INNER-CITY NEWS

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

Blackface Resurfaces, What areNAACP we Gonna’ do?

Financial Justice a Key Focus at 2016 Convention INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

New Haven, Bridgeport

INNER-CITYNEWS

Volume 27 . No. 2318 Volume 21 No. 2194

Lights On Malloy Malloy To To Dems: Dems:

For Black Children, Black History Ignore Ignore“Tough “ToughOn OnCrime” Crime”

“DMC”

Attending School Is an Act of Racial Justice

Color Struck?

Snow in July?

Running Love FOLLOW Day USShe’s ON Black

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Bus Drivers Fight For A Toilet Seat THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

Rosa Parks fought for a seat on the bus.

Now city bus drivers are fighting for another seat: A toilet seat.

So reported public bus drivers and transit union representatives at a press conference in support of transportation equity, including for those who sit for hours on end behind the wheel.

Bathroom access for bus drivers was one of dozens of calls for improvements to the public bus system made Monday during New Haven’s second annual Transit Equity Day celebrations.

Marking the 116th birthday of the late civil rights icon Rosa Parks, New Haven bus drivers, bus riders, environmental activists, and civil rights leaders gathered at the corner of Chapel Street and Church Street to call for frequent, reliable bus service that treats users and operators with respect.

Ralph Buccitti, a bus driver and business agent with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 281, said that today’s greatest civil rights concern for public bus drivers is lack of reliable access to restrooms.

“She fought for a right to have a seat on the bus,” Buccitti said about Rosa Parks.

“Well, there’s a fight today for bus operators. They’re also fighting for a seat.

They’re fighting for a toilet seat. Bathroom access for bus operators is nonexistent.”

Buccitti said that Connecticut Transit, which operates the state’s public buses and is a division of the state Department of Transportation (DOT), provides a list to bus drivers that identifies bathroom sites along each bus route. watching this video on www.youtube. com “But they don’t own or control those bathrooms,” he said.

He called on the state, municipalities, and

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Ralph Buccitti: Bus drivers are fighting for a seat. A toilet seat.

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Drivers

Eddie Funaro and Al Barnes: Spots needed.

yale institute of sacred music joins the

inner city news in celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans to the cultural and spiritual life of New Haven and the world.

event listings at ism.yale.edu

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bus riders to heed bus drivers’ concerns about bathroom access.

“When you gotta go, you gotta go.”

Kevin Nursick, a spokesperson for the state DOT, confirmed that Connecticut Transit does keep a list of bathroom locations along bus routes. “An operator’s request would never be denied unless there is a safety concern,” he told the Independent. “CTTransit has created a ‘Bathroom Committee’ at each Division comprised of management, union leadership, and bus operators to review bathroom availability and work cooperatively to resolve any issues.”

On a commemorative Transit Equity Day bus ride through downtown, Dwight, and Newhallville, public bus driver veterans Eddie Funaro and Al Barnes agreed with the urgency of Buccitti’s call.

“We have a big bathroom issue,” said Funaro, a recently retired bus operator who drove every city route during his 31 years on the job, and who is currently the recording secretary for the bus drivers union.

During his years on the job, he said, he’s had to keep a mental map of nearby McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in case he ever had to go while on the job.

He said the state DOT should contract with some entity, whether public or private, that can provide some kind of consistent, reliable access to bathrooms at regular intervals along each bus route.

“We want it built in,” he said.

Built into the routes, that is. Not into the bus.

“What we desperately need are bathrooms,” said Barnes, who has driven public buses in New Haven for 29 years.

Another constituency represented at New Haven’s Transit Equity Day were the city’s homeless and formerly incarcerated.

Reentry Fare-Ness

Amity native Roger X said he just returned to New Haven in December 2018 after spending two years in prison. He attends reentry programs at Catholic Charities on Grand Avenue and the Alternative Incarceration Center on Chapel Street. He said he regularly goes to the Dixwell Avenue Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, as well as a soup kitchen in Hamden.

He always rides the bus, he said, and yet he always struggles to pay for fare. He said that many reentry services promise free bus passes for those who attend their programs, but that they rarely deliver on the actual passes.

“I travel all day, just about every day, on the bus,” he said. He said the state and reentry programs should work closely together to ensure that the recently released have easy access to public transit.

Charles Brown, who won a free 10-trip bus pass during a Transit Equity Day raffle, said he too is homeless, and that he practically lives on the bus, travelling up and down Dixwell Avenue, Congress Avenue, and elsewhere just to stay warm during the day.

“Stop overcrowding the bus,” he said when asked what would make riding the bus a better experience for him. He said the Dixwell Avenue bus in particular is usually so crowded on weekdays he can hardly move. He called for more frequent service so that fewer people have to cram on each bus.

New Haven Urban Design League President Anstress Farwell suggested that the state partner with local reentry services like Project MORE to allow recently released individuals access to something like a U-PASS, which the state college system uses to provide free, unlimited public transit use for students.

“We need to develop a universal transportation system,” she said.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

What Makes Sense At Union Station?

BOSCOV’S HONORS

VOICES IN THE ARTS

IN CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH Halle Berry

by PAUL BASS Or, as pictured above, a “twin tower” of apartments and stores surrounded by smaller buildings with a pedestrian neighborhood feel?

Those are two competing visions now on the table for the 1.6-acre asphalt stretch of Union Avenue between Route 34 and the existing Union Station parking garage.

The state Department of Transportation has approved plans to build a $60 million, 1,015-space, seven-level parking garage there.

Preservationists/new urbanists and officials in New Haven are scrambling to stop the plan. The Urban Design League, which is leading the charge, has now released a study both making the case against the state’s plan and sketching out “TOD” “transit-oriented development” alternatives packed with places to live, work, and shop.

The report repeats arguments New Haveners have been making for months: Rather than further deaden an expanse of concrete and pollute the air more with more cars, reinvigorate that part of town with new street life and mixed uses. It builds on work done at an Urban Design League-organized “flash charrette” (brainstorming design session) last month.

“We can change Union Avenue from being, in planner’s parlance, an undervalued “sacrifice zone” where giant facilities and infrastructure can be dropped with minimal consideration of the thousands of people who live and work in the area to becoming instead a great and prosperous urban place,” the report declares.

What’s new in the report are the sketches and details of two alternative plans.

One is by architects Fereshteh Bekhrad and Richard Wies. Above is one view of it, looking west toward Union Station.

Taking into consideration the area’s flood plain, Bekhrad’s and Wies’s 280,000-square-foot plan envisions a 50-square-foot platform upon which to build a floor of retail facing a sidewalk and pedestrian plaza, with two 10-story towers on top with eight apartments per floor. The platform would have room for 180 parking spaces as well as loading docks below it.

Other lower-rise buildings would be constructed on the platform as well, with first-floor retail, two floors of a total of 36 “residential/loft/office units (live-work units),” and another three floors of a total of 24 townhouses.

Architect Robert Orr came up with the second vision, taking as an inspiration the fact that Yale’s Saybrook College could fit into the same 1.6-acre spot. Orr’s stated goal: “foster a sense of neighborhood.”

Like Yale’s residential colleges, this plan would assemble its mixed-use buildings around two interior courtyards, “quiet green space where residents and visitors can congregate.”

Orr places his tallest building closest to the train station, with the hope it would one day serve as the “starting point” of a walking route straight to downtown, as envisioned in earlier plans for the district (and perhaps in the next version of Church Street South, which has been demolished and may be rebuilt). A second taller mixed-use building would be placed near it.

Then Orr envisions a collection of smaller buildings with stores, “live-work units,” small businesses, with some connection or lure to the train station. He sees the space as attracting “young innovators and entrepreneurs looking to launch new projects.”

The administration of former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy moved ahead with the second-garage plan despite New Haven’s objections; the governor noted that the city had been pushing for decades for a second garage to meet increased demand.

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said in an interview after the November election that the new Lamont administration is open to revisiting the plan in light of the city’s objections, as well as arguments that the extra parking may no longer be needed.

The new Urban Design League report notes that planners almost succeeded in demolishing Union Station during the urban renewal era of the 1950s and 1960s. The building was saved, and then restored to its historic beauty in time for a revival of interest in transit (and transit-oriented development).

“Fortunately, Union still stands today, a warm presence in the light of day, and shining like a giant lantern at night a welcome sight from the street or from across the tracks,” the report reads. “New Haven Union Station stands as one of the state’s most beautiful and cosmopolitan train stations. We are fortunate, now that transportation planning is rediscovering the value of rail, to have retained this resource and the opportunity, one hundred years after the Station was built, to fulfill its promise.

“Union Station still has the potential to be the heart of our new economy, and the foundation of sustainable and humane urban development.”

Oprah Winfrey

Nat King Cole

Sidney Poitier

Maya Angelou

Aretha Franklin

Part 3 of our 4-part series focuses on African Americans in arts and entertainment.

Whether it be Nat King Cole setting the standard for jazz, Aretha Franklin reigning as The Queen of Soul, Maya Angelou dazzling us with her words, Oprah Winfrey creating a media empire, Halle Berry and Sidney Poitier lighting up the silver screen and breaking award show barriers or the countless other African American artists who have entertained us, Boscov’s thanks them for their contribution to the arts, their influence on popular culture and their positive impact on our country.

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Next Up: Scooter Share THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

by THOMAS BREEN New Haven Independent

No smartphone? No problem. The city’s bike share system is about to replace its entire two-wheeled fleet with bicycles that riders can unlock without the help of an iPhone.

And did someone say ... electric scooters?

Yes they did, at the most recent Board of Alders City Services and Environmental Policy (CSEP) committee meeting in the Aldermanic Chambers on the second floor of City Hall.

The alders on the committee held an hour-and-a-half public hearing this past Thursday night to check in on Bike New Haven, the short-term bicycle rental program that launched in New Haven almost exactly a year ago, on Feb. 20, 2018. The program is run by the private New York City-based company P3GM. During the hearing, Bike New Haven Manager Carolyn Lusch and P3GM CEO Carlos Pujol updated the alders on the number of bike share stations installed (31) so far, the number of registered users (over 3,000), the number of rental sessions and bicycle trips (over 10,000 and over 15,000, respectively), and the number of miles cycled (over 12,000) that have taken place over the program’s first year in the Elm City.

They informed the alders that they are swapping out the entire existing fleet of around 100 bicycles with a new build that is friendlier to users without smartphones.

They’ll also be replacing all currently installed bike share bike racks with racks that have a new “sleeker” design.

And, last but not least, they plans to introduce around 75 electric scooters to the local bike share program.

“We have noticed that not everyone likes to pedal,” Pujol said about the scooters .

These new 45-pound electric scooters, built by a company called OjO, will thus allow New Haveners to scoot along city streets at up to 15 miles per hour without once having to rotate a single foot.

Here are some highlights from the bicycle and electric scooter updates: • The new bicycles will be made by the German company nextbike. The current, and soon to be former, Bike New Haven bicycles are made by Noa Technologies.

“Clearly, despite our efforts, we have to recognizie that [the current bikes have] fallen short,” Pujol said on Thursday.

He and Lusch said that the biggest drawback to the existing bikes is that they require users to have a smartphone to participate in the program. One has to download the Bike New Haven app, register an account, link up a credit card, and then scan a QR code on the bicycle every time one wants to go for a spin.

