INNER-CITY NEWS

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

Black Love: 5 aReasons Why Important Financial Justice Key Focus at 2016It’s NAACP Convention INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

New Haven, Bridgeport

INNER-CITYNEWS

Volume 27 . No. 2267 Volume 21 No. 2194

Welcome To Malloy To Dems:

“DMC” Wakanda

Malloy To Dems:

Ignore Ignore“Tough “ToughOn OnCrime” Crime”

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Black Panther event organizers and MVPs: Paul Bryant Hudson, Jennifer Quaye Hudson, and Mercy A. Quaye.

Color Struck?

Moms Get SnowTheir in July?

Night

LeVar Burton: Creating A Revolution Through Reading FOLLOW US ON ALLAN APPEL PHOTO

Turkeys Make Way For Wedding Gowns

Fuimara, Marini, and Mayor Harp cut the ribbon, with hostess Ashley-Grant

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Corrinna Martin and Robin Pitts, a special education worker, read off raffle numbers.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS

February 21, 2018

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February 27, 2018

Delegation Pushes Pay Equity, $15 Wage

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

During the state legislative session now underway, New Haven’s lawmakers are taking a lead on raising the minimum wage, equalizing pay for women’s equal work, and legalizing marijuana along with taxing bitcoin transactions.

The lawmakers, all Democrats, got a boost last week when Gov. Dannel P. Malloy singled out several of their proposals some of which they’ve pushed for years in his final State of the State address.

The question now is whether they can build on that rhetorical support to get laws passed in a short election-year session focused primarily on the budget, with Republicans enjoying more influence than they have in years.

State Rep. Robyn Porter gave a fist pump when Malloy shouted her out by name in the address and the pay equity bill she’s again pushing this year. The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bill last year.

It would have required businesses to provide equal pay for equal work and would have kept prospective employers from asking about salary history in determining pay. The Senate never called the bill, and it died during the last regular session. Women, who compromise 40 percent of state families’ main breadwinners, currently early an estimated 78 cents on the dollar that men earn for comparable jobs.

Back in New Haven, days after the high of Malloy’s speech, Porter’s enthusiasm was tempered.

“Malloy is talking a good game,” she said. “He’s saying all the right things.

But I’m like, ‘Where were you four years ago?’

“I just hope we get it done. Democrats have to stick together and be Democrats. The Republicans’ goal will be to slow us down so that we don’t get much done.”

In addition to pay equity for women, Porter said she’s continuing to push for a livable minimum wage, police reforms and access to health care and services, particularly for black women.

Porter noted the recent celebration of the 45 anniversary of Roe v. Wade and how that was a victory for some women but not necessarily for women who look like her.

“Women in my community are not getting the same kind of access,” she said. “We are still using abortion as a form of contraception because we don’t have access. That’s inexcusable. Until you include all, what are you celebrat-

Delegation Pushes Pay Equity, $15 Wage

CHRISTINE STUART PHOTO

Porter reacts to Malloy singling out her pay equity proposal.

Walker: Ready to remove barriers on voting.

ing?”

Though he wasn’t mentioned by name, State. Rep. Roland Lemar got a shout-out from Malloy, too, or at least one of his pet causes did.

Lemar chairs the Fair Housing Working Group that the governor referenced in his call for fair and affordable housing. Lemar is working on a bill that would include five strategic recommendations from the working group. One of those recommendations

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Malloy shouted out the work of the Fair Housing Working Group which Lemar has chaired for the last year.

calls for reforming the state’s inclusionary zoning policy, which Lemar said would open the door for more affordable housing opportunities in suburbs.

He said he will also co-introduce bills that would allow early voting and would have Connecticut join a states’ compact to award electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.

And he will continue to be a sponsor

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on minimum wage (with a goal of $15 an hour) and pay equity as he has been for a number of years.

But Lemar said he is worried about the mood of his colleagues to move major legislation during an election year.

“I’m still concerned that folks are too focused on the 2018 election cycle than they are about advancing major interests of the state, and I worry that our values are easy to express in January and February but hard to vote for in April and May,” he said. “I hope that people have the courage to do the right thing and advance the interest of the people of Connecticut.”

State Rep. Juan Candelaria, who serves as the deputy speaker of the House, will for the fifth year be sponsoring legislation that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Gov. Malloy has previously been opposed and still has not come out in full support of such action. But facing massive budget deficits, Malloy did suggest it as one of the 11 steps lawmakers could take to stabilize the state’s finances long term. Candelaria, like his colleagues in the House, said he isn’t sure what that support will mean in the long run.

He also is sponsoring a bill that would allocate 1 percent of the sales tax from restaurants and entertainment venues to municipalities. He said he hopes that allocation could help make up a gap from the underfunded Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program and education cost sharing allotments that shortchange cities.

“I guess it appears that the governor is on board currently what our Democratic agenda is. I just have to see at the end of the session, when we’re not seeing the revenues coming in, is he still on board?” Candelaria asked.

“Will it still be a priority? Or will we have a conversation about we need to cut services? So right now everything looks nice and dandy, but I want to see what happens at the end of the session.”

“I cannot guarantee at the end of the session that he will have the same thought,” Candelaria added. “I hope he does because these are policies that we want to make sure that we pass.

Policies that really impact the working families of my district and the state of Connecticut.”

Martin Looney, who serves as the Senate president pro tempore, said that since this is an even-year session, only bills directly related to specific revenues and expenditures can be introduced by individual legislators.

Any other subject or policy matter will be raised as committee bills that lawmakers can sign onto as co-sponsors.

That can become difficult and limit the number of bills because committee chairs have to agree to raise a bill.

Looney said Senate and House Democrats are on the same page about pushing for core issues like paid family leave, pay equity, and raising the minimum wage and legalizing marijuana.

State Rep. Toni Walker, who is the House chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, echoed Looney’s sentiments on the core issues for the New Haven delegation in particular and state Democrats in general. She listed pay equity and greater access to the ballot with early and more liberal absentee voting rules along with criminal justice reform as her top concerns.

“We need to have an extension on voting days so all of us, even the people out working two and three jobs struggling to make it get the opportunity vote,” she said. “We cannot allow people to be shut out because they’re struggling to survive. That is the one sacred vow they need to maintain and Connecticut needs to do that now.”

State Rep. Pat Dillon said the budget is the biggest concern this year. She’s worried about potential cuts to health care, mental health care, and schoolbased health centers. She’s also tracking potential cuts to youth and prison reentry programs as well as funding for local nonprofits.

Dillion said she is looking for ways to protect access to healthy food for seniors in the budget and has requested a bill that would tighten regulation of electronic posters because of a problem that came up recently in Westville. She is sponsoring a bill to place a transaction tax on bitcoin transactions.

She said it was a proposal floated by former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, and originated with Nobel Prize-winning economist James Tobin, who lived in Westville.

“In theory, the IRS has ruled that bitcoin is property, and theoretically when you sell it is subject to capital gains,” she said. “I don’t know how much money would be in that. It’s a new thing. But it seemed to me there was a lot of volatility there and a lot of the action was in the churn, and what the bill would end up requiring that there would have to be a digital record of bitcoin transactions which is very limited but I think a key form of regulating them.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

NHSO Finalist: Let Me Grow New Haven Roots, Again

The first thing Alasdair Neale noticed about New Haven wasn’t the music. It was the trees.

It was the fall of 1983, and he had arrived to audition for the conducting program at the Yale School of Music.

From his Mansfield Street apartment all the way to the New Haven Green, he noticed bursts of color taking the city: oranges, reds, and yellows and browns that he had never seen in his life. It was the beginning of an unexpected “American journey” for the Londonborn conductor, who ultimately moved from New Haven not back to the U.K., but to the West Coast.

Now 35 years and one American citizenship later, he is auditioning to return to New Haven for good, as the next music director of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO). After launching an international search for the position in 2016 and receiving 150 applications, the NHSO has narrowed the finalist pool to three candidates: Neale, London-based Rebecca Miller, and Delaware Symphony Orchestra Music Director David Amado.

Neale is the first to guest-conduct, with a program at Woolsey Hall this Thursday. More information and tick-

ets available here.

