamente, La Comunidad de Elm City - Departamento de Vivienda de la Ciudad de New Haven (ECC/HANH) abrirá la lista de espera del Programa de Auto Suficiencia Familiar para COMPRA DE CASA para participantes del programa de Vales de Elección de Vivienda (Sección 8) y residentes de vivienda publica. La lista de espera permanecerá abierta hasta nuevo aviso.

Salary Range - $87,727 - $136,071 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range)

Effective immediately, the Elm City Communities - Housing Authority of New Haven (ECC/HANH) will open the Family Self Sufficiency Program waiting list for Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) participants and Low Income Public Housing residents. The waiting list will remain open until further notice.

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.

Todo solicitante será colocado en la lista de espera y recibirá notificación de la posición en la lista. Nombres serán seleccionados de la lista en el orden en que fueron recibidas las pre-solicitudes según dispuesto en el Plan de Acción del Programa de Auto Suficiencia Familiar de ECC/HANH.

Las pre-solicitudes pueden ser obtenidas en la oficina localizada en el 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT. Todas las pre-solicitudes deben ser devueltas a nuestra oficina en persona o por correo solamente. Las pre-solicitudes solo podrán ser llevadas a la oficina entre las horas de 9:00 a.m. y 5:00 p.m.

NOTICIA

El solicitante debe de ser participante actual del programa de Vales de Elección de Vivienda (Sección 8) o residentes de Vivienda Publica (LIPH).

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Fully Benefited –35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website –www.bloomfieldct.org

Town of Bloomfield Finance Director

Salary Range - $101,455 to $156,599 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range)

Each applicant will be placed on the waiting list and will receive a notice with the position on the list. Names will be taken from the FSS waiting list in the order in which your pre-enrollment is received set forth in ECC/HANH’s FSS Action Plan for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program.

Pre-enrollment forms can be obtained from our office at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT. All pre-enrollment forms must be returned to the office in person or by mail only. Pre-enrollment forms can be dropped-off at the office between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm.

Applicant must be a current Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) participant or Low Income Public Housing (LIPH) resident.

Incomplete applications will be rejected.

Aplicaciones incompletas serán rechazadas.

Solo una solicitud por familia será aceptada.

Otro miembro adulto de la familia puede aplicar siempre y cuando el Jefe de Familia este de acuerdo.

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

Todo individuo que requiera una acomodación razonable para someter la aplicación puede llamar a Teena Bordeaux, Coordinadora de Acomodaciones Razonables de HANH al (203) 498-8800 ext. 1507 o al Número de TDD (203) 497-8434.

“El Departamento de Vivienda de la Ciudad de New Haven no discrimina en las base de raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, edad, incapacidad o estado familiar”.

NEW HAVEN

Fully Benefited – 35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website –www.bloomfieldct.org

Portland

Police Officer full-time

Go to www.portlandct.org for details

2BR

Only one application per household will be accepted.

Another adult member of the Household may apply so long as it is agreed and approved by the Head of Household

Any individual requiring a reasonable accommodation to submit an application may call Teena Bordeaux, Reasonable Accommodations Coordinator for HANH at (203) 498-8800 ext. 1507 or at the TDD Number (203) 497-8434

“The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or familial status."

Equal Opportunity Housing Provider

242-258

Igualdad de Oportunidades de Vivienda

Fairmont Ave

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

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

Request for Proposals

Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

Communications Media Consultant

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Bid Package #3 Chamberlain and Essex Townhouses –CO and Smoke Detectors

Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

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 1:30-

3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S.

(203) 996-4517

Host,General

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

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 3:00PM.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Waste Treatment

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.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator (Attendant I): Operates and maintains equipment and processes in a municipal sewage treatment plant. Requires a H.S. diploma or GED plus a State of CT Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Class I Operators License or higher certification, or a Class I Operator-in-Training certification. Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license. $ 23.07 to $ 27.28 (hourly) / $ 21.92 to $ 27.28 (hourly) based on certifications & experience plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. The closing date will be that date the 50th application form/ resume is received, or February 21, 2023 whichever occurs first. EOE

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

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.