The new bikes, Lusch said, will allow New Haveners to rent bikes by calling a dedicated phone line or by buying a

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

P3GM CEO Carlos Pujol shows off bikeshare’s electric scooters.

The soon-to-be-former bike share bikes.

City transit deputy Michael Pinto and transit director Doug Hausladen.

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voucher from a local brick-and-mortar Bike New Haven partner. The new bikes will also have onboard computer systems that will be able to accept payments without smartphones, she said. For the iPhoneinclined, the new bikes will also have their own dedicated app.

• Pujol and Lusch didn’t have any details on what the new bike racks will look like.

But, Pujol said, the new racks will have a “more sleek design. All the material has been ordered.”

• As for the new electric scooters, Bike New Haven hopes to roll out around 75 to existing bike share locations. The program aims to have its first scooters on the road

by Earth Day on April 20.

“The features of that vehicle are really about safety,” Pujol said as described the rubber tires, shocks, lights, and two brakes on the handlebars.

The electric scooters will travel up to 15 miles per hour, as far as 50 to 75 miles.

The 110-volt vehicles have extendable plugs tucked in a compartment by the front wheel.

They also have a dashboard that will allow riders to connect their smartphones to a speaker system via bluetooth so they can jam away to their own music as they ride along in the bike lane.

Pujol said riders must have a driver’s license in order to rent a bike share scooter, and that P3GM has already rolled out these very scooters in their Austin, Tex. program, and have seen an enthusiastic early response.

“I am a little surprised that it was sort of mentioned in the mayor’s speech and there has been no public input,” Downtown Alder Abby Roth said, referencing Mayor Toni Harp’s brief aside about “mopeds” in her recent State of the City address.

Pujol said he believes that P3GM’s current contract with the city allows the company to introduce the electric scooters without any new public approvals required, That’s the guidance he has received from the city’s Transportation, Traffic & Parking Department, he said.

City transit chief Doug Hausladen and city transit deputy Michael Pinto also made an appearance before the alders on Thursday, but not so much to talk about the new electric scooters as to talk about neighbor complaints about the potential violation of state law presented by some of the bike share ad panels’ being located in historic districts and near public school playgrounds.

The two city transit officials said they have scheduled a meeting with the state Department of Transportation (DOT), which plans to send some of its officials to the Elm City to take a look in person at some of the ad panels and bike share stations. They promotes report back to the alders on whether or not the program is in violation of any state laws, after the visit with DOT officials takes place.

John P. Thomas Publisher / CEO

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Advertising/Sales Team Keith Jackson Delores Alleyne John Thomas, III

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Contributing Writers David Asbery Tanisha Asbery Jerry Craft/Cartoons Barbara Fair

Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha William Spivey Kam Williams Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

_______________________

Contributors At-Large

Christine Stuart www.CTNewsJunkie.com Paul Bass New Haven Independent www.newhavenindependent.org

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

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Lights On Black History THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

by SAM GURWITT

New Haven Independent

While Jule Brogdon and Asya Dixon sang “You Made a Way” in front their peers in the Black and Hispanic Student Union, a phone lit up in the audience.

Then another then another.

Soon a sea of lights swayed in the audience lights on black history.

That happened as Hamden High students gathered Thursday morning in the auditorium for a presentation in honor of Black History Month. The annual event, which the school’s Black and Hispanic Student Union (BHSU) hosts, featured student musical and dance performances, short history lessons, and guest speakers.

Once BHSU President Abdul Osmanu had introduced the event, the audience rose for James Weldon Johnson’s Negro National Anthem.

Alyssa Green, Jasmine Thomas (pictured above), and Jelin Hinton took the mics to sing the piece, each soloing on a verse.

Community members Jered Brunson and Joseph Fountain (pictured below) accompanied on keyboard and guitar.

“Appreciation of black history should not be limited to 28 days, because black history is American history,” BHSU President Abdul Osmanu told the packed auditorium once students had settled back into their seats. “It’s our time to take a stand and fight for a country that judges by character and not by the color of skin!” he continued.

After Principal Nadine Gannon said a short word to the HHS “family,” four students

SAM GURWITT PHOTO

gave presentations on instances of violence against African Americans: Emmett Till, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, the arrest and death of Sandra Bland, and the beating of Rodney King by police and the protests it sparked.

Osmanu told the Independent that HHS could do more to improve representation of people of color in its curriculum. He said that when black history is presented, it’s often done so only in a negative light: slavery, lynching, etc. He said he hopes to learn more about the positive accomplishments of people of color and “remember people who have done great things for us, and emulate their behavior and take it to new heights.”

After Kynah Patton (pictured) sang “Change Gonna Come,” Pastor Daniel Bland of the Mount Calvary Revival Center in New Haven addressed the school.

When he was sitting in the crowd, he said, “I realized I was sitting in a room full of difference makers. The difference between those who get things done and those who do nothing,” he continued, is that “those who make a difference simply believe that they can make a difference.”

He told the students gathered before him the three ways he hoped they would begin to make a difference: “this year we’re gonna make a difference in our own lives, we’re going to make a difference in our families, and we’re going to make a difference in our communities.”

The event also featured two dance performances. First was a modern selection

performed by five students. Next, the HHS Dragon Steppers performed a step dance piece.

Finally, all of the performers gathered on the stage while Brogdon and Dixon (pictured) sang “You Made a Way” to the sea of swaying cellphone lights.

After the event, BHSU Vice President Kelsea Little told the Independent that there should be more representation of people of color in the HHS curriculum.

“Even though we’re all educated together,” she said, “we come from very different backgrounds.” A more diverse curriculum would help students have a more wellrounded view of history and of themselves.

Lamont Battle, who is a security officer for the school and advises the BHSU, said that Black History Month “helps educate individuals to understand who they are.” It helps them reach back, he said, and figure out where they come from.

The BHSU hosts weekly meetings in which students and Battle discuss whatever is on students’ minds, including current events and any issues at the school. It also leads annual trips to historically black colleges and universities.

When Battle took the podium to dismiss the audience to their third-period classes, he turned to his students gathered on the stage and shouted: “When I say BH you say SU! BH!” His students shouted back: “SU!” He said again: “BH,” and again they answered: “SU!”

6.99 percent to somewhere between 7 and 9 percent. That would bring the rate in line with the top 8.82 percent neighboring New York charges.

Lamont and the Republican-center Democratic group argue that raising those rates would drive needed wealthy individuals to move out of state, depriving Connecticut of needed revenues. They argue that maintaining the estate tax (which currently kicks in for estates of at least $3.6 million) does the same.

“If we keep going at the rate we’re going, I’ll tell you who’s leaving the state, because they’re talking to me: My constituents. Students, the working poor,” said Porter, whose district includes New Haven’s Newhallville neighborhood and Hamden’s Newhall area.

“When you have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet and you still can’t save money those are the people who are leaving this state. The only people who will be able to afford to stay in this state are millionaires and billionaires.”

Elliott said that the seven states that have raised income taxes on the wealthy in re-

cent years have seen “an influx of wealthy people,” not an exodus. He argued the more important tool for attracting wealth and jobs is investing in infrastructure.

He also pointed to a 2014 Connecticut Department of Revenue Services study that calculates how much people pay in combined state income and property taxes.

The report found that the working / working-poor families were paying three times more of their income than wealthy families: Households averaging $8,000 a year in income paid 23.6 percent. Households earning between $600,000 to $2.2 million spent only 7.7 percent.

“We should be living in a state where the 99 percent are doing well and the 1 percent are struggling paycheck to paycheck. We need to flip the script so all boats are lifted, not just yachts,” Porter remarked.

She also noted that the estate tax funds the state’s probate court system, asking how that important function would fare with the tax phased out.

In proposing a New York City-style tax on sugary benefits, Gov. Lamont is re-

State Dems Split On Taxing The 1%

by PAUL BASS

New Haven Independent

When Gov. Ned Lamont unveils his first proposed budget Wednesday, look for Robyn Porter and Joshua Elliott at times to cheer while also preparing to fight.

The two Hamden state representatives (Porter also represents part of New Haven) have fought for years to get the legislature to up the minimum wage to $15 an hour and to pass a family and medical leave law. Lamont, a fellow Democrat, has made clear he supports both ideas in concept.

(The details will probably involve negotiation.) And now that Democrats have won commanding majorities in both legislative chambers, Porter and Elliott have reason to believe both measures will probably pass.

Along, perhaps, with electronic highway tolls, another position they support.

But another divide exists in Hartford, beyond the ones separating Democrats from Republicans or urbanities from suburbanites: a divide between progressive Democrats looking to tax the rich more and Republicans and other Democrats opposed to the idea.

PAUL BASS PHOTO Porter and Elliott in the WNHH FM studio.

Lamont, a Greenwich millionaire who has appointed a hedge fund manager as his chief of staff and chosen an accused financial predator as his economic development chief, sides with the latter group in general.

Porter and Elliott are prominent members of the House Progressive Caucus, which like its Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-led counterpart in the U.S. House is looking to push the party left on economics and taxation.

In a joint interview on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven,” Elliott and Porter both came out against Lamont’s proposal to boost taxes on added-sugar drinks and on e-cigarettes. They opposed a push by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans to eliminate the estate tax. And they called for increasing state income taxes on the very wealthy.

“We kumbaya-ed over minimum wage. We kumbaya-ed over medical leave. That’s good. He ran on these things,” Elliott said of his and Porter’s discussions with Lamont, whom they praise for keeping open channels of communication and for being up front about his stands. “We know he’s going to fight for those things. But there are other things we’re going to fight for, like increasing the income tax. “ “We keep talking about ‘everything’s on the table.’ Everything is not on the table.

We’re leaving out the fact that he said he will not tax the wealthy folks [more] in this state,” said Porter Elliott called for raising marginal rates on individuals earning over $500,000 a year and couples earning over $1 million from

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Con’t on page 08

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

Peggy Moore Enlisted To Helm Barnard

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

A schools superintendent has once again asked Peggy Moore to take the helm of a school in transition.

Last time, that didn’t work out so well.

Superintendent of Schools Carol Birks confirmed that she has asked Moore, who retired in 2013, to serve as interim principal of Pre-K-8 Barnard Environmental Studies Inter-District Magnet School on Derby Avenue.

A letter went out to parents Wednesday with the news.

The school has been seeing principals and other staffers come and go. Principal Rosalyn Bannon surprised the community by announcing that she’s resigning as of Feb. 25 to take a job as a Wethersfield principal.

Bannon was the school’s third principal in three years, an administrative churn that’s lasted since 2016, when teachers took a no-confidence vote against Yolanda JonesGenerette.

Meanwhile, Birks recently placed Barnard’s assistant principal and three other employees on administrative leave, while an internal investigation into their conduct is underway.

Peggy Moore, who retired from the city with mixed reviews, will be tasked with stabilizing Barnard until a permanent replacement can be recruited.

In 2010, because of her success running Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School, thenSuperintendent Reggie Mayo prevailed on Moore to step into the top job at Wilbur Con’t from page 06

State Dems

sponding to research showing that such products contribute to an obesity epidemic, especially in poor and nonwhite neighborhoods.

Porter agreed that the problem exists. But she argued that taxation would only further harm people who lack access to more healthful food. And she called Lamont’s idea another way of taxing the poor.