In an interview at Claire’s Corner Copia Monday afternoon, he said he’s eager to get back to New Haven and feel out the community’s musical needs after so much time away. Raised between London and Edinburgh, Neale caught the music bug as a young flutist, playing Stravinsky’s Firebird with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

It was the first time he was rehearsing with the group, seated in the last chair of the flute section. From the piece’s soft beginning, a clap of thunder erupted from somewhere in the orchestra. It was the loudest sound that he had ever heard. And from that moment, he was hooked.

“I realized I’s not just what I do,” he said. “It’s who I am.”

It launched him to Cambridge, where he pursued a Bachelor of Music, and then New Haven for his Master’s Degree. On the day his flight touched down in New York City, “my intention was to get my degree and get back on a plane.” Instead, he saw the New Haven’s trees, began meeting people in and outside the university, and decided

Neale: This is not what I do. It's who I am. Lucy Gellman Photos.

to grow roots.

“I really didn’t know Americans, and had certain loose fixed ideas about what I might encounter—and the reality was much more complex and much richer,” he recalled, wiggling his fingers between a latte and his chin as he spoke.

“I immediately responded to how open people were, and how much I was just taken at face value. There seemed to me a refreshing lack of pretense, and

that was something that appealed to me.”

As a student, he bounced between classes at the School of Music and apartments on Mansfield, and then Prospect, Streets. The town he encountered “was definitely not without its challenges,” but he stayed on after grad school, serving as Yale’s music director from 1986 to 1989. During those years, he moved again, to an

apartment squarely between Pepe’s and Sally’s on Wooster Street. While the two can reach nearly political heights in New Haven, he said he’s remained pretty agnostic about the merits of both establishments.

When he left to become the associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and music director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, it wasn’t with the thought that he was leaving New Haven forever. Nor was it when he moved from San Francisco to San Rafael, to conduct the Marin Symphony and Sun Valley Summer Symphony. He just wasn’t sure when he’d return.

If selected for the position, Neale said his first priority will be taking a step back, and listening to what the community wants to hear, see, and get back from the NHSO. He has his opinions—that “you have to start early, and keep the seeds planted” when it comes to music education.

That there’s not “any reason to apologize for playing the canon,” that pantheon of great dead white men, because “it continues to speak to people all over the world no matter what their

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

CAA Partially Reopens;

by PAUL BASS

February 21, 2018

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February 27, 2018

Harp Calls On State To Forgive Old Debt

New Haven Independent

As Community Action Agency (CAA) reopened its doors partway, Mayor Toni Harp called on the state to forgive a decades-old debate to help the anti-poverty group stay in business longer term.

Harp made the call on her latest episode of WNHH FM’s “Mayor Monday” program.

The Whalley Avenue agency which last year served 10,400 families, or a total of about 25,000 people, with emergencyheat, food, weatherization, and senior and youth programs — abruptly closed its doors last Friday when Liberty Bank drained its account, of almost $200,000.

Harp’s administration sped up a payment of $44,834.32 to the agency for citycontracted homeless and prison reentry services so that it could reopen its doors partway.

CAA brought 18 of its 40 full and parttime staffers back on the job Monday to keep an emergency heating program going and to handle finances and paperwork, agency Director Amos Smith told the Independent.

Liberty Bank has also restored $78,000 to the CAA account, with the remainder under discussion, Smith said.

He said he hopes to bring back some

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Mayor Harp at the Capitol last week.

more staffers as cash flows improves such as when the state pays its next quarterly installment of contracted money owed. He said he expects CAA to be able to keep the emergency heat program operating through the winter.

What ultimately happens with the agency is another question.

Hanging over the agency’s head is an old debit it owes to a separate social services agency, Area Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut (AAA), for

money allegedly misspent on the Meals on Wheels program.

That all happened before Amos took over CAA 12 years ago. But the dispute needed to be worked out. Since 2013, CAA has paid AAA $6,400 a month as part of a court settlement.

CAA was able to make the payments by using the profit generated by its state-contracted weatherization program the only program in which it is allowed to use some money for unre-

“CT Public” Moves In

stricted purposes. (Other programs are tied strictly to grant dollars for grant purposes.) The state has changed the terms of the weatherization program so that CAA no longer earns extra money, Smith said. So it can’t afford the monthly payments anymore. It failed to meet its most recent payment; AAA went to court, got a warrant for collection of the close to $60,000 still owed on the debt, and brought it to Liberty Bank. Liberty handed over the money and proceeded to remove the rest of the money CAA had in the bank as well to cover a line of credit.

AAA CEO Ted Surh told the Independent his agency had no choice but to take the action to recover the money, because it in turn owes the money to the state Department of Social Services (DSS). And DSS won’t forgive the loan.

Mayor Harp said she asked DSS Commissioner Roderick L. Bremby Friday to let CAA off the hook for the old debt.

She noted that the team running CAA for more than a decade had nothing to do with the problem that led to the debt; she also said the problem stemmed from differing interpretations for how federal guidelines allowed the Meals on Wheels money (which is filtered through the

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Contributors At-Large

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

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PAUL BASS PHOTO Political pundit Khalilah Brown-Dean Tuesday with WNPR’s Lori Mack and John Dankosky inside the new studio.

New Haven’s downtown gateway to higher ed has become a gateway to the statewide radio airwaves, as well.

The gateway Gateway Community College’s George/Church Street campus invited the public Tuesday to visit the newly opened New Haven studios of WNPR,which until now called itself “Connecticut Public Radio.” (The station has rebranded itself as simply “Connecticut Public,” under one umbrella in conjunction with the former “Connecticut Public Television.”)

WNPR, which has become the top listened-to radio news outlet in Connecticut, moved its New Haven studios from its previous perch on Audubon Street.

The new studio has a clock. (The old one didn’t.)

WNPR hosts John Dankosky and Colin McEnroe also gathered audiences to watch live broadcasts of the 9-10 a.m. “Wheelhouse” and McEnroe’s “The Nose” at 1 p.m. Faith Middletown’s “Food Schmooze” will broadcast regularly from the Gateway studio.

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Moms Get Their Night THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK New Haven Independent

Rarely-recognized moms who keep families going received the thanks they deserve in Newhallville, with a party, prizes, and information about how to connect more with the school and their community.

They received it at annual night of appreciation this past Thursday night at Lincoln-Bassett Community School. It was the fourth annual event.

In the cafeteria, decked out with hearts in red-paper cutouts and pink balloons, moms sat down with their children.

Over the next two hours, they’d be pampered with a cooked meal, cupcakes, raffle prizes and makeovers.

“It feels good to be here, because so often as moms, we’re overwhelmed,” said Veronica Gilbert, a mother of two who took home a $10 McDonald’s gift card from the raffle. “We’re doing so much for our children, and we don’t always feel the appreciation. We make sure our kids are clean and fed.

Who else notices that? Who else sees and hears us? For them [at the school] to say, ‘I’m watching you,’ means so much to me.”

The dinner’s open to any female in a student’s life, including moms, grandmas, aunts, godmothers and “mother figures” too, said Keith Young, the school’s parent engagement coordinator. Even one great-grandmother showed up. Young times the event for February so that it captures the feeling of Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day combined.

To crash the event. Young stopped them at the cafeteria door. He didn’t send most of them home, though. Instead, he directed them back to the kitchen, where they tossed on aprons and carried out trays of meals to serve the moms.

The main message? “We appreciate you,” Young said.

It’s a sentiment that could be sent home in a child’s handwriting on a piece of construction paper, but Young wanted to make a special evening and use it as a chance to get parents inside the building.

He came up with the idea for a dinner when he arrived at Lincoln-Bassett in 2013. He wanted to find new ways to engage moms in the school. Early that year, he’d struggled to get parents to come to educational events. He hosted seminars on how to clear a criminal

record or earn a high-school equivalency, but few people showed up.

With the dinners, Young can get parents in the room, then drop the same information from his seminars as the moms dig into plates of chicken and rolls. He said it’s not just about offering free food; the mothers want to be in the school, bonding with their children and meeting other parents. But they often just don’t have the time.

“We pretty much trick them,” Young joked.

On Thursday evening, a university employee shared healthful meal plans, while a former high school dropout talked about the programs that helped him turn his turned his life around. A nurse took blood pressure readings with a stethoscope.

“I know your children and your man stress you out,” he told the group, “so why not check?”