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for bid package #3 Chamberlain and Essex Townhouses – CO and Smoke Detectors. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

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

Monday, February 6, 2023 at 3:00PM.

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

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

Full Time Administrative assistant position for a steel & misc metals fabrication shop who will oversee the daily operations of clerical duties such as answering phones, accounts payable purchase orders/invoicing and certified payroll. Email resumes to jillherbert@gwfabrication.com

Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com

https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 221215&R2=1581MP&R3=001

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

Construction

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

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

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Construction

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.

Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

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

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

Garrity

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.

Asphalt Reclaiming,

Put your heart to work.

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

NOTICIA

Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

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.

A job with the State of Connecticut is a way to put your compassion into action. We have open roles in healthcare and direct support, with great benefits and opportunities to grow your career. If you’ve got the heart for it, join us. Apply today at ct.gov/ctstatejobs

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

NEW HAVEN

242-258

Ave

AA/EOE-MF

Economic Development Marketing Specialist

accounts payable purchase orders/invoicing and certified payroll. Email resumes to jillherbert@gwfabrication.com

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

The Town of Wallingford is seeking a qualified individual to develop and implement the marketing, business recruitment and retention programs for the Town of Wallingford. This fulltime position is responsible for working closely with the Economic Development Commission, related town staff and departments for planning and coordinating of community development projects, assisting business applicants with local and State permitting processes and providing research for Town sponsored projects. Applicants should possess three (3) years’ experience in economic development, industrial/commercial development, business recruitment/retention, marketing or related field; a degree from a college or university in economics, business, public administration, planning, marketing or related discipline; or an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis. Salary: $76,720 to $98,162 annually plus excellent fringe benefits that include medical insurance, pension plan, paid sick and vacation time for a total compensation package in excess of $100K. Applications 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 February 17, 2023. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

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:

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

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.

https://www.jobapscloud.com/ 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.

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 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

EOE Please apply in person: 1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. Stratford, CT 06615

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

Full Time Administrative assistant position for a steel & misc metals fabrication shop who will oversee the daily operations of clerical duties such as answering phones,

BALDWIN HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTICE

SECRETARY

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

An instrumentality of The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Solicitation Number: 26-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.

Re-Construction of Three – Three Family Homes 344-346 Hanover St., 350-352 Hanover St., 354-356 Hanover St.

Senior Clerk: Performs a wide variety of responsible clerical duties in a municipal government office. The position requires 4 years of office work experience of a responsible nature and a H.S. diploma. $23.72 to $28.28 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Applications may be obtained at the office of the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. The closing date will be that date the 50th application form/ resume is received, or February 22, 2023, whichever occurs first. EOE.

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport under its instrumentality Baldwin Holdings, Inc. is requesting sealed bids for Re-Construction of Three – Three Family Homes located at 344-346, 350-352, 354-356 Hanover St. A complete set of the plans and technical specifications will be available on January 17, 2023. 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 MANDATORY pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06604 on February 1, 2023 @ 11:00 a.m., 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 February 8, 2023 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. All bids must be received by mailed or hand delivered by February 22, 2023 @ 2:00 p.m., to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. No bids will be accepted after the designated time.

LEGAL NOTICE Request for Proposals (RFP) for Services

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.

Water Quality Inspector

Listing: Maintenance

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

Immediate opening for a part time maintenance person for ground and building maintenance. Position requires flexible work schedule. Some heavy lifting required. Computer knowledge a plus. Send resume to HR Department, hrdept@eastriverenergy.com, 401 Soundview Road, Guilford, CT 06437.

NEW HAVEN

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.