“We have more corner stores and liquor stores in our district than anywhere else in the state. That can be said about all urban centers; there are food deserts,” Porter said.

“The argument is that if we tax the sugary drinks, it will deter people. That is so not true. You are going to drink what you have access to. And if you can’t get to a grocery store, they’re not selling water and fruits.

Or if they are, they’re marked up five times. You can’t afford to buy it.”

She recommended that public policy stress “education” rather than “taxation” in seeking to improve the health of poorer families. She made a similar argument about “sin taxes” like those on tobacco.

Elliott said he too “leans” toward voting against the sugary beverage tax. But he hasn’t fully made up his mind, he said, because of some of the research showing how it can help improve people’s health. He suggested that any such taxes that pass be “offset” with measures to ease the financial burden on working families and the poor.

Tennis Tournament Leaving Town After 21 Years New Haven Independent

MELISSA BAILEY FILE PHOTO Peggy

Moore.

Cross High School, which had been vacant for eight months. Moore resisted the request, then reluctantly agreed.

Her years at Wilbur Cross proved controversial. She drew public outcry for disbanding a student political action club after junior Isaiah Lee led a protest in favor of more textbooks and lower administrative salaries. She later nullified the results of a student government election when Lee won the presidency, prompting an outpouring of concern from parents and alumni.

In a confrontation at a public meeting, she dismissed the criticism of her leadership as “gossip.” Superintendent Mayo stuck with Moore, defending her in an opinion piece published in the Independent. The school district touted dramatic gains on tests in her first year, then saw those gains disappear the subsequent year.

Moore, who worked for the school district for over 30 years, also served as the president of the administrators union.

Moore is set to begin her new role at Barnard on Thursday, according to Birks, when she will meet with Bannon about transitioning into the role.

Retired teachers are allowed to return to work and continue receiving pension benefits for a maximum of two years, as long as they fill out paperwork certifying that they are will be filling a vacancy in a priority district or a shortage area. Moore, who retired at 68 years old, currently receives about $7,200 each month in retirement benefits.

In her letter Wednesday to Barnard parents, Birks described Moore as an “experienced and visionary leader.”

“Ms. Moore has a strong passion for learning and teaching. She is focused on the delivery of instructional practices that encourage and provide students with a meaningful, relevant and purposeful curriculum that prepares them for college, career and life beyond high school,” Birks wrote. “Ms. Moore believes in building relationships in order to promote a positive, respectful and safe environment. She also has a commitment to distributive leadership and building on the talents of others within her school community.

“We are confident,” Birks concluded, “that Ms. Moore will bring strength to the Barnard School Community as we go through this leadership transition.”

A nationally renowned women’s tennis tournament is leaving town and moving to China after spending two decades, and hundreds of thousands of public dollars, in the Elm City.

That announcement came on Friday morning in a press release sent out by the Connecticut Open, which has sold its right to host the annual Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Premier tournament to a a sports and entertainment company based in China.

“After 21 years of hosting some of the biggest names in women’s professional tennis,” the release reads, “New Haven will no longer stage a WTA Premier tournament after the Connecticut Open sold its sanction on the WTA calendar.”

The tournament, which has taken place in New Haven every August since 1998, will not take place here this year. Instead, it will happen in Zhengzhou, a mid-size Chinese city of about 9 million people, in September.

The release notes that the Connecticut Open was the third-best attended women’s only WTA tournament in 2018, and that the nonprofit has generated more than $10 million annually in economic impact for the city.

During its two decades in New Haven, the tournament has also been the subject of frequent criticism for taking ample subsidies from the city and the state, and for going 15 years without paying back the city for police overtime. The city doubled its contribution to the tournament in the last fiscal year from $100,000 to $200,000. The current fiscal year’s budget provides the tournament’s standard $100,000 contribution from the city.

“It has been an amazing 21-year run for women’s professional tennis in New Haven,” Tournament Director Anne Worcester says in the release, “and we are truly grateful to all the fans, volunteers, players, media and sponsors involved.”

The Connecticut Open is best known for being a launchpad for the WTA stars of tomorrow. The 2018 Connecticut Open title was won by Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who collected her maiden WTA trophy in New Haven and this week entered the Top 10 for the first time. Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep also won their first Premier titles in New Haven. Past champions include Steffi Graf, Lindsay Davenport (2 titles), Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams (4), Justine Henin, Wozniacki (4) and Petra Kvitova (3).

Kvitova, the Australian Open finalist and WTA world No.2, said: “The

8

Tournament Director Anne Worcester: “It has been an amazing 21-year run.”

Connecticut Open was always one of my favorite tournaments and continued to get better every year. On behalf of the players, I would like to thank Anne Worcester, the City of New Haven, Yale and most important the fans who came to watch us, who supported us through the years and who made us feel welcome in their beautiful city.”

In 2018 alone, the Connecticut Open raised more than $20,000 for the Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven (it has donated more than $150,000 since 2011), it collected $8,152, plus 25 pounds of food for ShopRite Partners in Caring Food Drive supporting the Connecticut Food Bank and Partnered with Yale University to host the annual SaloveySwensen Extravaganza fundraiser which supports Yale’s communitybased activities and this year set a record by raising more than $1.6 million ($19 million since 1998).

Since 2004 the tournament has supported year-round tennis education and mentoring programs in the New Haven community and beyond. New HYTEs (New Haven Youth Tennis & Education) will continue to provide programs for inner city youth at the Connecticut Tennis Center, which will remain under the stewardship of the TFC. “Yale is fortunate that New Haven has such a rich cultural life, thanks in part

to the Connecticut Open,” said Yale President Peter Salovey. “It has been an integral part of the city’s summer experience for the past 21 years and has been particularly popular in the Yale community. I commend Anne Worcester for building and sustaining this remarkable event. I also wish to thank the many volunteers who helped make each year a success.”

Mark Ojakian, former Chief of Staff to Governor Dannel Malloy and TFC Board Member, added: “The tournament has proven to be of such value to the State and the City of New Haven. It stayed in New Haven due to efforts by many people, when there was almost certainty five years ago that it would leave for another State. Five additional years of economic impact, marketing of the State around the world and yearround community outreach programs is something to be celebrated.”

Mayor Toni Harp added: “The Connecticut Open has had an undeniably positive impact on New Haven over the past 21 years, in terms of economic impact, its commitment to fulfilling its non-profit mission by giving back to local causes, and in putting the City of New Haven, its restaurants, culture, and Yale University on center court in front of a global audience. We remain hopeful that professional tennis will return to New Haven in the very near future.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

The Inner-City News Welcomes Francetta Carson

Good Faith Four chats about Race and the New Haven Fire Department

by Francetta Carson, Inner-City News Correspondent

Good Faith, a world premiere play inspired by the landmark labor case Ricci v DeStefano which landed in the Supreme Court with a ruling concluding the City of New Haven violated the civil rights of a group of white and Latino firefighters better known as the New Haven 20. The New Haven Fire Department held an exam for promotions, the results revealed that only whites and one Latino qualified for a promotion. To prevent intentional discrimination against black firefighters. The Fire Department refused to certify exam results and placed a freeze on promotions, resulting in adverse discrimination against a group of white and Hispanic firefighters. A small urban city in New England became a mirror to the issues of reverse discrimination, social injustice, inequality and the nature of systematic racism in our society.

The racially charged play created by playwright Karen Hartman poses the question

“what is equality in our society today?”

Hartman provides a vision into the hearts and minds of those directly impacted through argumentative dialogue amongst firefighters. Good Faith is an imaginative response to the history of the New Haven Fire Department and the personal and po-

litical impact of the legal decision. The play does not provide answers but presents a platform for the discussion of conflicting perspectives.

The characters in Good Faith reflect on the case years later,T:9” revisiting the history of the New Haven Fire Department and

the personal lives of those impacted by the legal decision. The lead plaintiff Ricci’s character is a Fire Academy instructor in the role of educating and enlightening new recruits on the risks and responsibilities of being a firefighter.

The playwright opened with a statement as to the seriousness of the responsibilities of a firefighter with the main point highlighting; a firefighter must not only demonstrate bravery but also have the ability to acquire, retain knowledge and be a thinker to perform the job efficiently. This was an attempt to establish a correlation between the standardized test and the ability to achieve maximum competency as a Firefighter. These ideas were reinforced by the plaintiff Ricci in character as the trainer at the Fire Academy and the Attorney who tried the case.

The Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon creates a setting for a sense of camaraderie amongst colleagues by placing characters at a local hotspot, the Greek Diner where a city official and uniformed firefighter gather to discuss racial and political issues that influenced this case. The individual voices of the characters are highlighted by opposite opinions although they shared the same racial and socioeconomic background. The conversation provides insight into their perspectives based

on their individual views of our society.

The viewpoints of the firemen are revealed through open dialogue. The playwright attempted to provide a critical view of individual perspectives. Ricci and Attorney Tory views were presented through nonconfrontational discussions. The contrasting arguments are portrayed by two African American males dramatized through loud, argumentative dialogue. Where was the voice of the other white and Hispanic firemen?

The question remains unanswered; “What is equality in our society today?” The underlying issue is unfairness in the use of systematic discrimination through standardized testing. The issues of racial discrimination, racial profiling, reverse discrimination, social injustice, inequality and the nature of systematic racism in our society continue to exist long after the Ricci v. DeStefano case. Good Faith opens up the platform for further discussion of these pressing issues. The audience is left to linger on two statements “If the solution does not promote change, there is no solution.”

“We are here to fight the fire.”

The heroism and sacrifice of a firefighter cannot be overlooked, and Good Faith is successful in highlighting the issues of racism and upward mobility in a profession that places one’s life at risk.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

Harp Makes It Official: She’s Running

by STAFF

New Haven Independent

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New Haven Mayor Toni Harp filed papers Thursday at the city clerk’s office to run for a fourth two-year term, and issued Valentine’s Day message to fellow Democrats with a nod to the Rev. Al Green..

The filing lists Jonathan Peter Wilson as her campaign treasurer and mayoral aide Andrea Scott as deputy treasurer.

Harp also issued a public announcement to fellow Democrats about her campaign, with a Valentine’s Day theme about her love for the city.

She cited accomplishments from her first three terms, from the removal of a longstanding fencing blocking the Brookside public-housing development from Hamden, to lowered unemployment and crime rates.

“We have accomplished so much.

Hand in hand. We are tackling problems of today, while preparing for a brighter tomorrow. We’ve seen some highs, and we’ve seen lows. But together, we have navigated the troubled waters we had to cross. Because that is love,” Harp’s message read. The message quotes R&B legend the Rev. Al Green’s 1971 hit “Let’s Stay Together”: “Loving you whether times are good or bad or happy or sad.”

New Haven Land Trust Executive Director Justin Elicker has also filed papers to run as a Democrat in a primary against Harp, a rematch from their 2013 race. Elicker sent out an email message this week citing the example of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in appealing for donations of upt o $370 to help him qualify for public financing under the city’s Democracy Fund program; Harp has said she is not participating in the program.

“In 2016, Bernie Sanders rallied millions around ending the current political campaign finance system that is corrupt and increasingly controlled by billionaires and special interests.

And today, virtually every serious Democratic candidate for President is swearing off contributions from corporate PACs, federal lobbyists, and super PACs,” Elicker wrote.