The message often got through.

Senetra Lamar, a single mom raising eight kids, said she was enjoying herself, particularly as she waited for the raffle numbers to match those on her orange ticket stub. As she listened, she heard about the GED program offered by the school. She said she planned to enroll.

Activists worked the room, too, sharing information about their efforts to fight poverty.

There was Mothers for Justice, which helps low-income moms tell politicians about their experience with safety-net programs like Medicaid, food stamps, affordable housing and prison re-entry. Latesha McClain, the chapter leader, said she hoped to reach a younger generation at the dinner, helping to train new leaders who could take over from the grandmothers who’d been pillars of the community.

“This is epic,” she said, smiling at the room.

Another group, Mothers of Victims Equality (MoVE) distributed a few bags of hygienic products. Packed with toothbrushes and deodorant, sponges and bleach, the supplies are often the first items a parent might skip as her bank account zeroes out, said Corrinna Martin, the group’s founder.

Martin started MoVE in 2013 as a way to combat domestic violence, just a month after losing her daughter in a homicide. At Thursday night’s dinner, fumbling with the microphone, she shared that she’d lost a second daugh-

Keith Young with newly appointed Principal Jenny Clarino.

Krysten Arekapudi takes blood pressure readings.

Corrinna Martin and Robin Pitts, a special education worker, read off raffle numbers.

ter to domestic violence in 2017.

To end the abuse, she said, women need to look out for each other, paying close attention to younger girls just starting to date.

“It starts in our homes first. We are our first teachers, our first advocates,

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the first line of defense that our children have,” she said. “If we want to invest in your youth, it starts with us, and to do that, we have to make sure that we’re okay. And that’s why I so wholeheartedly believe that when there’s ways organizations can eliminate stress for us

moms, emotionally and mentally support us moms, then we will be able to be more actively involved.”

“I’m here today, not as a mother who has lost, because I know you see my pain. But I’m talking to you as a mother who wants to do everything with her organization in a more proactive way, before it gets to that point,” Martin continued. “Who else will be better to help someone in the struggle than someone who’s already gone through it? I don’t have much, but I do have what I have. And what I have is yours. If we start on that path of sharing, then our community will be far greater.”

After she spoke, several mothers came up and embraced her. Carla Britt, the mother of an 8-year-old who’s active in the Boys & Girls Club, pressed her in a long hug. Britt said later she wants to help Martin share her message, so the women can all “get some empowerment.”

Young asked the moms to fill out a survey about what they need from Lincoln-Bassett. “We are a community school,” he told the group. “Tell us what you need. Let us know what more we can do.”

Even though Young had an agenda for the evening, with loads of information he hoped the moms would take home, the dinner felt like a celebration, too.

Desiree Emenyonce, a mother of three, said she felt loved. “We do a lot.

Even when you’re sick you’ve still got to be a mom,” she said. “Sometimes our families can’t say [they appreciate us], but they show it.”

Through the evening, kids played tag as moms chatted with each other. Raffle winners yelled out as they nabbed makeup kits, tote bags and gift-cards, and they smiled as they dug into massive cupcakes loaded with frosting.

Over in one corner, Allison Perry got a full make-over from Rosetta Washington, a volunteer with the Children’s Community Programs of Connecticut and a Mary Kay saleswoman.

Her boyfriend worked in the kitchen, while she spent time with her girls.

After the makeover, she took pictures with her family. Someone told her she looked beautiful.

“We started here two months ago, and I love it,” she said. “It’s friendly here, and they make me feel special.”

Ricky D’s Weed BBQ Sauce THE INNER-CITY NEWS

Next Up:

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

The move to legalize marijuana in Connecticut has a New Haven entrepreneur eyeing his next move: Marketing a homegrown marijuana-infused barbecue sauce. And becoming “the Heinz ketchup of the cannabis industry.”

The entrepreneur, Ricky Evans, is already known for his barbecue and his sauce. He owns Ricky D’s Rib Shack and he was spotted at the state Capitol last week looking to convince lawmakers to legalize recreational use of marijuana this year — so he can start selling a new version of his patented sauce that will get fans of his ribs buzzing even more than they do now.

Five years ago, he was selling his popular barbecue from a food truck.

Now he has a restaurant on Winchester Avenue and is selling his own line of Kansa-Lina barbecue sauce and dry rub in local grocers like Elm City Market in New Haven, T & J IGA Supermarket in East Haven and at The Spice Mill in Manchester and on Amazon, where you can get his Rib Shack starter kit.

But the idea to create an infused sauce as another means for diversifying the business came about during a lull in dishing out his signature brisket, pulled pork, and ribs last fall. Rising meat prices and other competitive

pressures are requiring him to think of new product lines to stay in business.

“My brother and I do a lot of brainstorming,” he said. “And I was like ‘Yo, what if we had marijuana-infused barbecue sauce?’”

The idea hit him like lightning. Evans has a medical marijuana card. He was aware that there are all kinds of ways to consume marijuana. For those who prefer not to smoke, there are tinctures, vapes, and edibles.

“I’ve been in a few dispensaries. They have cookies. They have brownies,” he said. “They don’t have sauces. How come my sauce can’t be the first?”

Because he manufactures and distributes his own brand of barbecue sauce, Evans has some experience with that end of the business. But to move into Connecticut’s budding cannabis industry he was going to need some help.

Luckily, his brother remembered a business card that someone had left at the restaurant.

That card was from Kebra Smith Bolden, of Women Grow Connecticut and Cannabis Consultants of Connecticut. Evans gave her a call.

Before that phone call, Evans said, he had no clue what it meant to infuse his sauce with marijuana.

Smith Bolden, who was up at the Capitol at the start of the legislative session last week with Evans and other advocates, recently told the Hartford

February 21, 2018

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTOS

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February 27, 2018

Brothers Ricky and Brandon at their rib joint.

Courant, that she believes legalization in Connecticut to be inevitable given the paths of Massachusetts and New Jersey and the overwhelming support for such a move in the state.

Through Smith Bolden, Evans participated in meetings and classes where he learned about the different components of marijuana. He learned that he would not just chop or grind up weed and add it to his sauce at least not yet. But that he could add CBD, a compound found in marijuana that is legal to sell on its own in most cases, as an extract.

“It doesn’t get you high, and it can be used for medicinal uses,” he said. Evans said his understanding is that selling a sauce with CBD extract would be perfectly legal in the state.

With the state legislature gearing up again to consider legalizing recreation use of marijuana, Evans sees greater opportunity for his business. If legalization passes, he would infuse his sauce with marijuana, which would have THC, the compound in cannabis that actually makes you high Evans’ regular, marijuana-free barbecue sauce retails for about $8 for

Prototype of new sauce.

a 16-ounce bottle. His marijuana-infused sauce, which he is calling Canna-Lina, would retail for about $40 a bottle. He said he already has interest coming out of Massachusetts where the recreational use of marijuana is now legal.

Eventually, Evans said, he might add infused ketchups, mustards and mayonnaise. While Evans currently makes and bottles the Canna-Lina sauce himself, his regular sauce is made and packaged with Onofrio’s Ultimate Foods here in New Haven. He also

Turkeys Make Way For Wedding Gowns

by MERCY A. QUAYE New Haven Independent

Why did the turkey cross the road?

If Mel and Ide Ehigiato were telling the joke, the punchline would end with wedding gowns.

The Ehigiatos own Bridal Trousseau, a wedding gown salon and New Haven’s black-owned example of the attire of love. But their venture to be entrepreneurs started with a very different product: turkeys. The fried kind.

“We started out at 82 Crown St. with a company called ‘Inspired Turkey,” Mel Ehigiato said on the latest #ForTheCulture edition month on WNHH FM’s “Werk It Out” program with Mercy Quaye which focused on the attire of love in honor of Valentine’s Day. “We were going to bring fried turkey to the masses of the northeast because the south has fried turkey and it’s wonderful,” she said.

Despite that vision, USDA regulations and an unscalable model forced them to remain local and stick to catering and hosting events, which would soon prove to be insufficient for the couple. After

hosting a birthday party at the Crown Street location, Ide Ehigiato had an idea.

“One day my husband came home at

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like three in the morning and said, ‘We help people celebrate. We should sell wedding dresses,” Mel Ehigiato said.