Performs responsible specialized work in protecting the quality of the water supply and distribution system for the Town of Wallingford, CT. Requires an Associate’s degree in environmental science or sanitary engineering, plus 3 years of experience in a water utility. Successful candidates must have a valid Connecticut driver’s license and be in possession or be eligible for a Class I Water Treatment Plant or Distribution System Operator Certification and Certification as a General Backflow Preventers, Tester and Cross-Connection Survey Inspector issued by the State of Connecticut. The Town offers a competitive pay rate of $27.79-$33.76 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main St., Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or maybe downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. The closing date will be that date the 50th application form/ resume is received, or March 7, 2023 whichever occurs first. (203) 294-2080. Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

Bid Package #1 Scattered Sites East – CO and Smoke Detectors

242-258 Fairmont Ave

**An Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer**

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for bid package #1 scattered sites east – CO and Smoke Detectors. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Request for Proposals Communications Media Consultant

Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Monday,

February 6, 2023 at 3:00PM.

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

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

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 3:00PM.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Plant Maintenance Mechanic

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Highly skilled mechanic needed in the repair and maintenance of all plant equipment to include pumping station equipment and motor vehicles for the Town of Wallingford Sewer Division. Requires graduation from a high school/trade school and 4 years experience in the repair and maintenance of mechanical equipment. Must obtain a CDL Class B motor vehicle operator license within 6 months of employment. $30.85 to $36.18 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Application forms may be obtained at the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from Town of Wallingford Department of Human Resources Web Page. Phone: (203)-294-2080. Fax (203)-294-2084. The closing date will be February 28, 2023 or the date the 50th application is received, whichever occurs first. EOE

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

The Glendower Group, Inc. is currently seeking proposals for Youth Continuum A&E Request for Qualifications. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Glendower’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway

beginning on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 3:00PM.

Listing: Facility Maintenance Technician

NOTICE

Town of Bloomfield

Deputy Finance Director/Controller

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR

Immediate opening for a part time Facility Maintenance Technician for a busy office/ transportation facility. Position requires flexible work schedule. Some heavy lifting required. Send resume to HR Department, hrdept@eastriverenergy.com, 401 Soundview Road, Guilford, CT 06437.

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Salary Range - $87,727 - $136,071 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range)

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT (HACB) 2023 ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN FOR THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER AND AMENDMENT TO THE 2022 ANNUAL PLAN

**An Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer**

Help Wanted - Full Time Category Regional Planner

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.

Fully Benefited –35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website –www.bloomfieldct.org

Town of Bloomfield

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport will be adopting the 2023 Administrative Plan for the Housing Choice Voucher Program and proposing to amend the 2022 Annual Plan.

Copies of the 2023 Administrative Plan for Housing Choice Voucher Program and the amendment to the 2022 Annual Plan, will be made available on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, on the agency website www.parkcitycommunities.org

NOTICIA

The South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) is seeking to fill the Regional Planner position. Visit www.scrcog.org for the full position description, qualifications, and application requirements. Applications are to be submitted by noon on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, or until the position is filled. Questions may be emailed to jobs@scrcog.org. SCRCOG is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE

ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Finance Director

Salary Range - $101,455 to $156,599 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range)

You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: HACB/PCC, 2023 Administrative Plan for the Housing Choice Voucher Program and/or Amendment to the 2022 Annual Plan; Attn: Phoebe Greenfield, 150 Highland Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 or via email to: agencyplans@parkcitycommunities.org. The forty-five (45) days comment period begins on February 1, 2023, and ends on March 17, 2023. All comments must be received by March 17, 2023.

Junior Accountant

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

Performs accounting tasks and duties in the Business Office of the Wallingford Electric Division. The position requires six (6) years of accounting experience with some accounting classes; or in lieu of thereof, a B.S. in accounting or an equivalent combination of experience and training. $27.47 - $34.36 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford , 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. The closing date will be that date the 50th application form/resume is received, or February 21, 2023 whichever occurs first. EOE

NEW HAVEN

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

242-258 Fairmont Ave

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

Fully Benefited – 35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website –www.bloomfieldct.org

Portland

Police Officer full-time

Go to www.portlandct.org for details

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

Please be advised the Public Hearing will be held on March 21, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. The Zoom Connection Link will be placed on the website and please note that Zoom participants are limited to the first one hundred, (100) participants. The public hearing is scheduled for ninety (90) minutes and address concerns by residents and general public.