“My commitment to getting big money out of politics has never wavered. That’s why I pledged to participate in the New Haven Democracy Fund on the first day of this campaign.

When I’m elected you will know that every decision I make will be rooted in what’s best for New Haven, NOT what’s best for my campaign donors.”

Another potential Democratic opponent, Liam Brennan, told the Independent Wednesday that he has decided

10

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO Harp

last week delivering the annual State of the City address.

not to run for mayor. Harp this week nominated him for a seat on the Board of Education.

And activist Wendy Hamilton was out Thursday collecting petitions on signatures to qualify for the general election ballot in November as an independent mayoral candidate.

Today is a day to talk about love. Love is what binds us; love is what binds this city. When I moved to New Haven to attend Yale University, I fell for this city. It’s definitely my type. I found my perfect match. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they must be felt with the heart. As your Mayor, New Haven IS my heart.

I have served proudly, honorably, and lovingly as your Mayor since I was sworn into office just over 5 years ago.

For five years I’ve worked tirelessly and with devotion to be mayor for all New Haven. As a byproduct of these partnerships, and our collective labor of love, New Haven has reached new heights, and new opportunities beckon.

And I feel like the luckiest person to say this once again: I’d like to be yours.

Today, I’m eager to share a little secret with you: I filed to run for re-election – hoping to serve a fourth term as mayor of my heart and soul: The City of New Haven.

We have accomplished so much. Hand in hand. We are tackling problems of today, while preparing for a brighter tomorrow. We’ve seen some highs, and we’ve seen lows. But together, we have navigated the troubled waters we had to cross. Because that is love.

In my first term it was a priority to end symbols of hate. The only way we grow is with love. United. Not divided.

That is why we took down that horrible fence separating us from friends and

neighbors in Hamden. Because that is love.

For many years city residents had to grin and bear the constant sound of gunfire from a local gun range. We agreed that wasn’t the environment we wanted children to become accustomed to. It is not a symbol of our values. So, we relocated the gun range to a safe location, out of earshot from working families and children. Because that is love.

I have worked tirelessly with teachers, administrators, students, and people from all walks of life to create opportunity for young people and help provide for them a pathway to success. New Haven’s graduation rate is has increased to 79%, and we worked together to make city streets safer with about a 50% reduction in crime. Because that is love.

Over the past five years, jobs are up, unemployment is down, and affordable housing has increased. Because that is love.

Love is hard work. But you know what? Love is worth the effort – that rare commodity treasured all the more while it’s given away.

When I think of New Haven and filing for reelection on Valentine’s Day, I think of the legendary musician, Al Green, who sang: ‘Let me be the one you come running to. I’ll never be untrue. Let’s stay together. Loving you whether times are good or bad or happy or sad.’

For all these reasons I humbly ask for your endorsement over the coming months, so we can continue this great thing we have going.

I look forward to reconnecting with you all soon, as you know I have an open door policy.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

Are you a parent of a 2 to 5 year old?

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Pass on your stories, your knowledge and your love.

AARP celebrates Black History Month. Learn more at aarp.org/blackcommunity.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

Well Women’s Sanctuary Opens In Westville

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

Women of the Elm City have a new haven where they can take off their superwomen capes and draw from a “well” that aims to restore them to fight another day.

That place is The Well For Women, which officially opened its doors at the Blake Center at 495 Blake St. on Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Owner Julie Robbins was joined by her family, staff, Mayor Toni Harp, and other city officials as she marked the expansion of her massage therapy empire in Westville, a section of the city she calls home.

Robbins, who also owns Westville Massage on West Elm Street, said she opened the new location because she couldn’t keep up with the demand without bringing on more therapists.

She didn’t want to tell women, particularly new moms and moms-to-be, that they had to wait two months for an appointment with her. So she went on the hunt for space she could bring in just one more person.

Instead, she found a space that could accommodate 10 employees and a whole host of activities.

She said when she saw the light-filled space at 495 Blake St., which used to serve as a factory’s office space, and its massive fireplace, the wheels started turning.

“I started thinking about all the possibilities,” Robbins said. “I thought, ‘We can have more massage therapists, and we can have a yoga class. Oh, in that room we can

have yoga and pilates.’”

She also thought about dance, particularly belly dance and the international renowned Dancing Thru Pregnancy program created

by Ann Cowlin from the Yale University School of Nursing.

Robbins was sold.

After she signed the lease, it took about two months to renovate the space. She transformed the fireplace that she fell in love with into a cozy seating nook andthe wood storage space next to it into a place for reflection and meditation.

Robbins was able to do the renovations with the help of a $9,500 matching city grant from the “Main Streets” leasehold program.

In addition to offering fee-based dance, yoga, and pilates, Robbins said, The Well will offer free workshops and support groups for things like breastfeeding which will be open to the community.

“We wanted to take care of women across the age spectrum but in particular we want to support pregnant women,” she said.

Supporting women across the spectrum isn’t just about the stages of women’s lives but also the very definition of womanhood.

The Well will serve women who were assigned the designation of female at birth, who identify as female or consider themselves gender-fluid.

Robbins said in the age of #MeToo, it is important to have women-centric spaces.

“This is a sanctuary and a safe space for women to come and know that nothing is

going to happen,” she said. “That they’re safe here and that we can build each other up in a positive community in that way and support each other in our self-care journeys together. I think it’s time for that.”

Robbins said she plans to divide her time between Westville Massage and The Well.

“I love New Haven. I love Westville,” she said. “We landed here because my husband teaches at Southern. And it is a huge value for our life to not have to drive.

“So we live in the neighborhood. We’re putting down roots. He’s tenured, and this is home and it’s my legacy project.”

Mayor Toni Harp said it was fitting to open a business that focuses on the well-being of women so close to a time when more than 103 women serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. She noted that those women made their presence known at the most recent State of the Union address by wearing white.

Harp said the city is proud to have a place of respite “meant to help women return to their awesome responsibilities refreshed and revitalized.”

Amity/Beverly Hills Alder Richard Furlow said that he was glad for Robbins’ decision to invest in that part of the neighborhood. He said he hopes that all the women who come to avail themselves of The Well’s services also will make their way into the village for coffee, chocolate, wine, and even brunch.

“When women are happy,” he said, “the world is a better place.”

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO Julie Robbins cuts the ribbon on The Well for Women Thursday.

Robbins with City Small Business Counselor Gerry Garcia …

Suburbanites Go Urban Magnet Shopping

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK New Haven Independent

One school rep said Charlene Penna could double up on courses; another said she could join a nationally ranked robotics team.

So went the competition to lure a gifted suburban middle-schooler to a New Haven magnet high school.

All around Penna in the Floyd Little Athletic Center on Wednesday night, families from the city and its suburbs listened to other schools making their pitches during the Magnet Fair, as parents searched for a fit that their kids would have a chance of getting into.

The annual race to fill up all the district’s open slots was officially on.

“I’m trying,” Penna said, “to keep an open mind.”

Every year, the district places over 4,000 kids at 34 elementary schools, 4 middle schools and 13 high schools, including independent charters, regional magnets and vocational programs.

Ideally, students will end up in a school that matches both their interests and their learning styles. At least, that’s the theory behind the “portfolio model,” which New Haven instituted a decade ago as part of its nationally recognized school reforms.

In practice, though, it can feel “overwhelming,” said Kristin Nowak, a city resident who was scoping out options Wednesday for

HSC Curriculum Leader Cari Strand pitches a student. schools sell prospective students on what her rising sixth and ninth graders. “It’s good makes them unique, sharing their pedagogito have choices,” she said, “but it’s almost cal approach and extracurricular offerings. too many choices.”

By Mar. 17, students rank their top four Kicking off with the Magnet Fairs this picks for the school-choice lottery, gaming week, the matchmaking process takes sevout how they’ll use priority status for liveral months. ing in the neighborhood or having older After Feb. 11, at expos and open houses,

12

siblings.

On Apr. 10, a computer algorithm randomly chooses the first batch of admittees. Sudents then move off the wait lists throughout the summer, up until the state finalizes its enrollment numbers in early October.

On Wednesday night, at the very start of that process, families walked around the crowded booths looking at the options for their soon-to-be high-schoolers.

We watched three of them shop for the right deal. They said they are looking for an alternative to the boring schools in the ‘burbs or the strict charter in the city. They want schools with specialized courses, high college-going rates and just the right feel.

Some of New Haven’s magnet schools seemed to offer just what they’re looking for.

Now, it’s a matter of seeing whether they’ll get in.

Penna, an eighth-grader from North Branford who is enrolled in the Talented & Gifted Program at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School, knows how tough it can be to play the odds in New Haven’s lottery.

Her older sister recently went through the placement process. She was dead-set on going to just one magnet school: Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School. She ended up placed on the waiting list. By the time classes started, she was still fourth in line.

Now she’s stuck at her local high school.

Penna’s mom, Kim O’Hara, said they family won’t be making the same mistake this year. Penna will likely be applying to several schools, though she said she’s still figuring out which ones.

“I’m really looking for her to make an informed choice for high school,” O’Hara said. “What I really want is for her to be able to see what’s available and keep her options open, instead of pigeonholing herself into that one.”

Penna said that, after studying forensics and trials as well as health and nutrition in middle school, she’s interested in learning more about law and science. As she walked around the booths at Wednesday evening’s fair, she asked about each school’s focus area, especially whether they had collegeprep programs. Luckily, she said, the majority of the schools offered both.

While she wasn’t sure what her final picks would be, Penna said she was “gravitating towards” High School in the Community.

“I heard that you get to choose the pace at what you learn, which I thought was really cool because I’m a really fast learner,” she explained. “So if you can, you can take two courses in a year.”

Another family was also getting a second try at the lottery, as it considered transferring out of Achievement First Amistad High

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

Blackface Resurfaces, What are we Gonna’ do?

The recent racial controversy following Virginia Governor, Ralph Northam’s refusal to resign after the resurfacing of a racist photo from his yearbook and fashion houses like Gucci and Prada making apologies over the weekend for blackface in high fashion, the AFRO located an editorial written by David Wilson published 17 years ago in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Nov. 12, 2001.

Auburn failing to diversify, teach its students tolerance Racist photos at Auburn University depicting members of two white fraternities

Written by Dr. David Wilson, Originally Published Nov. 12, 2001

dressed in black face, donning Klansmen outfits and brandishing rifles in front of a Confederate flag force me to ask a fundamental question: What are we teaching these students at Auburn?

Apparently, not very much, especially not much about the multicultural world in which we live. We are not doing an effective job in and out of our classrooms teaching these young men and women about the atrocities of slavery and about respect for humankind.

Students should emerge from their undergraduate years not only with unquestionable competence in their chosen major, but with a critical consciousness that guides

Dr. David Wilson (Courtesy Photo)

and sustains them through the maze of political and social contexts that will form the fabric of their daily existence in this world.

Freedom from oppressive thought and idealogy and a mind open to the unique histories, contributions and circumstances of those who differ in ethnicity, gender and class should be the result of an effective

undergraduate education. However, based on the actions of those students, as well as on conversations I have had with scores of other Auburn students, it appears that we are falling woefully short of achieving these goals.