From that conversation, the couple

stumbled onto opportunity when they took a meeting with the former owners of Bridal Trousseau, who were poised to sell the business and advise the new owners.

“One of the things I loved about Bridal Trousseau was the level of service they established. The level of excellence they established in the business was something that we were excited to take on,” she said. “They prided themselves in excellent customer service, they’re a local company, they work with quality [designers], and those were things that we [both] were really excited about.”

Once they acquired the business, the Ehigiatos knew they wanted to move the salon to New Haven for community, accessibility, and culture.

“Some of the feedback that we’ve gotten from some of our brides is that it’s

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

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203-387-5693 www.staedan-brendanschool.org Title I Services Mr. Michael Votto, Principal Rev. Thomas Shepard, Pastor Tuition Payment Plans Available • Credit Cards Accepted

Accredited by NEASC· State of CT

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.

e v e n t l i s t i n g s at ism.yale.edu

please visit: albertus.edu/blackhistory

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

February 21, 2018

-

February 27, 2018

NAACP Starts “Homeownership Matters”

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

When city firefighter George Chin saw the brick house in Wooster Square, it was love at first sight. Thanks to a new program that gave him $10,000 toward a downpayment and closing costs, he’ll soon be moving in.

“It almost brings a tear to my eye,” Chin, 29, said of buying his first house. “I work for my city. I grew up here and went to school here. Now I own a home here.’

Chin is among the first of what the Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP hopes will be a wave of new homeowners in the region thanks to the relaunch of a program to help people clear financial hurdles.

Branch President Dori Dumas announced the program, called “Homeownership Matters,” at the NAACP headquarters on Whalley Avenue Wednesday, part of a partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Neighborhood Housing Services.

“Every American deserves a piece of the pie,” Dumas said. “This program will help to improve opportunities for urban homebuyers with a $10,000 five year, interest-free forgivable loan to assist in the purchase of homes.”

People qualifying for the loans have the loans completely forgiven if they remain in their homes for the full five years. To qualify, applicants can earn up to 100 percent of the area median income (or somewhat higher if they purchase homes in low-income census tracts).

The program is a spinoff of a similar program seven years ago that was the result of a partnership of the NAACP and the former First Niagara Bank.

Then NAACP Jim Rawlings worked to secure $7.5 million in funding to address economic inequity through the Community Reinvestment Act. Dumas said that the original program assisted more than 70 new homeowners in the Greater New Haven community and several small businesses that would not have qualified for traditional mortgages and loans.

Before First Niagara was acquired

by Key Bank in 2016, $1 million left from that original funding was transferred to the Community Foundation for the Homeownership Matters Program, according to foundation President & CEO William Ginsberg.

Now the foundation is committing that $1 million to the relaunch of the program. So far three people, including Chin, have qualified, with another

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTOS New homeowner George Chin with Greater New Haven NAACP President Dori Dumas at Wednesday’s launch.

ents own have a better chance at going to a state school tuition-free through the New Haven Promise scholarship program because they live in the city.

Bridgette Russell, managing director for Neighborhood Housing Services and the housing chair for the NAACP, said to be eligible for forgiveness and the zero percent loan, applicants must commit to being an owner occupant for five years. They also must participate in an education and counseling process and meet income guidelines.

People interested in the program can find out more during an information session at ConnCAT in Science Park on Feb. 24. Their lender also has to be on board.

Chin, who found out about the program after seeking help from the Neighborhood Housing Services, said that buying his first home was a stressful process. He’s certain that he would not have been able to do it without the financial help.

“Getting something like that granted to me was definitely a blessing,” he said. “I probably wouldn’t have a house right if not for that.”

Con’t fronm page 4

37 potential homebuyers in the pipeline.

“We are eager to put that money to work for the good people of this community,” Ginsberg said. “We have known homeownership is good for neighborhood revitalization, neighborhood stability, and family stability.

It is as true today as ever, homeownership remains too low in New Haven, much lower than in the surrounding communities, in the state as a whole, and in the rest of the country.

The housing market has rebounded in recent years — meaning construction of market-rate housing that people with low to moderate incomes cannot afford. That makes the Homeownership Matters program even more important, Ginsberg said.

Dumas noted that of the more than 50,000 households in the city, only 14,092, or 28 percent, own their homes. When those numbers are broken down by race, 37 percent of white households own their homes, compared to 27 percent of black households and 18 percent of Latino households.

And whether they rent or they own,

many who live in New Haven are cost burdened, or severely cost burdened, meaning they’re either paying more than 30 percent or almost 50 percent of their income toward their housing cost.

“Just over half of the city’s households are cost burdened at 52 percent and 29 percent are severely cost burdened,” Dumas said.

Mayor Toni Harp said one of the lessons learned from the Depression is that homeownership is tied to not only individual wealth building but to generational wealth building. Having the NAACP take on access to homeownership as a justice issue is important, she said. She said this renewed effort will complement many of the programs that the city offers such as the Re:New Haven program, which also offers incentives to buy a house in the city.

“What I see as mayor is more developers creating market-level housing that people who already live here can’t afford,” she said. “That’s why homeownership matters.”

Harp noted that New Haven students who grow up in a home that their par-

8

Next Up:

works with a local printer to provide his labels. He would seek to source the cannabis for his sauce from a homegrown cultivator who could help him pick a strain that best compliments his recipe.

“It might be funny, but I could be the Heinz ketchup of the cannabis industry,” he said. “Why use this sauce?

They could just have somebody make their own sauce; they don’t have to use me. My argument is: I have a sauce that is tested every day. People enjoy the food and the product I have. I say that humbly. I’m still a small business.

These gaps here of no customer coming. My expenses tab is still running.”

“As a small business, as an entrepreneur, I’m always looking for innovative ways to drive business so I can keep the lights and gas on,” he added.

Last week Evans joined Smith Bolden up at the state Capitol for the opening day of the new state legislative session, when legalization is again on the agenda. He said it was his first time making such a trip, but it won’t be his last this session.

“I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do keep my business going,” he said.

Con’t fronm page 4

CAA Partially Reopens;

Harp Calls On

state) to be spent.

“It seems like the most reasonable thing is to forgive the debt,” Harp said on “Mayor Monday.”

She compared the $60,000 debt to the “dollars we give to companies that never pay us back.”

“We’re not talking about a lot of money here. It’s not like we’re losing a million dollars,” said Harp, a former state senator. She said the money could be better spent on direct services helping the poor.

“We paid $285,000 since 2013,” Amos Smith noted in a separate interview Monday. “That was money that could have been in our bank account to help us deal with issues related to real people.”

Harp added that this week’s CAA crisis reflects a broader squeeze on not-forprofits by federal and state government cutbacks: “This sets nonprofits up to be squabbling with each other.”

She also noted that for years the state government has offloaded programs to community action agencies. When that started happening, she and others questioned whether over time the state would cut back money on those services; she said officials denied that would happen.

“And here we are.”

Commissioner Bremby told her in the Friday conversation that federal rules attached to the old Meals and Wheels funding create a “legal impediment” to forgiving the debt.

“We didn’t get very far in that conversation,” Harp said.

DSS spokesman David Dearborn confirmed that the agency did not agree to forgive the debt.

He noted that DSS OK’d a four-month moratorium on loan repayments last year when the state had failed to pass a new budget. “The remaining debt is less than $100,000, being paid gradually,” Dearborn stated. “The remaining debt is being paid gradually to reimburse taxpayers who excessively funded the home-delivered meals.”

Ed Board Challenge: Consider Kids, Not “Who Gets The Next Job.” Also on “Mayor Monday,” Harp discussed help for families affected by Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria, development projects planned for Fair Haven Heights and Westville, and mixed results in the latest public school test score results, which prompted this observation about the Board of Education: “We’ve spent most of the past year focused on getting a new superintendent. So we have a new superintendent who’s coming in March. My hope is that the board will focus on teaching and learning, and try to provide the supports that are necessary to those schools that are not thriving, to do better.

“Our board has to think that’s more important than who gets the next job.”

Bike Share Set To Roll

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

Hillhouse AP Champs Get Their Turn In Spotlight

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK

One of the new bikes that will be available for short-term rental starting next week via New Haven’s bike share program.