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

Bid Package #1 Scattered Sites East – CO and Smoke Detectors

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for bid package #1 scattered sites east – CO and Smoke Detectors. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Invitation for Bids Uniforms Services

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

APPLY NOW!

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Monday, February 6, 2023 at 3:00PM.

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking bids for uniforms services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

Invitation for Bids

formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016

Monday, January 9, 2023 at 3:00PM.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Exterior Insulation and Finish (EIFS)

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.

Repairs at D’Amato Building in New Britain, CT

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY of the CITY OF NEW BRITAIN (Authority) will receive sealed bids, in TRIPLICATE, The work generally consists of the repair of EIFS at one building. Bids will be received until March 7, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the office of the Authority, 16 Armistice Street, New Britain, CT 06053, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud.

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.

To obtain a copy of the "Request for Proposal and drawings" visit www.nbhact.org under procurement

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

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.

Bid Package #3 Chamberlain and Essex Townhouses – CO and Smoke Detectors

State of Connecticut

Office of Policy and Management

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for bid package #3 Chamberlain and Essex Townhouses – CO and Smoke Detectors. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016

Monday, February 6, 2023 at 3:00PM.

Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Lead Planning Analyst-Juvenile Justice. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions for this position are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 230127&R2=0007AR&R3=001

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483

Scattered Site Homes Exterior and Interior Renovations – Group A – Re-Bid

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

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for Scattered Site Homes Exterior and Interior Renovations – Group A – Re-Bid. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, February 13, 2023 at 3:00PM.

Aristocratic British family to make history as it heads to Grenada to apologize for owning slaves

by Francis Akhalbey, Face2FaceAfrica.com

An aristocratic British family, whose ancestors owned over 1,000 enslaved Africans in Grenada, has announced it will be traveling to the Caribbean to render an apology for its involvement in slavery, The Guardian reported.

Besides the apology, the Trevelyan family also announced a financial reparations package for Grenada. The family is said to have been involved in the sugar business, and it owned six plantations in the Caribbean nation.

Family members had an online meeting and agreed to append their signatures to a letter rendering an apology for enslaving Africans who had been captured. The letter has so far been signed by over 40 family members. It is expected that more relatives will sign the letter.

As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, slavery was abolished by Britain in 1807 through the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. However, the dark practice persisted in British colonies until the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 brought an end to it.

But per the act, slave owners were given financial compensation for losing people they had enslaved as they were deemed as their “property”, Express reported. And to ensure the slave owners were duly compensated, the British government borrowed £20 million (currently £300 billion /$400 billion) to facilitate the initiative. The amount was said to be one of the biggest loans to have ever been taken. At the

time, the amount also constituted 40% of the annual income of the British Treasury. That debt was settled by the Treasury just as recently as 2015. The Trevelyan family was paid £26,898 (around £2.7m or $3m in today’s money) in 1835 as compensation. Laura Trevelyan, who is a BBC correspondent in New York, has donated £100,000 as reparations to the people of Grenada. The donation will help fund the establishment of a Reparations Research Fund at the University of the West Indies. The project will examine the economic impacts of en-

slavement – particularly on development in Grenada and the eastern Caribbean, The Guardian reported.

“It’s absolutely fascinating that I am seeing history being made. It takes a leap of faith for a family to say, ‘my forefathers did something horribly wrong and I think we should take some responsibility for it’,” Nicole Phillip-Dowe, vice-chair of the Grenada National Reparations Commission, said. “It is commendable that the Trevelyan family has taken this step and I hope it will be followed by others.”

John Dower, who is a family member,

said he became aware of their ancestors’ involvement in slavery when he and another family member accessed the University College London slavery database to search the Trevelyan name. That was in 2016.

“What I read shocked me as it listed the ownership of 1,004 slaves over six estates shared by six of my ancestors,” Dower said. “I had no idea. It became apparent that no one living in the family knew about it. It had been expunged from the family history,” Dower continued.