I do not mean to suggest that the majority of students at Auburn has not been positively affected by the values with which the institution aims to instill in them through the core curriculum. But the sad conclusion is that too many of these racist incidents have reared their ugly, white-sheeted heads at Auburn, and even within the city of Auburn, over the last few years to convince me that we should be satisfied with the job

we are doing in the classroom. We need to rethink our core curriculum, asking ourselves what values do we really expect an Auburn graduate to embrace, and then put in place the courses to expose students to these concepts.

It seems we are teaching our students that it’s OK to harbor racial hatred; it’s OK to look upon blacks as inhuman or as less than whites. Sociologists call this kind of pathological thinking ethnocentricism. It simply means that one is indoctrinated into believing that his/her race is superior to everyone else’s race.

While I thoroughly enjoy what I do at Con’t on page 15

NNPA President Talks Black History, Diversity During Fireside Chat with Volkswagen

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

The history of Black people long pre-dates the indignity of slavery.

“Our history didn’t begin in slavery,” said National Newspaper Publishers Association President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. “We were kings and queens. We had dynasties long before the slave trade,” Chavis said during Volkswagen Group of America’s Black History Month fireside chat.

The automaker has proudly served as a sponsor for the NNPA and chose Chavis to speak candidly to its employees during an inspiring discussion that included: reflections on the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Wilmington 10, and the importance of the Black Press of America.

Chavis said the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and its 215-member newspaper and media companies reach more than 22 million weekly subscribers and millions more daily via Blackpressusa.com and NNPA member websites. (Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. presents the NNPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the recent NNPA’s Mid-Winter Conference – Photo: Mark A. Mahoney / NNPA)

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“We should look back, but we have to learn,” Chavis said. “I think that particularly among the millennials, I try to make them realize that they should not take for granted where we are today,” he said.

“When I was a young person, there was no social media. So, how do we use technology to make the world a better place? We learn from one another and we learn from history,” Chavis said.

At Volkswagen Group of America, officials have long touted their goal to be recognized as a top company for diversity and inclusion practices.

Part of the company’s diversity effort involves partnering with organizations such as the National Urban League, the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers and its association with NNPA. VW has a stated commitment to diversity and inclusion that company officials say supports

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their overall goal to become one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work for in America, as well as a Top 50 Company for Diversity.

It’s that commitment that impressed Chavis and resonated with those in attendance at the fireside chat. Those who wanted to know more about his work – both current and past.

Chavis is renowned for his work in the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. King and he’s also a part of the famed Wilmington 10, a group of nine black men and one white woman who, in 1972, were convicted over a North Carolina store firebombing.

The group always maintained their innocence and argued that they were political prisoners and victims of racially biased prosecutors.

Their sentences were reduced in 1978 by the state’s then governor, Jim Hunt, and two years later their convictions were overturned in federal

court for reasons of misconduct by the prosecutors.

In 2012, the group finally received a pardon.

“One of Dr. King’s most powerful things was that he challenged us not to allow ill will to set in,” Chavis said.

When asked for his thoughts on what Dr. King would think of today, if he were still alive, he replied, “If Dr. King were alive today in 2019, he would still be focused on equal opportunity… where every child of God gets an opportunity to fulfill their God-given gifts and talents,” he said.

Dr. King would also be concerned about climate change and see it as a Civil Rights issue and he would see right through the false ideology of white supremacy, Chavis said. “While he was an Con’t on page 15

Black

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

Con’t from page 14

Talks Black

elegant voice for the masses, he also had humility.

He believed we should constantly study,” Chavis said. “He’d always ask us what we studied, what literature did we use and how does that apply to our day-to-day activities. He said an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Chavis said the NNPA and its 215-member newspaper and media companies reach more than 22 million weekly subscribers and millions more daily via Blackpressusa.com and NNPA member websites.

The trade organization continues to reach out to millennials and Chavis said he wants to see more collaboration between television, the digital space and companies like Volkswagen, that value diversity. “Corporate social responsibility should be a paramount value of all corporations in America and globally,” Chavis said.

“We all should practice what we preach, and I think we can learn from each other if we talk to each other. When I look around, I see a lot of diversity in the employees here and I thank Volkswagen for being one of our sponsors,” he said.

Con’t from page 14

Blackface

Auburn, I must admit my seven-year tenure has been marked with intense frustration.

Auburn is too white. There are no black deans or associate deans, nor are there any black academic department heads. Believe it or not, Auburn has never even had a black dean or associate dean.

While Auburn currently enrolls the largest number of black students in its history, at the senior administration level, I am it. It should not be this way, especially in a state where 25 percent of the population is African-American. The simple fact is that while the costumes worn by the fraternity members are the most offensive I have seen on a college campus, I proffer that these young men are only acting out what they think the Auburn culture accepts and tolerates.

I predict that over the next few weeks, our university will sponsor numerous workshops and seminars promoting diversity, tolerance and acceptance of cultural and ethnic differences. But when all is said and done the fundamental culture of Auburn University will go unchanged unless we seek to change the foundation upon which the institution rests. This is my goal.

Auburn currently has interim positions everywhere — president, provost, vice president, six deans and numerous other senior level positions. Let’s see how many of these positions will be filled with AfricanAmericans or people of color. My guess is none. I hope I am wrong. I am lonely on the Plains and am desperately seeking company.

Dr. David Wilson is vice president for outreach at Auburn University, the university’s first African-American vice president.

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO.Send letters to The Afro-American • 1531 S. Edgewood St. Baltimore, MD 21227 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com.

Love Day

125

YEARS

By AFRO Staff Black Love Day, founded by Ayo HandyKendi, the Breath Sekou, is celebrating 26 years of creating healing, loving solutions for rebuilding relationships, in countless, Black and White communities, locally, nationally and internationally.

The commemorative holiday, recognized on Feb. 13, offers a spiritual alternative to the commercialized Valentine’s Day. This year’s celebration, which calls for a 24-hour demonstration of using love to heal relationships, kicks off a year’s campaign of conscious raising, cellular memory cleansing and generational trauma healing around our 2019 theme: “Heal a Woman, Heal a Nation.”

This initiative focuses on the 400th Anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans to be sold into bondage in North America in 1619 at Jamestown, Va. Campaign efforts will help heal the inequalities that Black women have dealt with from the impact of the institution of slavery and the structural racism that evolved from it, creating deeply rooted issues for them, their families and communities that still exist today.

“For a real ‘wake up’ solution-based, demonstration of generational/cellular clearing techniques which will help support many current issues and change the legacy of slavery’s impact on Black women’s relationships with their man, their children, other women and the self-love/self care that Black women need for themselves to stay resilient – [I] encourage you to promote this alternative Valentine’s Day message,” said Handi-Kendi, steward of the non-profit African American Holiday Association (AAHA) and the founder of the Ritual of Reconciliation. She is the author, of “The Black Love Book- the definitive guide to the Wholyday” and “Applied Breathology.”

Handy-Kendi is also a professional Breathologist and Breathworker of over 40 years, who has used her transformative practice of Optimum Life Breathology (O.L.B.) to heal her own cellular memory of childhood physical and sexual abuse, along with other serious adversities.

Thanking you in advance, in the Spirit of the Akoma (the heart).

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

TO THEE WE SING Thursday, April 4 • 7:30pm Lyman Center • Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Symphony Orchestra William Boughton, conductor Harolyn Blackwell, soprano & narrator Elliott Forrest, visual artist New Haven All-City Orchestra The NHSO marks the 80th Anniversary of Marian Anderson’s groundbreaking performance at the Lincoln Memorial with a concert that celebrates the perseverance of the human spirit and the ability of music to speak to power. This resonant, poignant performance will use the words of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr; original art by Elliott Forrest; and music by Aaron Copland, Joseph Schwantner, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and others to commemorate and examine what it means to be an American.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

NAACP Celebrates 110th Anniversary of Freedom Fighting

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – NAACP – was founded 110 years ago after a deadly race riot rocked the city of Springfield, Illinois.

“Because of the riots in Springfield, that brought about serious conversations and meetings about starting an organization, a national organization, that would try to address racial issues,” said Nell Clay, Springfield and central Illinois African American History Museum president.

The Springfield race riots took place in August of 1908.

Today, the NAACP remains the foremost civil rights organization in the world with an overriding mission: equality for all.

“There were two African Americans in jail, one accused of rape and one accused of murder,” Clay said. “A mob came to the jail to do their own justice by lynching the individuals.”

Several lives were lost and property was destroyed during the race riot. But at the time, there had been race riots throughout the nation, according to the local Fox affiliate near Chicago.

So why did the Springfield race riots lead to the formation of the NAACP? “Because Springfield was the land of Lincoln – the individual that freed the slaves,” Clay said.

“Maybe there was a thought that this was a great place for African Americans to live.”

Once the riots were over, discussions began for a necessary organization.

“People got together around the country, especially throughout Illinois, and said again enough is enough. You need to meet and form an organization that will deal with

race in America because race riots were unacceptable,” said Teresa Haley, president of the Illinois NAACP chapter.

Several scholars officially founded the NAACP in New York on February 12, 1909.

Throughout its history, the NAACP has fought to meet the objectives of people of color and have kept to their main goals and principles including: To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP’s Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.

During its 110th anniversary observance, the NAACP has recognized its founders.

Founding member William Walling authored, “The Race War in the North,” an article detailing the Springfield race riot.

Founding member W.E.B. Du Bois served as the NAACP director of publicity and research from 1910-1934, and was a member of the board of directors, and founder and editor of “The Crisis Magazine,” which continues to serve as a source of news and information from an African American perspective.

In her years at the NAACP Rosa Parks

worked specifically as a criminal justice and sexual assault investigator. In 1944 she lead the investigation into the rape of Recy Taylor.

Founding member Ida B. Wells was an investigative journalist and educator. A pioneer in the anti-lynching movement, Wells dedicated much of her life’s work to the cause and published extensive research on the psychological implications of lynching.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the NAACP led the Black civil rights struggle in fighting injustices such as the denial of voting rights, racial violence, discrimination in employment, and segregated public facilities.

From 1920 to 1950, the NAACP focused on five major areas: anti-lynching legislation, voter participation, employment, due process under the law, and education, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. At yearly conventions in different cities around the country, it drew attention to regional needs and interests and encouraged nationwide participation.

Thurgood Marshall grew up in a nurturing African American community in segregated Baltimore.

After graduating from all-black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, he enrolled in Howard University’s law school. In 1934, he began practicing law in his hometown and immediately was drawn into the local civil rights movement.

In 1938, Marshall took over the leadership of the NAACP legal team from his mentor Charles Hamilton Houston.

A year later, he established the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund to carry out the organization’s legal campaign.

Marshall’s legal skills, his earthy wit, and easy manner made him an effective leader.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the NAACP led the Black civil rights struggle in fighting injustices such as the denial of voting rights, racial violence, discrimination in employment, and segregated public facilities.

Soon after graduating from law school, or Rosa Parks, had it not been for May 17, Thurgood Marshall took the case of Don1954. It created an environment for us to ald Gaines Murray, an African American push, for us to pull,” Lewis said. student seeking admission to the Univer“We live in a different country, a better sity of Maryland School of Law. country, because of what happened here This case went to the state Supreme Court in 1954. And we must never forget it. We and successfully challenged segregated must tell the story again, over and over and education in Maryland. over,” he said.

Speaking at a ceremony to commemorate The NAACP’s role in the Civil Rights the recent anniversary of the Brown v.