Starting next week, city residents and visitors will be able to rent a bike with the swipe of a phone and pedal around New Haven to get to work, complete a chore or just enjoy the city outside the confines of an automobile.

Or at least in parts of New Haven, at first, through Bike New Haven, the city’s longawaited new bike share program.

At Tuesday’s night regular meeting of the Hill North Community Management Team at Career High School on Legion Avenue, deputy city transit chief Michael Pinto told neighbors that the program will have a soft launch next Tuesday.

The program will allow subscribers to make short-term rentals of bicycles located at stations throughout the city.

Pinto said that 100 bikes at 10 different locations will be available for rentals of up to 45 minutes at a time starting Tuesday.

He said that by April the program will have 300 bikes active and available at 30 stations located throughout the city, and that, a year from now, that number will likely increase to 400 bikes at 40 different stations.

In May 2017, alders voted to contract with New Haven Smart Mobility LLC to operate the bike share program. Smart Mobility currently operates bike share programs in other small city markets like Hoboken, N.J., West Palm Beach, Fla., and New Rochelle, N.Y.

Mediaka Ntungu, a junior at Hillhouse High School, never thought he’d get the chance to meet New Haven’s mayor. Then, on Thursday, Toni Harp personally congratulated him on a stellar performance in his upperlevel computer science and chemistry classes.

Ntungu, an aspiring coder, was one of 19 top-performing Hillhouse students recognized in a special awards ceremony at City Hall. All 19 are enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) classes, high-level courses that can count towards college credit if students earn a passing score on a national test.

Harp feted the students with speeches and pizza, adding her support to the school’s efforts to rebrand itself from a powerhouse in sports to a center of learning.

The event was similar to ones (like this one) that have honored school athletes.

“Standing with me are New Haven’s finest. These students know what it takes to succeed in school,” Harp said before handing out plaques. “You are the best and brightest in your school, and we are sure each and every one of you are destined for greatness. You too can change the world. And remember there will always be a place for you in the Elm City.”

Principal Glen Worthy took over the high school in 2016 after some criticized an experiment that broke Hill-

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTOS

Mayor Toni Harp: I’m with the best and brightest.

house into three academies with three separate principals, a reorganization that students complained resulted in dysfunction.

Since then, Worthy has sent teachers to a four-day training on AP classes, expanded AP offerings, and created a pre-AP program for freshmen and sophomores. Along the way, his assistant principal, John Tarka, rooted on AP scholars, as if they were competing in an athletic championship matches.

The students who’ve enrolled in AP classes so far said they’ve seen what a difference their rigor can make.

Mahdeen Khan, a senior standout in physics who received an early accep-

tance from Yale College and a full ride to the University of Connecticut, said the classes challenged him to meet a “very high standard.” He said he hoped more of his classmates would sign up.

“From my time at Hillhouse, I’ve seen there’s a lot of intelligence in all the kids,” Khan said. “I know everyone has the ability; everyone is capable of taking an AP course and excelling in it. They just need a little extra push.”

Ntungu said his classes broadened his interests. In his AP Computer Science class, the students are currently building an app that will help visitors look past chains to find New Haven’s

one-of-a-kind restaurants. They plan to submit it to competitions once it’s finalized.

Ntungu hopes to one day start his own company. He said meeting with the mayor “reinvigorated” him to pursue those dreams.

Likewise, Mohamed Naji, a junior who was recognized for his achievement in government, calculus and English, said his classes were the “first step” that he hopes will take him to Massachusetts Institute of Technology or Stanford University, then on to a career in engineering or programming.

After a distracting, year-long search for a new superintendent, Harp said, she hopes to turn the district’s focus to boosting academic performance, figuring out ways for students to graduate with basic proficiency in math and reading.

As the newly appointed chair of the Teaching and Learning Committee, she’ll play a role in recommending how students can not only access AP courses, but also pass the test.

“That’s the second stage of this. Now we’ve got the kids taking the test, now we’ve got to pass the test,” said Reggie Mayo, the interim superintendent.

“It’s a difficult, competitive test. But it takes you so far.”

According to the latest batch of state testing data, 61.7 percent of students in upper grades in New Haven’s high schools took classes that would prepare them for life after graduation, Con’t on page 15

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Welcome To Wakanda THE INNER-CITY NEWS

February 21, 2018

-

February 27, 2018

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

There is so much I want to tell you about my recent trip to the world of Wakanda ... or rather a special Saturday showing and celebration in New Haven of the highly anticipated new film Black Panther.

But I can’t. No spoilers allowed during Black History Month. (All bets are off if you don’t see it before March 1.)

I will, however, tell you about how we moviegoers showed up to the Criterion Bowtie Cinemas dressed in our finest Ankara prints and dashikis for a 10 a.m. private screening of the hit movie that transformed 86 Temple St. into Wakanda for a few hours.

The event, billed as “Shit Bougie Black People Like,” was organized by WNHH FM’s own “Werk It Out” radio host Mercy A. Quaye, Jennifer Quaye Hudson, and Paul Bryant Hudson. The hosts made sure that there was no ashy skin or unmoisturized hair in Wakanda a feat to be sure during winter in New England thanks to special goodie bags filled with staples like the ubiquitous (at least for black Americans without easy access to cocoa or shea butter) petroleum jelly.

I’m pretty sure with all that advanced technology in Wakanda, the fictional hidden African country in which the movie takes place, Princess Shuri surely has created something that defeats ash and keeps your twistout soft an supple no matter the weather. (No humidity or cold, dry air formed against me shall prosper.)

As at similar opening-weekend celebrations across the nation, New Haven’s delegation to Wakanda showed up and showed out. Colorful headwraps and face paint were on display as people greeted each other like longlost cousins at the Wakanda Family Reunion. Some attendees even decided to go for a Wakanda-Meets-Zamunda costume-mashup by adding fur to their ensembles. People had been building for this buzz for two whole years. Fans got their first glimpse of the Black Panther character 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.” Marvel Comic movies and events are renowned for attracting the hardcore costume players who arrive dressed as their favorite superhero of the hour or their favorite character in the comic or the film.

But for many of us, it wasn’t cosplay, but culture. We were dressed as

My screening squad and fellow Wakandans at Saturday’s screening: Michelle Turner, Ife Gardin, Christine Bartlett-Josie and Babz Rawls Ivy. (Author, far right.)

Coordination is key.

… and attire with a message.

Toasting Wakanda at the after-screening party.

citizens of Wakanda, cousins of King T’Challa and ‘nem. And we were so very proud. It was like a family reunion, homecoming at an HBCU, Black History Month at Yale, graduation day, and a little black church sprinkled in thanks to that royal purple carpet.

The film, and the land of Wakanda,

represents an answer to a What if question. What if there had been no colonizers? No slave ships? The fictional world of Wakanda represents a wholeness for black people, where we are well within ourselves. We have all the capabilities that we need. There’s nothing that has us downtrodden. We are victorious in Black Panther. But

10

not as conquerors of each other, or other people.

The future is ours, and we’ve already won it. It’s not a future that says, “Other people can’t exist here.” But it is a future where we are self-sufficient.

It’s a representation of what a utopian black Diaspora might be if we were left alone.

It also represents to black folks, and dare I say the world, what it could look like for us all to be equal. Where even though a male king is the ruler, he is advised by women. And that advice is never scoffed at. Where because all are equal well at least all Wakandans are equal women fight as well, or better than men. They are as intelligent, if not more so than men. And that is not played for a joke. The men of Wakanda aren’t threatened by smart, strong women. They respect them. They fall in love with them. The women of Wakanda never have to pretend to be anything or play to the male gaze.

Women are respected even in fierce physical and intellectual battle. And an act of submission is simply a level playing field for Wakandans and not a condition of one’s gender. In Wakanda, men have no qualms submitting to women when they are bested.

Gendered insults are not hurled like lightning strikes. Such ignorance only comes from outsiders. Where there is trust there is no shame involved.

During the movie, we talked to the screen. We laughed and talked to each other. And we were floored by how a superhero movie, this superhero movie, could have so many layers. The action is as dynamic as I’ve seen in all of the Marvel movies that I’ve watched over the years.

But the level of storytelling in “Black Panther” isn’t something I expected.

There are layers to this thing. Layers that spoke to all of us who hail from the African Diaspora. Layers that can spark so much dialogue. Layers that might even be healing.