“I was more than shocked, I was badly

shaken. I was under the impression that I came from a benevolent, public service facing family.”

Laura Trevelyan also said that “If anyone had ‘white privilege’, it was surely me, a descendant of Caribbean slave owners.” “My own social and professional standing nearly 200 years after the abolition of slavery had to be related to my slave-owning ancestors, who used the profits from sugar sales to accumulate wealth and climb up the social ladder,” she added.

According to Dower, an unqualified apology is the initial step in the Caricom [Caribbean Community] 10-point reparation action plan, The Guardian reported. “We, the undersigned, write to apologize for the actions of our ancestors in holding your ancestors in slavery,” the family’s apology states.

“Slavery was and is unacceptable and repugnant. Its damaging effects continue to the present day. We repudiate our ancestors’ involvement in it.”

The family also called on the British government to apologize. “We urge the British government to enter into meaningful negotiations with the governments of the Caribbean in order to make appropriate reparations through Caricom and bodies such as the Grenada National Reparations Commission,” the family stated.

The letter also stated that the family is “working to identify other projects that can support communities in Grenada with the help of the Grenada National Reparations Commission among others.”

How Stephen Smith, once the richest Black man in U.S., used his wealth to free thousands of African Americans

By Stephen Nartey, Face2Faceafrica.com

One of his notable legacies is getting 15,000 people of African descent to move to Canada after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850. His commitment to fighting slavery stemmed from the fact that he was born into slavery.

Abolitionist Stephen Smith became aware of his status when he was separated from his mother at the age of five and given out to Pennsylvanian businessman Thomas Boude as an indentured servant.

Boude, who was a former revolutionary war officer from Lancaster County, placed Smith in charge of his lumber business, according to Stephen Smith House. His mother, Nancy Smith, was a slave so she had no choice concerning his fate. But when Smith was 21, he raised $50 to purchase his freedom on January 3, 1816. Smith was born in 1725 in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He married Harriet Lee on November 17, 1816, while she was still working as a servant in the Jonathan Mif-

flin home.

He ventured into the lumber business shortly after he gained his freedom. He operated his business in Columbia, Pennsylvania. He expanded his business when he became successful. He partnered with William Whipper in 1830 as part of his vision to establish a global conglomerate with the lumber business as the central focus.

Smith and Whipper ran a lucrative business and soon diversified into coal, real estate, railroad cars as well as other investments in the stock market. Smith became known as the richest Black man in America. As part of giving back to society, Smith and Whipper decided to use their wealth to fight slavery. His efforts earned him the Chairman of the African American Abolitionist Organization in 1830.

In 1831, he was ordained in the Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church on South Fifth Street, Columbia. The white community began sabotaging his business when they realized the success of his business. In 1835 a

mob of whites destroyed his office including his documents and records.

Instead of being deterred and cowed into submission, Smith prioritized his agenda of combating slavery. He purchased a safe house where he held meetings with the black community. He helped many enslaved Africans to escape from Maryland to Canada.

He kicked against a policy instituted by the American Colonisation Society and demonstrated his stiff resistance by leading free blacks in Columbia in a public meeting in 1831. He partnered with other abolitionists such as David Ruffles, John Peck, Abraham Shadd and John B. Cash. Though he was the largest shareholder of the Columbia Bank, the color of his skin made it impossible for them to name him as the President of the bank. The power he had was to name a white man in his stead. His dream was that the African-American community would be empowered and free someday. Smith died in 1873.

Gateway Community College joins students, alumni, faculty, and community in celebration of Black History Month

In observance of Black History Month, the Yale School of Music acknowledges and celebrates past, present, and future Black artists from Yale and the New Haven community.

Tiffany Jackson ’95MM ’96AD

Johnathan Berryman ’96MM

Helen Hagan 1912 BM

Lisa Williamson ’12MM

Althea Waites ’65MM

Joel Thompson ’20MMA ’26DMA

Leah Hawkins ’15MM

Willie Ruff ’53BM ’54MM