Movement was vital, said Maryland DemBoard of Education, which Marshall and ocratic Congressman Elijah Cummings. the NAACP argued, legendary U.S. Rep. “Today, the organization continues to fight John Lewis said: for the freedom, justice, equality, educa“Had there been no May 17, 1954 (the day tional, social, economic and political qualthe Supreme Court ruled in Brown V. Board ity of all,” Cummings said. of Education), I’m not sure there would “This vital work has created justice and ophave been a Little Rock. I’m not sure there portunity for all of us today and for generawould have been a Martin Luther King Jr., tions yet unborn.”

There Are 64,000 Missing Black Women and Girls in the United States and No One Seems to Care Nationwide — Over the years, a disturbingly disproportionate number of Black women and girls across the United States have gone missing. What’s even more alarming is that the media coverage and legislation that missing Black girls are getting seems to be lacking compared to missing white girls.

A 2010 study about the media coverage of missing children in the United States discovered that only 20 percent of reported stories focused on missing Black children despite it corresponding to 33 percent of the overall missing children cases. Conclusively, the report said that missing Black youth — especially Black girls — are underreported in the news and it seems that many people don’t even care.

According to reports, when Black girls go missing, it’s often unclear whether they have run away from home, were inflicted violence, abducted, sent into the sex industry, among others. Basically, their safety and assurance to be brought back home was commonly ignored and not an utmost concern.

As of 2014, about 64,000 Black women and girls were missing across the U.S. However, most of those do not receive enough media attention and public support to be found.

In efforts to address the problem of missing

Black children nationwide, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Robin Kelly, and Yvette D. Clarke initiated the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls in 2016.

Through the caucus, they hope to create public policies that “eliminate significant barriers and disparities experienced by black women.”

Members of the caucus believe that more federal assistance and collaboration is needed to further eliminate the problem.

“I feel like knocking on every attic, every garage to see where those girls are,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said. “Let’s be an example to the world that we can’t rest until these girls are found.”

Meanwhile, the Black community and organizations utilize social media networks to bring back missing Black girls. Using the hashtag #BlackGirlsMissing, many young women have returned home safely despite the usually limited support from police and minimal reporting from media.

Black and Missing But Not Forgotten is a great non-profit organization focused on spotlighting and finding missing African Americans. For more details, visit www. blackandmissing.org

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

This Is How February Became Black History Month

By JULIA ZORTHIAN

It was in 1964 when the author James Baldwin reflected on the shortcomings of his education. “When I was going to school,” he said, “I began to be bugged by the teaching of American history because it seemed that that history had been taught without cognizance of my presence.”

Baldwin’s thoughts echoed those of many before and after him. Half a century earlier, when Carter G. Woodson had the same frustration, he set the foundation for what would become today’s national Black History Month, observed each February.

In the early 20th century, while he earned a Masters degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Harvard, both in history, Woodson witnessed how black people were underrepresented in the books and conversations that shaped the study of American history. According to the way many historians taught the nation’s past, African Americans were barely part of the story—a narrative that Woodson knew was not true. So in 1915, he and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, or the ASALH). The organization would promote studying black history as a discipline and celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans.

“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible fac-

Portrait of American historian and educator Carter Godwin Woodson (1875 - 1950), 1910s.

tor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated,” Woodson said of the need for such study.

In 1926, Woodson and the ASALH launched a “Negro History Week” to bring attention to his mission and help school systems coordinate their focus on the topic.

Woodson chose the second week in February, as it encompassed both Frederick Douglass’ birthday on February 14 and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12.

The celebrations and studies spread quickly, as the ASALH tells it, driving demand for teaching materials and spurring the formation of black history clubs.

But, though a newfound understanding of black culture and literature was spreading amongst the middle class, the idea of expanding the week to a month did not come until several decades later. During the Civil Rights Movement, Freedom Schools in the South embraced the week and its curriculum message as a way to contribute to the mission. By the mid-1960s, the most popular textbook for eighth-grade U.S. history classes mentioned only two black people in the entire century of history that had transpired since the Civil War—and that problem could no longer be ignored. It was in that decade that colleges and universities across the country transformed the week into a Black History Month on campus.

A number of mayors had already adopted the celebration as a municipal event by the time President Gerald Ford decreed Black History Month a national observance in 1976, on both the fiftieth anniversary of the first iteration and America’s bicentennial year.

“In celebrating Black History Month,” Ford said in his message, “we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Presidents have issued national decrees with each year’s theme since the 1970s.

African American History Month’s 2016 theme is “Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

Family Tradition: Health Benefits Of Black Eyed Peas

by Jasmine Browley, BlackDoctor.org

Do you know why Black people believe it’s good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? As with most traditions, there’s a rich origin to the practice.

Most Southerners will tell you that the act dates back to the Civil War. Black-eyed peas were considered food for cattle (like purple hull peas). The peas were not even worthy of Union soldiers. According to tripsavvy.com, when Union soldiers raided the Confederates food supplies, legend says they took everything except the peas and salted pork. The Confederates considered themselves lucky to be left with those meager supplies, and survived the winter. Peas became symbolic of luck.

Black-eyed peas were also given to slaves, as were most other traditional New Year’s foods. One explanation of the superstition says that black-eyed peas were all Southern slaves had to celebrate with on the first day of January 1863 aka, the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation.

1. Black-Eyed Peas are a great source of protein for Vegans.

Finding alternate sources of protein is not a hassle. One cup of black-eyed peas contains 13 grams of protein. This is essential for muscle building and the body’s daily functioning.

2. Black-Eyed Peas contain a valuable amount of dietary fiber.

Black-eyed peas are a great source of fiber.

A one-cup serving of black-eyed peas contains 11 grams of dietary fiber. The daily recommended dietary fiber intake for men and women are 38 grams and 25 grams, respectively. Dietary fiber can help prevent constipation, making one’s bowel movement more regular.

3. Black-Eyed Peas can help empower your nervous system.

Vitamins, such as folate, play an important role in the regulation of specific amino acids that the nervous system requires.

Studies have shown that a deficient amount of dietary folate can increase the homocysteine levels, which can be a dangerous precursor to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

One cup of black-eyed peas contains 89 percent of the recommended value of folate. Also, one cup of black-eyed peas contains 23 percent of thiamin. Thiamin ensures smooth functioning of the brain and helps improve memory and concentration.

Thiamin also helps relieve stress and helps strengthen the nerves.

4. Black-Eyed Peas can help prenatal babies.

Black-Eyed Peas are a good source of Vitamin B-complex, such as folate or folic acid. Folate has shown to help in neural tube formation and red blood cell formation in prenatal babies. A deficiency of folic acid in pregnant women can lead to the birth of underweight infants and may also result in neural tube defects in newborns.

Photo courtesy of Getty 5. Black-Eyed Peas are low the glycemic index.

The glycemic index (GI) ranks food and drinks based on their blood sugar increase potential. Foods high on the glycemic index (such as white rice and white bread) will break down easily and cause blood sugar and insulin level spikes after meals, which is followed by rapidly dropping blood sugar levels. Black-eyed peas are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, which prevents sugar crashes, sugar cravings, and mood swings.

6. Black-Eyed Peas are great for blood pressure.

Black-Eyed Peas are high in potassium and low in sodium, which lowers blood pressure, especially for those with hypertension. Also, the fiber content in blackeyed peas is helpful in lowering cholesterol and improves the performance of insulin in the body, which aids in the lowering of blood pressure. One cup of black-eyed peas contains 478 milligrams of potassium compared to 6.9 milligrams of sodium.

7. Black-Eyed Peas can assist in red blood cell formation.

Copper and iron are essential for new blood cell formation. One cup of blackeyed peas contains 24 percent of the recommended value for both iron and copper.

A deficiency in iron can lead to anemia.

Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.

COMMENTARY: Changing the rigged game that perpetuates inequality

By Clarence Hightower

It’s not enough to know that there is a great deal of inequality in the United States and around the world. We need to know not only how much, but also how. If we can see how the rules of the game are rigged to create and sustain inequality, we can see how they might be unrigged — how a different set of rules and arrangements might be created. — Michael Schwalbe A little more than a century ago, German sociologist Max Weber famously put forth a theoretical model which, when translated to English, become known as the “iron cage.”

In essence, the concept of the “iron cage” is that people are forced and confined to their social condition based on the “teleological” agenda of a government or bureaucracy.

Teleology can be defined as “the reason or explanation for something in the function of its end, purpose, or goal.” Put another way, if a ruling body rationalizes that a certain population is inferior (morally, physically, intellectually, etc.), then they basically have the lawful authority to oppress that population.

In his 1979 classic book Iron Cages, Ronald Takaki, the late historian and forerunner in the arena of ethnic studies, demonstrates how White attitudes toward populations of color — which were, in large part, fueled

by pseudo-science and quasi-medicine, propaganda and untruths, and other strategies of domination — shaped the foundation of race and culture in the United States.

Such strategies were used as a justification for slavery and Jim Crow, the forced removal and genocide of indigenous people, and the historic marginalization of other “minorities” including Mexican and Chinese people. Moreover, the legacy of these policies, practices and attitudes continues to permeate American culture today in myriad ways, some easily seen, others unseen.

Today, while we live in a society that has passed a litany of civil rights bills and other legal protections, rampant social inequality (particularly among those of color) continues to exist. And, not only are many of those aforementioned laws under constant threat, but there are scores of systematic tools and tactics that counter any movements to effect change and bring about increased equity.

Sociologist Michael Schwalbe identifies a number of these dubious tactics in his book Rigging the Game: How Inequality is Reproduced in Everyday Life. Schwalbe expands on the writings of Takaki (and others like Michael Omi and Howard Winant) in exploring the “roots of inequality” in

America and links it to how the game is still rigged today in favor of the wealthy and powerful.

This, of course, relegates the poor, people of color, women, and others to the margins of society; or to their “iron cage.”

Among the tools that reproduce and sustain inequality, Schwalbe identifies neighborhood redlining, tax breaks and loopholes for the rich, voter suppression and gerrymandering as well as barriers to employment and education (or “getting in the game”). He also speaks to some of the “legal” definitions of the day, such as “money is speech” and “corporations are people.”

These realities allow the wealthy to become even more adept at “making government serve their interests.” This, in turn, undermines our democracy.

Without question, none of this is new to most Americans. Nonetheless, this is the arena in which our fight against poverty, racism, and injustice must take place. We must continue to call out and challenge the so-called rules that “rig the game.”

We must not surrender to the idea that nothing can be done. We must resist and conquer the narrative that continues to “blame the victims” for their plight. And perhaps more than anything else, we must see and respect one another as human beings.

18

Photo by: Randy Faith | Unsplash.com As Schwalbe concludes, “A rigged game, one that creates and perpetuates inequality…diminishes our humanity. If we want to do better than this, we need to critically analyze the rigged game in which we’re

caught and which we help to reproduce.

The next step is to change it.”