I was wowed by the cinematography and overwhelmed at seeing on display what Carter G. Woodson tried to tell the world when he led the charge to celebrate Negro History Week, which later became Black History Month.

Black is beautiful. Black is powerful.

Black is smart. Black is equal. Black has contributions that can save this world. Bet on black.

Wakanda forever.

Con’t fronm page 4

Turkeys Make Way a lovely town,” she said. “Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island even, all those places have bridal bridal salons, but we’ve had brides from all of these places.

The Ehigiatos recently consolidated the flagship salon on Audubon Street with the sample shop on Crown, because as Mel Ehigiato said, adaptability kind of comes with the gig. Inspired Turkey has now inspired a bridal shop in the Ninth Square.

“One of the things being an entrepreneur teaches you if you’re willing to learn is that you need to be flexible,” she said. “There are certain things that are fixed, then there are times when you just need to adapt.”

Three years into it, Mel Ehigiato knows the bridal industry like the back of her hand. She admits there may have been a short learning curve, but now designers and dress styles flow in conversation with ease.

Operating a black and woman-owned and business, Mel Ehigiato said, she knows Bridal Trousseau is meaningful in New Haven.

“I think there is an element of importance to that because there is a significant black population in New Haven,” she said. “And I also think that people need to be able to see themselves in different roles and be able to associate with them.”

In addition to being an example to young black girls in the community, some of whom have come in and asked for internships, Mel Ehigiato said being a woman in this role means she can put her own touch on bridal imaging for women.

“I look at some of the images out there, I look at some of the things that we think are acceptable for women, or not acceptable for women and I think to myself, ‘How do I fit in with that?’” she said. “How am I helping with that? Am I giving someone some courage?”

That commitment to empowering and encouraging women is part of the reason the Ehigiatos offer gowns in a wide range of sizes and price points.

“There was a time [in the bridal industry] when you didn’t have choices in the sizes you could bring in,” she said.

“We are working to expand our full-size collection. We call it ‘Bridal Trousseau for Everybody’ so that ladies who are fuller figured can come and feel more comfortable.”

Mel Ehigiato said Bridal Trousseau’s service and values have forced her out of being a stay-at-home mom with a background in science, into being an entrepreneur with a commitment to excellence and community.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

Putting college degrees, and New Haven’s future, in their hands.

Encouraging young people to attend college can help to ensure them a successful future for the vitality of New Haven. Through our support for New Haven Promise, Yale New Haven Hospital is helping city youth make the dream of college a reality.

The Promise program offers scholarships covering up to 100% of a student’s college tuition. The key to success is that Promise creates a culture of college readiness by requiring high-schoolers to maintain high grades and good attendance, while participating in a minimum of 40 hours of community service. This year alone, 359 New Haven students received scholarships to colleges throughout Connecticut.

Higher education makes for stronger communities and engaged citizens ready to tackle the future. At Yale New Haven Hospital, we believe in that future and the young people who will shape it. Which is why we’re proud to support Promise. It’s another example of our commitment to caring beyond the bedside. ynhh.org/community

Breylin Jones, New Haven Promise scholarship recipient and talent acquisition sourcer, Yale New Haven Health.

Yale New Haven Hospital was awarded the 2017 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service from the American Hospital Association. The McGaw Prize is awarded annually to a single healthcare organization that provides innovative programs that significantly improve the health and well-being of its community.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

February 21, 2018

-

February 27, 2018

Black Love: 5 Reasons Why It’s Important

by Tia Muhammad, BDO.

Love is love they say. But black love, that’s some other type of magic. When it comes to black couples in America, we haven’t always had the best reputation or success. With black men being the #1 incarcerated race and gender in America, and leading the race in deaths by violence, it comes as no surprise why black couples are the least likely to stay together. Furthermore, I haven’t seen enough information on how black love works and why black marriage is important.

So, I gathered my best recollection of when I saw black love at its best. Here are 5 reasons why black love is important: Common Grounds Collide To me black love is phenomenal. No one “gets you” like your own. I say that because, as a black woman in America, there are certain trails and experiences that you come upon that are engrained in you forever. Whether it was the time someone followed you around a fancy boutique or the time you were talked down to by someone who was seemingly more “well-off” than you, there’s an understanding of common ground that only the two of you can relate to.

History Is Being Made The stigma of generational trauma from the time of slavery has always taken a toll on black love. From men not being able

to protect their wives from slave owners to the women not being able to truly show affection in public during those times, black love is much more than what you see on the surface. You’re making history every time you stand side by side, every time you walk hand in hand, and every time you both stand up in the face of opposition. Your love for one another and being able to openly express that is history being made.

The Odds Are Beat With all the statistics set out against the sanction of black couples, the bond

creates something telling. Sticking it out through the tough times and holding the love strong is what makes black love special. You’re changing the course of all the odds stacked up against you by letting your love reflect your pride, strength, and courage together.

A Legacy Lives On As stated before, love is love. You can’t help who you love or where that love will come from, whether they’re of the same race or not. However, there is something to the point of allowing your legacy to live on. A legacy is more than wealth, sta-

tus, or passed down emblems. A legacy of experiences, heritage, and pride is just as important. Passing down a legacy of tradition from generation to generation is engrained in the black community and shines even brighter with black love.

The Reflection Moves Others The strength of love is contagious. Black love is even more infectious, and seeing it uplifts others to seek the same. Prominent figures like Barack and Michelle Obama reflect not only black love but it does an important job of mirroring to the world what black couples hold most valuable

to them: Respect, friendship, kindness, trust, support, and strength.

Making moves together and taking pride in this kind of love is something magical and just might give encouragement to another that finding and keeping black love is possible.

Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.

LeVar Burton: Creating A Revolution Through Reading

by Barry Anderson, BDO Contributing Writer

Actor LeVar Burton, who made his name as Kunta Kinte in the 1977 miniseries Roots and, later, as Geordi La Forge in the long-running TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, was also a big-hearted visionary with a huge idea: get kids interested in reading more to accomplish their dreams and be great.

So he started the show called Reading Rainbow, which was a hit amongst children and adults. It ran on air from June 6, 1983, to November 10, 2006, with a total of 155 half-hour episodes spanning over 21 seasons, making it the longest running show on the network. The show encouraged children to read.

The public television series garnered over 200 broadcast awards, including a Peabody Award and 26 Emmy Awards, 11 of which were in the “Outstanding Children’s Series” category.

“It was a simple idea: use TV to introduce the wonders to be found in a book,” says the 60-year-old Burton. “The pace

was slow by today’s standards. As the host, I tried to talk to my audience, not at them, and to share my enthusiasm for life and the written word. And we had a catchy theme song! ‘Take a look, it’s in a book’; ‘Go anywhere, be anything’— that’s a valuable message.”

The theme song of the show was sung by non other than Chaka Khan.

To actually tell children–Black and brown children that they can be “anything”–anything that they want to be and go anywhere just by reading a book is a powerful message by any measurement.

Burton was trying to start a revolution of changing minds through reading.

Three years after the show went off air, in 2009–a time when 66 percent of American fourth graders aren’t proficient in reading (source: 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP))– the need for literacy-building programs was undeniable. And Burton had the idea of bringing the show back, but updated for the digital generation. Lacking in funds and with the encouragement of

his 19-year-old daughter, Burton started a online fundraiser on kickstarter.com.

On the fundraising page, it said, Kickstarter funds will be used to develop two subscription-based versions of a Reading Rainbow website: a home edition for kids and families, and a classroom version for teachers with accompanying lesson plans. Using the money they’ve raised, they’ll also donate free subscriptions to at least 1,500 classrooms with students from disadvantaged backgrounds; if they hit the $5 million mark, they’ll give away 6,000 more. And that’s just the beginning.

And hit that mark they did. The Reading Rainbow kickstarter raked in $5,408,916 from 105,857 backers. So, in 2012, an iPad and Kindle Fire educational interactive book reading and video field trip application was launched bearing the name of the program.

Burton’s love for reading started when he was just a young boy.

“I was 4 or 5, sitting next to my aunt, reading, and I got stuck on the word pretty. I wouldn’t say it; I didn’t want to be wrong. So I sat there. My aunt was very

12

patient, but finally, she said, ‘The word is pretty.’ I knew I was right in my mind and my heart. I just didn’t have the courage to say it.”

One of LaVar’s favorite books is, Amazing Grace, by Mary Hoffman.

“It’s the story of a girl who wants to

play Peter Pan in her school play,” explains Burton. “But is told by her classmates that she can’t because she’s a girl and she’s black. It’s Grace’s story of believing in herself and learning that she can be anything she wants using the power of her imagination.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

Stetson Library: The Next Chapter

A MUSICAL CELEBRATION

HELP STETSON LIBRARY MOVE INTO THE NEW Q HOUSE “We don’t just need a place for books—we need a space for people to learn, to be challenged, to come together.

A library is not just a home for books, it’s a home for the community.” - Diane Brown, Stetson Branch Manager

written & directed bY

regina taylor

adapted frOM the bOOk bY

michael cuningham & craig marberry

Thanks to a generous challenge grant from the Seedlings Foundation, you can double the impact of your donation. All gifts between $50 - $10,000 will be matched dollar for dollar!

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE McCARTER THEATRE CENTER

Donate online at nextstetson.org or by check to: NHFPL Foundation - Stetson Library, 133 Elm St, New Haven, CT 06510

aPril 18-may 13 203-787-4282 longWharF.org

The NHFPL Foundation is a 501(c)(3) exempt organization; gifts are fully deductible under federal tax regulations.

A school that honors Black History, and contributes to it.

FACT: Edward A. Bouchet, a graduate from Yale College in 1874 was the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in the U.S., in physics. He was valedictorian of Hopkins School, class of 1870. Today, Hopkins continues to attract and develop remarkable students.

ellington jazz series

Harp vs. Harp

During the summer, we offer courses that are open to any student entering grades 3-12 in the fall of 2018. It’s a chance to experience how Hopkins prepares students to study, learn, lead, and take part in sports. Join us.

E D M A R C A S TA N E D A , H A R P & G R É G O I R E M A R E T, H A R M O N I C A

mar 2 friday at 7:30 pm

Tickets from $20, Students from $10 Morse Recital Hall 470 College Street, New Haven Box Office: 203 432-4158 Summer Sessions offered from

music-tickets.yale.edu

June 25 – August 3, 2018 13

Information and registration information at hopkins.edu 203.397.1001 • New Haven, CT

THE INNER-CITY NEWS

Quinnipiac University to host discussion, ‘The Gift of Frederick Douglass,’ with two of Douglass’ descendants on Feb. 22 Hamden, Connecticut – Feb. 2018 – Quinnipiac University will host “The Gift of Frederick Douglass,” a discussion featuring two descendants of the famed abolitionist leader, at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018, at the Center for Religion, 275 Mount Carmel Ave. The event, which will be hosted by Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute and the Center for Religion, is part of a series of events celebrating the 200th anniversary of Fredrick Douglass’ birth and his many achievements. The program is free and open to the public.

Kenneth Morris and Nettie Douglass, descendants of Frederick Douglass, will discuss how they are preserving his legacy. Morris is the great-greatgreat grandson of Frederick Douglass and the great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington. His mother, Nettie Washington Douglass, is the daughter of Nettie Hancock Washington (granddaughter of Booker T. Washington) and Dr. Frederick Douglass III (greatgrandson of Frederick Douglass).

Morris continues his family’s legacy of human rights and educational work as co-founder and president of the Atlanta-based nonprofit Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, whose mission is “to advance freedom through knowledge and strategic action.”

Refreshments will be served.

Quinnipiac’s “Frederick Douglass Remembered” celebration includes Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute’s yearlong exhibition, “Frederick Douglass in Ireland: ‘The Black O’Connell,’” that focuses on the time Douglass spent in Ireland from 1845-46.

The exhibition, which opened Feb.

February 21, 2018

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February 27, 2018

Bridget “Biddy” Mason: A Generous Heart

by Gemma Greene, BDO Staff Writer

2 in the Lender Special Collection Room at the Arnold Bernhard Library on the Mount Carmel Campus, explores the impact Ireland had on the personal and political development of Douglass. A highlight of his stay was meeting his hero, the Irish nationalist and abolitionist Daniel O’Connell.

It was while speaking in front of O’Connell that Douglass made an impassioned plea for his enslaved people to find their own “Black O’Connell.”

Throughout his life, Douglass would playfully refer to himself this way. A special booklet has been produced to accompany the exhibition.

A smaller exhibition, which features a statue of Douglass at age 27 when he visited Ireland, is on display in the School of Law lobby on Quinnipiac’s North Haven Campus. The statue, which measures nearly 9 feet by 9 feet, is on loan to the Great Hunger Institute from acclaimed sculptor Andrew Edwards. Both exhibits are free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

When we talk about Black History, we hear a lot of names over and over again like Frederick Douglass, Sojurner Truth, Mary McLeod Bethune and others. But when the name Bridget “Biddy” Mason, probably doesn’t ring a bell.

Born a slave in Mississippi in 1818, Mason achieved unprecedented financial success that enabled her to support her extended family for generations despite the fact that she was illiterate. In a landmark case she sued her master for their freedom, saved her earnings, invested in real estate, and became a well-known philanthropist in Los Angeles, California.

Although born in Mississippi, Mason was owned by slaveholders in Georgia and South Carolina before she was returned to Mississippi. Her last owner, Robert Marion Smith, a Mississippi Mormon convert, followed the call of church leaders to settle in the West.

Mason and her children joined other slaves on Smith’s religious pilgrimage to establish a new Mormon community in what would become Salt Lake City, Utah. At the time Utah was still part of Mexico.

In 1848 30-year-old Mason walked 1,700 miles behind a 300-wagon caravan that eventually arrived in the Holladay-Cottonwood area of the Salt Lake Valley. Along the route west Mason’s responsibilities included setting up and breaking camp, cooking the meals, herding the cattle, and serving as a midwife as well as taking care of

her three young daughters aged ten, four, and an infant.

In 1851 Smith and his family and slaves set out in a 150-wagon caravan for San Bernardino, California to establish yet another Mormon community. Ignoring the law that slavery was illegal in California, Smith brought Mason and other enslaved people to the new community. Along the way Mason met other free blacks, who urged her to legally contest her slave status once she reached the free state of California.

In December 1855 Robert Smith, fearing losing his slaves, decided to move with them to Texas, a slave state.

The Owens family had a vested interest in the Mason family as one of their sons was romantically involved with Mason’s 17-year-old daughter. When Robert Owens told the Los Angeles County Sheriff that slaves were being illegally held, he gathered a posse to apprehend Smith’s wagon train and prevented him from leaving the state.

Bridget petitioned a Los Angeles

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court for her freedom. Smith claimed that Bridget was her family and she wanted to go to Texas. He then bribed her lawyer to not show up. She was not allowed to testify in court, since California law prohibited black people from testifying against white people. The judge presiding over the case, Benjamin Ignatius Hayes, interviewed Bridget and found she did not want to go to Texas and in a landmark decision, granted her freedom as a resident of a free state, as well as the freedom of the 13 other slaves held captive by Smith (Bridget’s three daughters—Ellen, Ann, and Harriet—and ten other African-American women and children). In 1860, Mason received a certified copy of the document that guaranteed her freedom.

Bridget had no legal last name as a slave. After emancipation, she chose to be known as Bridget Biddy Mason. “Mason” came from the middle name of Amasa Lyman, who was the mayor of San Bernadino and a Mormon Apostle. Bridget had spent a considerable amount of time with the Lyman household.

After becoming free, she worked in Los Angeles as a nurse and midwife.

One of her employers was the noted physician John Strother Griffin. Saving carefully, she was one of the first African Americans to purchase land in the city. As a businesswoman, she amassed a relatively large fortune of nearly $300,000, which she shared generously with charities. According to the governments inflation calculator, that amount of money would have equated to roughly $7,940,940.97 during that time! Mason also fed and sheltered the poor, and visited prisoners. She was instrumental in founding a traveler’s aid center, and an elementary school for black children. Because of her kind and giving spirit,… … many called her “Auntie Mason” or “Grandma Mason.”

In 1872, Mason was a founding member of First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, the city’s first black church. The organizing meetings were held in her home on Spring Street. She donated the land on which the church was built.