This article originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

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Operators, Foreman M/F. Drivers CDL,Laborers, VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER Welders, Concrete Work PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

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860-664-8042, Fax 860-664-9175 HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está michelle@occllc.com EOE y10 Hour OSHA aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo Females encouraged to Se apply ubicado en la and calle Minorities 109 Frank Street, New Haven. 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) Administrative Assistant en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición Accounting Department has two immediate openings for full llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse time Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable professionals Must have DOT Construction Exp. Involves traveling to Job Site for a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 . record keeping. Reliable transportation a must. NO PHONE CALLS in a fast-paced office environment. Must be highly organized, EMAIL RESUME TO michelle@occllc.com possess good computer skills, be detail oriented, and able to EOE/AA Females and Minorities are encouraged to apply manage multiple projects. Benefits include health, dental & LTD insurance plus 401(k). Send resume to: Human Resource The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

APPLY TODAY

(203) 387-0354 Listing: Accounting

NEW HAVEN

is seeking to fill the position of Director of Gift Planning.

Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/ About/ContactUs/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx.

242-258 Fairmont EOE. Ave Electronic submissions only. No phone calls

EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST - (P/T) Assist individuals receiving services in identifying and making choices about their social, vocation and personal goals. Duties include case management, job development/placement/retention services and job support as needed. Requires use of personal vehicle. B.A. in a related field; plus 2 yrs’ related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Pay rate $16.61/hr.

Apply to: GWSNE, 432 Washington Ave., North Haven, CT 06473/Fax (203) 495-6108/ hr@goodwillsne.org EOE/AA - M/F/D/V

SHOP InvitationCARPENTRY to Bid: Large CT Fence Company looking for a full-time carpenter for our Wood Fence Production nd Notice 2 The GUILFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**********

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 levelis, currently 1BA accepting applications for its efficiency and one hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. This is an inbedroom apartments at Guilford Court and Boston Terrace shop production position. Duties include mortising & drill wood posts for fence panels, All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 Old Saybrook, CT in Guilford, CT. Applicants must be age 62 and over or on building fence panels gates & more. Must have a valid CT driver’s license and be able to State of highways, nearConnecticut bus stop & shopping center (4 Buildings, 17 Units) 100% social security or federal disability and over the age obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email of Policy Pet under 40lbOffice allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 resume to pking@atlasoutdoor.com.

AA/EOE-MF Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project of 18. Applications maybe obtained by calling the applicaand Management tion line at 203-453-6262, ext. 107. Applications will be acCT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s NewatConstruction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castcepted until May 30, 2019 3:00 p.m. Credit, police, and Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates The State of Connecticut, ofClasses Policy checks Smoke free in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The Office cost is $125. start Saturday,landlord August 20, 2016 1:30- are procured by the authority.

3:30 Contact: Deacon Joe J.is Davis, M.S., B.S. and Chairman, Management recruiting for an Request for Qualifications housing.

Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster Executive Financial Officer position and EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HOUSING Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Elm City Communities

Architectural and Engineering Services

a Labor Relations Associate position.

St. New Haven, CT

This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

Further information regarding the duties, Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently seekeligibility requirements and application ining Qualifications for Architectural and Engineering Services A complete copy of the Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://nestructions for both positions are available at: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - Portland Anticipated Start: whavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway August 15, 2016 beginning on Wednesday , FebruSealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ Project documents available via ftp link below: ary 20, 2019at 3:00 PM Assistant for data entry, filing, reception, phones, and corporate staff supuntil 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at Administrative 28 Smith Street, sup/bulpreview.asp?R1=190201& port. Working knowledge of Haz. Wastehttp://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Regs., Manifests, AP & billing. OSHA certification a +.

Forward R2=1899MP&R3=001 Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement atresumes the to RED Technologies, LLC Fax 860-218-2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE. Smithfield Gardens Assisted andLiving Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

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

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Elm City Communities

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ Firefi ghter Town of Greenwich Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483Request for Proposals A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith sup/bulpreview.asp?R1=190131& Environmental Services AA/EEO EMPLOYER Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

R2=0190MP&R3=001

Do You Want A Job That Makes A Difference?

Become A Town of Greenwich Firefighter.

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/ Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Of-information and apply online visit www.governTo Authority view detailed affirmative action employer and strongly fice, 28encourages Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. mentjobs.com/careers/greenwichct the applications of women, Current Starting Salary: $60,910. The Town of Greenwich is minorities, and persons with disabilities.

dedicated to Diversity & Equal Opportunity Employment; Town of

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to 101 Field Point Rd, Greenwich, CT, (203)861Greenwich, HR Dept., reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any 20 informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the Housing Authority.

Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Environmental Services A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday , February 20, 2019at 3:00 PM

INNER-CITY July 2016 -- August THE INNER-CITY NEWS NEWS - February 2027, , 2019 February 2019 02,27, 2016

Elm City Communities NOTICE

Request for Proposals Youth Development Program Services- West Rock

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently seeking HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the Haven A Housing Authority, Proposals for Youth Development Program Services at New WestRock. complete copy of theisrequirement may be obtainedforfrom Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https:// accepting pre-applications studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develnewhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway Wednesday, February opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven.beginning Maximumon income limitations ap6, 2019 at 3:00 PM ply. 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 HOUSING HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon reBRISTOL AUTHORITY quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices Request for Proposal forat 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

Construction Manager – at Risk

Responses Due 3:00 p.m., Friday, March 1, 2019

NOTICIA

The Bristol Housing Authority (“BHA”) is seeking a qualified firm to serve as Construction Manager at Risk for its proposed rehabilitation of D.J. Komanetsky Estates (the “Project”).

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES BHA is requesting a “Statement of Qualifications and Response to Request for Proposal” from interested parties for the Project. The Project is anticipated to be funded primarINC, en nombre de la Columbus House y deDepartment la New Haven ilyHOME with financing from the State of Connecticut of Housing HousingAuthority, (“DOH”),está the aceptando Housing pre-solicitudes para estudios (“CHFA”) y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este experience desarrollo Connecticut Finance Authority and BHA. Prior successful ubicadowith en la calleand 109CHFA-funded Frank Street, New Haven.housing Se aplican limitaciones working DOHaffordable developments of de thisingresos scale is mandatory qualify for consideration the Project. máximos.toLas pre-solicitudes estarán for disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) A full copy of thede Request Proposal and access to drawings are available by acontacting en las oficinas HOMEforINC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo petición Carl Johnson, Dir. ofINC Capital Funds at (860) 585-2028 or e-mail cjohnson@bristolhousing. llamando a HOME al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse org. a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

The Bristol Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

NEW HAVEN 242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

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

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Executive Management

Housing Authority Office 28 Smith A pre-bid conference will be held at the

The Housing Authority the City of Wednesday, New Haven July d/b/a Elm City CommuniStreet Seymour, CT at of 10:00 am, on 20, 2016. ties is currently seeking Proposals for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Executive Management. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Bidding are availablePortal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonefrom the Seymour Housing Authority OfElm City’sdocuments Vendor Collaboration fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour,on Monday, February CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. systems.com/gateway beginning 4, 2019 at 3:00PM.

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any

ELECTRICIAN

Elm City Communities Request for Proposals Master Lease Agreement Services The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Master Lease Agreement Services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, January 28, 2019 at 3:00PM.

– Telecommunications company looking for low voltage cable installer with a C or T license, specializing in fusion/splicing, testing and termination. Also must be familiar with all aspects of indoor & outdoor cable installation, aerial bucket work, pole work, messenger, lashing, manhole & underground installation. Good salary with full benefits. Fax resume to 860-282-0424 or mail to Fibre Optic Plus, LLC 585 Nutmeg Road North, South Windsor, CT 06074 Attn: Don Ballsieper Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Project Manager Environmental Remediation Division

ROTHA Contracting Company, Inc Project Engineer (Connecticut):

3-5 years exp. and Bachelor’s Degree, 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training Req. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC,

Project Engineer job opening available for a growing / established Heavy Highway Construction Contractor based out of Avon, CT. Tasks include takeoffs, CAD drafting, computations, surveying, office engineering, submittals, other miscellaneous engineering tasks. Competitive compensation package based on experience.

Many opportunities for growth for the right individual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Email resume to jobs@rothacontracting.com

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002;

Administrative Assistant Must have DOT Construction Exp. Involves traveling to Job Site for record keeping.

Reliable transportation a must. NO PHONE CALLS EMAIL RESUME TO michelle@occllc.com EOE/AA Females and Minorities are encouraged to apply

Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com

Listing: Transportation Assistant - Immediate Opening

Invitation to Bid:a full time High Volume petroleum oil company is seeking 2nd Notice Transportation Assistant. Work time begins at 6:00AM. Previous petroleum oil, retail or commercial dispatching experience a plus. MUST possess excellent attention to detail, ability Saybrook, to manage multiple projects, excelOld proficiency andCTgood computer skills required. Send resume(4to: Human Resource Buildings, 17 Units) Dept., PO Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437.

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**********

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc

seeks: 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 Contact: Dan Peterson Phone: 860- 243-2300 email: dpeterson@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc

seeks: Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Union Company seeks: Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway ConMechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.struction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract complianceclean requirements. driving record, capable of operating heavy equipment; be willing to travel throughout the

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Northeast & NY. Attention Drivers Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits We have concrete mixer and triaxle dump driver openings Project documents available via ftp link below: Contact Dana at 860-243-2300.

Minimum 2 years experience. http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com .

Must have valid CDL with clean driving record.

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Excellent pay and benefits.

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com Apply M-F from at S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses HCC encourages the participation of all9-4 Veteran, 24 Industrial DriveCompany, Waterford, CT Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 Haynes Construction 32 Progress Youth AA/EEO EMPLOYER

860-444-9600

Applications available at: www.kobyluckinc.com An Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

21

Town of Bloomfield

& Family Program Assistant Part Time $11.87 hourly For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.gov Pre-employment drug testing AA/EOE Deadline to apply 3/7/19

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

For Black Children, Attending School Is an Act of Racial Justice

By Kayla Patrick, The Education Trust As a seemingly twisted way to ring in 2019, the Trump administration has sent a loud and clear message that it’s okay for educators and school leaders to keep Black children out of school buildings and exclude them from opportunities to learn. It may sound extreme, but that’s exactly what it means to rescind school discipline guidance that was put in place explicitly to ensure that Black children were not treated this way and discriminated against.

The current administration, however, wants us to believe that discrimination against Black children is a myth. It is not. It is the lived experience of too many, if not all Black children. In the 2015-16 school year, Black boys made up 8 percent of public school enrollment, but they were 25 percent of the boys suspended out of school. Black girls were 8 percent of enrollment, but 14 percent of the girls suspended out of school. While Black children are overrepresented in practices that exclude or remove students from school, White children are underrepresented.

Such data are clear evidence that racism and bias often drive exclusionary practices. To ignore this is to preserve the status quo.

If the numbers aren’t enough to show that discrimination exists in American classrooms, studies have shown that Black children do not misbehave more than their White peers, rather they are punished more. In fact, Black students are more likely than their White peers to receive a disciplinary action for a discretionary offense like talking back, violating a dress code, or being defiant. Black children are also more likely to be suspended out of school for their first offense. Clear, appropriate, and consistent consequences and educator training — as the guidance calls for

Every time a Black child is sent home for a minor offense, they are sent the message that they are unwanted or don’t belong. But Black children do belong, and they deserve to be safe, included, and to have access to a quality education.

— helps to eliminate the discrimination and bias that fuel the disproportionate punishment of Black children.

This administration would also have us believe that discipline disparities are a result of poverty, arguing that experiencing childhood trauma and living in distressed communities are to blame. But poverty cannot explain away the discipline disparities: Studies have shown that when taking a student’s economic background into account, Black children are still more likely to be suspended than students of other races. And let’s not forget that

poverty, too, is a result of deliberate policy choices that leave Black children isolated in neighborhoods with little resources — including the longstanding impact of discriminatory housing policies such as redlining.

These are choices that this administration has done nothing to address.

What many (including this administration) fail to realize is that there is a difference between discipline and punishment.

Suspensions and expulsions don’t teach.

They punish. And far too often, adults decide that Black children are not worthy of teach-

ing and second chances. Excluding students from classrooms does not help them to correct the mistakes that children inevitably make. It also has negative long-term consequences. These negative outcomes include poor academic performance, lower levels of engagement, leaving school, and increased likelihood of involvement with the criminal justice system.

Unfortunately, attempts to exclude Black children from educational opportunities are not new. America has a rich history of locking Black children out of the classroom. This list includes anti-literacy laws, past and current resistance to school desegregation, lack of access to well-resourced schools, school based arrests, poor course access, enormous higher education costs, and unjust exclusionary policies. Every barrier and trick in the book has been used to limit the education of Black children. The removal of the discipline guidance is just the latest.

Rescinding the guidance is a reminder to those fighting for educational equity: For Black children, simply attending school is an act of protest, and learning and excelling while there is an act of racial justice. Every time a Black child is sent home for a minor offense, they are sent the message that they are unwanted or don’t belong. But Black children do belong, and they deserve to be safe, included, and to have access to a quality education. Despite the current administration’s actions, this is the message that advocates must make clear at the beginning of 2019 — and every year hereafter.

It’s up to us as advocates for educational justice to ensure that schools do not illegally discriminate against Black children. Encourage school leaders to commit to ongoing racial bias training; require culturally sustaining classroom management strategies; examine their school and district data to help determine if race and bias are driving who gets punished; adopt clear, fair, and transparent consequences; and eliminate school exclusion for discretionary non-violent offenses.

NFL Settles Collusion Case with Kaepernick

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

Colin Kaepernick’s more than two year battle with the NFL has come to an end.

The former NFL quarterback and the league have reached a financial settlement in Kaepernick’s collusion complaint against football’s owners.

The settlement comes just one day after it was revealed that the former San Francisco 49er, who led the team to a Super Bowl in 2013, turned down a contract offer to play in a new developmental league.

Terms of the settlement, which also included a payout to Carolina Panthers star safety Eric Reid, were not made public.

Kaepernick was effectively blacklisted from the league after kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and other social ills.

Yahoo Sports reported that Kaepernick and Reid would only settle the complaint if a lucrative financial agreement was reached between the players and the NFL. The league and Kaepernick’s attorneys re-

leased a statement Friday saying the matter had been resolved confidentially.

As part of that confidentiality, it is believed both sides signed a non-disclosure agreement agreeing not to speak publicly about details of the case or settlement.

“For the past several months, counsel for Mr. Kaepernick and Mr. Reid have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the NFL,” the statement said.

“As a result of those discussions, the parties have decided to resolve the pending grievances. The resolution of this matter is subject to a confidentiality agreement so there will be no further comment by any party.”

The agreement comes as Kaepernick’s case against the NFL was to set to be heard before arbitrator Stephen Burbank later this month.

Kaepernick had alleged that since 2016, the league conspired to keep him out.

Multiple NFL players adopted Kaepernick’s protest in 2017, hoping to draw attention to social justice and racial inequality issues.

The actions sparked a political firestorm from President Donald Trump and the furor became such a central issue for the league for nearly

22

one year that it instituted a rule that banned protests during the national anthem.

That rule has since been shelved by the NFL and now appears to be dead, according to the Yahoo Sports report.

The NFLPA also released a statement Friday, supporting the settlement between the league and players.

“Today, we were informed by the NFL of the settlement of the Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid collusion cases,” the NFLPA said.

“We are not privy to the details of the settlement but support the decision by the players and their counsel. We continuously supported Colin and Eric from the start of their protests, participated with their lawyers throughout their legal proceedings and were prepared to participate in the upcoming trial in pursuit of both truth and justice for what we believe the NFL and its clubs did to them.

“We are glad that Eric has earned a job and a new contract [from the Carolina Panthers], and we continue to hope that Colin gets his opportunity as well.”

School.

Abel Campos, a city resident, said that his two daughters initially selected the charter school because of its impressive stats. But this time, he said, as he considers about pulling his youngest out of Amistad after its principal was caught on video shoving a student into a corner, he wouldn’t consider the numbers alone.

Campos said that he’d still be looking at graduation rates, average SAT scores and class sizes in the decision. But he also wanted to weigh more intangible factors like the school’s reputation, teachers’ classroom management and their recognition of Hispanics families.

“As a parent, I’m really concerned with the things that have been going on” at Amistad.

“When we did the research, that was the school that stuck out,” Campos said. “But now it makes me second guess. They’re focused on academics, but there’s also a social part, to be able to form a community with your classmates and to feel that you have an identity.”

Many students at Amistad have complained about the demerit system that punished students for minor infractions, including his older daughter who said they were “too tough.” Campos said that he still wants classes to be “well-behaved.” He said that might means doling out punishments. His kids are shy, he said, so he wants to make sure they’re “able to concentrate and able to listen.”

With all that in mind, Campos concluded Wednesday that he’s leaning towards Metropolitan Business Academy or Engineering & Science University Magnet School.

Campos said that “the only downside” is the difficulty of transferring in. He said he wished the district had a selective high school that accepted students based on test scores. (Two regional high schools located in New Haven, Sound School and ACES’s Educational Center for the Arts, both require an application.)

“I understand you have to give everybody a fair chance, but there’s also kids could really excel in a school like that,” Campos said. “Because a good kid might not necessarily get their first choice and not develop as much as at a place where they’re really One last family from Hamden, who came with aunts and cousins in tow, was navigating New Haven’s school-choice process for the first time. They said that they’ll decide based on what schools their daughter could imagine spending the next four years in.

Juliette Lao, who’s currently in middle school, said she doesn’t want to stay in the suburbs for high school. She said she’s currently favoring New Haven Academy and High School in the Community. Both schools are small with civics-focused curricula and a focus on special projects.

Annie Garcia, the mom, said that her daughter will be signing up to shadow current students. She said she wants Lao to get a feel for whether she’d fit in, especially with some of the more progressive teaching like hands-on group projects.

“She doesn’t know what she wants, and I don’t want to pick for her,” Garcia said. “It’s to see if it’s something she can get interested in and say, ’This is the school, I want to be here, I want to be part of this.’ I don’t want to pick one, have her say she doesn’t like it and then have to pick another school again. I want her to be comfortable with her choice.”

Deep Roots

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 27, 2019

9TH ANNUAL

How Slavery Still Shapes Southern Politics

by Avidit Acharya, Matthew Blackwell and Maya Sen Book Review by Kam Williams

Tuesday, February 26 at 12:00PM Omni New Haven Hotel

“Despite dramatic social transformations in the United States during the last 150 years, the South has remained staunchly conservative. Southerners are more likely to support Republican candidates, gun rights, and the death penalty, and southern whites harbor higher levels of racial resentment than whites in other parts of the country.

Why haven’t these sentiments evolved or changed? “Deep Roots” shows that the entrenched political and racial views of contemporary white southerners are a direct consequence of the region’s slaveholding history, which continues to shape economic, political, and social spheres. Today, southern whites who live in areas once reliant on slavery—compared to areas that were not—are more racially hostile and less amenable to policies that could promote black progress.”

ROSANNE CASH Activist, Author, Grammy Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter

Excerpted from the dust jacket William Faulkner is the only Nobel prizewinner born in Mississippi, which is where most of his stories are set. One of this preeminent Southern writer’s most memorable lines is, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

That quote comes to mind while reading “Deep Roots: How Slavery Still Shapes Southern Politics.” That’s because, after conducting painstaking research, authors Avidit Acharya, Matthew Blackwell and Maya Sen arrived at a conclusion (“History shapes contemporary political culture.”) which sounds like a paraphrase of Faulkner’s famous saying.

Over the course of the 150+ years since Emancipation, the descendants of slave owners have continuously operated to prevent blacks from pursuing the American Dream. In the face of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, southern municipalities, cities and states passed Jim Crow laws denying African-Americans the right to vote, travel, buy land, possess a gun, get an education, and so forth.

The punishment for even the slightest of infractions ranged from whipping to lynching in order to strictly maintain the region’s color-coded caste system. “Racial violence was an important component of the development of anti-black attitudes, even among poor whites.” Furthermore, “White children were often present... and, in some striking cases, they were also active participants.”

So, is it any surprise that, “As of the 2016 election, all of the former states of the Confederacy had implemented some voter identification law” in an effort to deny as many black citizens as possible access to the ballot box? Advocates of Confederate monuments and memorials continue to claim the Civil War was waged over states’ rights, conveniently ignoring the assertion of the designer of the rebel battle flag that, “As a people, we are fighting to maintain the heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race.”

A timely tome which explains why, from neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville to Virginia politicians donning blackface, when it comes to the South, the more things change, the more they remain insane.

“I believe with all my heart that a single child’s life is greater, more precious, and more deserving of the protection of this nation and of the adults in this room than the right to own a personal arsenal of military-style weapons. The killing of children in schools should not be collateral damage for the 2nd amendment.” -Rosanne Cash

Princeton University Press Hardcover, $29.95 296 pages, Illustrated ISBN: 978-0-691-17674-1

For more information visit ARTIDEA.ORG/VLA Tickets available now!

23

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - February 20, 2019 - February 26, 2019

All your favorites, all in one place? All good!

Get started with Xfinity TV, Internet & Voice

Xfinity brings you all your favorite movies and shows and makes it easier than ever to find what you love to watch. Just speak into the X1 Voice Remote to search across live TV, On Demand and even Netflix and Prime Video. It’s all your entertainment, all in one place.

Now that’s simple, easy, awesome.

79

$

99

a month

FOR 2 FULL YEARS with 2-year agreement

Includes up to 150 Mbps download speed

Ask how to access Prime Video, Netflix and more with X1

Equipment, taxes and other charges extra, and subj. to change. See details below.

Go to xfinity.com, call 1-800-xfinity or visit an Xfinity Store today.

Offer ends 2/24/19. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to the Standard Triple Play with Performance Pro 150 Mbps Internet and Voice Unlimited services. Early termination fee applies if all Xfinity services are cancelled during the agreement term. Equipment, installation, taxes and fees, including regulatory recovery fees, Broadcast TV Fee (up to $10.00/mo.), Regional Sports Fee (up to $8.25/mo.), and other applicable charges extra, and subject to change during and after agreement term. After term agreement, or if any service is cancelled or downgraded, regular rates apply. Service limited to a single outlet. May not be combined with other offers.

TV: Limited Basic service subscription required to receive other levels of service. Access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Pandora on Xfinity X1 requires an eligible set-top box with Xfinity TV and Internet service. Netflix streaming membership and Prime Video subscription required. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Pandora use your Internet service and will count against any Xfinity data plan. Internet: Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. Voice: If there is a power outage or network issue, calling, including calls to 911 may be unavailable. Call for restrictions and complete details. © 2019 Comcast. All rights reserved. NPA221830 NED-AA-Q1-BAU-V10

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