This land is now the site of Biddy Mason Park, a Los Angeles city park and site of an art installation describing her life.

Mason spoke fluent Spanish and was a well-known figure in the city.

She educated her children and with her wealth became a philanthropist to the entire Los Angeles community.

New Haven Ind

Winston Duke: A Star Is Born THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

Con’t from page 9

Their Turn In Spotlight

way up from 52.7 percent the year before. But only 18.1 percent passed college-level exams, like the SAT or AP, inching up from 16.7 percent the year before. The state said 75 percent of students should be passing those tests.

A major part of the district’s push will be certifying educators in AP courses, even if those teachers don’t end up hosting the classes right away.

“It’s a higher, better level of instruction,” Mayo said.

Next year, every ninth-grade and tenth-grade teacher at Hillhouse (and Hill Regional Career High School) will participate in a pilot training program run by the College Board.

“The goal is to get [younger students] ready,” Worthy said.

Eventually, he wants three-quarters of the student body to graduate with at least one AP class on their transcript.

In addition to Ntungu, Naji and Khan, Hillhouse’s scholars included Janet Guerrero, Naomi Wright, Kyra Brown, Gillian Ofori, Suzzanah Spruill, Samir Lee, Tamara Price, Ammar Al Zouabi, Mahdeen Khan, Kevin Rodriguez, Lydia Ogbe, Zaddy Lopez Alonzo, Zuleika Zambrana, Cesarina

by Christian Carter, BDO Assignment Reporter

Before the hit movie “Black Panther” many of us probably hadn’t heard of the name Winston Duke. Audiences might have caught a glimpse of Duke making the rounds on network shows like Modern Family, Person of Interest or Law & Order. But after the blockbuster debuted, the handsome 6-foot-5 young man is on the mind of many us, including all of his new young ladies admirers.

The 31-year-old was introduced to millions of moviegoers and obsessive comic book fans as M’Baku, the leader of the distant Jabari mountain tribe and a villainous foe to Wakandan King T’Challa.

In the Black Panther comics, M’Baku is a classically jealous rival, itching to take the crown from the King. In the film, M’Baku is still combative and ambitious to take the throne, but in the end, he’s grounded in a loyalty to his people above all else. When he first read the film’s script, Duke noticed that M’Baku often says “we” instead of “I”—the symbol of a true leader.

“He’s deeply attached to his community and the welfare of his people,” the actor

says to Vanity Fair. “This is a lot more than I could have ever expected, especially for my first role.”

It was in this first major movie role that his friend, fellow co-star and former Yale classmate, Lupita N’yongo coached and cheered him on to get.

They were both members of Folks, an T:9.25” acting club on campus for students of

color, which was co-founded by Yale alum Angela Bassett—who, yes, is also in Black Panther. She was actually the first person he met on campus, because she was a tour guide taking him around campus. The two actually saw the first Avengers movie together and talked about one that they too would be on the big screen. Little did they know that that

day would come sooner than either one of them thought.

Duke grew up in Tobago, in a small village called Argyle; a light accent still colors his voice. His mother worked for the government and had a restaurant on the side that often reeled in tourists.

When Duke was a kid, he would show Con’t on page 18

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

February 21, 2018

-

February 27, 2018

The Tea®, A New Online Book Club Show Features Oprah’s First Book Club Pick of 2018, “An American Marriage”

by Tayari Jones

Nationwide — In selecting An American Marriage, Oprah said: “It’s the perfect book to read along with a friend or a family member… you’ll want to talk about it with somebody.

It’s one of those books I could not put down!”

Every month, The Tea selects and spotlights a new book. For its February “Romance” theme, they chose An American Marriage. Tea co-host Janelle Clayton describes Tayari Jones’ fourth novel as “Juicy, full of

heartache and relevant to our experience.”

The cast of The Tea are professional women who share their own stories, inspired by themes in the books they choose. They hope to grow a global Book Club by inviting viewers to join the online conversation and keep it going and growing.

Shows are posted every Thursday at 7pm on their Facebook page and YouTube channel at www.Facebook.com/ JoinTheTea and www.youtube.com/ JoinTheTea The Tea’s Monthly Video Release

Schedule Week 1 – The Book Selection Week 2 – Get2Know (the Authors) Week 3 – The Book Discussion Week 4 – Beyond the Book In 2017, Burke and Kate Wood set out to create a book club show that would be entertaining and empowering, targeted to people who love books and talking about them. Troy Johnson of the AALBC assists with book selections, and much of the studio shooting is done at Harlem School of the Arts.

X is a Variable: The Lost Tapes of Malcolm X

by J. K. Schmid Special to the AFRO

Malcolm X is featured in the season premiere of Smithsonian Channel’s “The Lost Tapes,” and the episode enjoyed a debut screening hosted by Comcast, Smithsonian Channel and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture in Baltimore.

Among the 50 guests present for the screening were city council members Sharon Green Middleton (District 6) and Leon F. Pinkett, III (District 7). A panel discussion followed the episode, which included Smithsonian Channel Executive Producer John Cavanaugh, Damion Thomas, Ph.D, curator of the National Museum of African American History & Culture, and members of the audience.

Without narration and with few title cards between scenes to provide context, the film seems almost fanatically—or, perhaps, militantly—committed to an objective accounting of Malcolm X’s 1962 rise to prominence in the aftermath of the LAPD’s shooting of Nation of Islam member Ronald Stokes through his assassination in 1965.

“Malcolm X’s” verite style draws on

Photo: From left: Damion Thomas, PhD, Curator, National Museum of African American History and Culture; Dana De Santo, Director of Distributor Marketing, Smithsonian Channel; Donna Rattley Washington, Vice President of Government & Community Affairs for Comcast’s Beltway Region; Sharon Green Middleton, Vice President, Baltimore City Council; John Cavanagh, Executive Producer, Smithsonian Channel; Wanda Draper, Executive Director, Reginald F. Lewis Museum (Courtesy Photo/Comcast)

archival footage of the minister and civil rights leader in his prime, pulling from speeches to his congregants, panel discussions on “City Desk” and the breathless wild-eyed insinuations of young Mike Wallace’s “The Hate That Hate Produced.”

Photographs and audio recordings smooth the transitions from one segment to the next, leaving the viewer witness to something like a 48-minute testimonial.

“This is the first time that I have been able to just soak up and eat his words

from his mouth,” one audience member said during the panel discussion. “I may have a recording here or a recording there. But to have a film that chronologically allows me to hear him speak, his speaking in not just sound bites, that’s what I appreciate most about this.”

Diplomacy toward North Korea is an opening, not a surrender

By Jesse Jackson The picture of Vice President Mike Pence standing stiffly next to the trusted younger sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un at the Olympics in South Korea spoke a thousand words.

After weeks of escalating tensions, the

North Korean dictator decided to use the Olympics to reach out to South Korea and to the world. He sent North Korean athletes to the games. The two Korean teams marched into the Olympic arena under a unified flag. They fielded a joint women’s ice hockey team for the first time. Kim’s sister not only attended the ceremonies, but also issued an invitation to the South Korean president to make an official visit to the North after the games.

Vice President Pence came to the games to enforce the administration’s no-talk policy. He stiffed Kim’s sister on the podium. He and his wife refused to join

the crowd in standing when the Koreans marched in.

“We will not allow North Korean propaganda to hijack the message and imagery of the Olympic Games,” he said, vowing to focus on North Korean provocations and human rights abuses, while promising new and harsher sanctions.

But the “message and imagery” of the Olympic Games is that athletes of all nations put aside bitter conflicts to compete in contests. The space for peaceful sports competition could create the opening for serious talks.

When campaigning for the presidency,

16

South Korean President Moon Jae-in promised an opening to North Korea.

The jarring North Korean tests of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles cast a pall on that. President Donald Trump responded with a characteristic combination of insult and bluster. He infamously strutted that he had a “bigger (nuclear) button” than the North Korean president.

The administration ratcheted up sanctions, pushed China to get Kim under control, declared that North Korean possession of nuclear weapons was a dire Con’t on page 22

The film’s primary focus is simply what Malcolm said and what he did, leaving any further analysis by the wayside. The viewer is left to fill in the gaps between every line with their own meaning, or to try to imagine the producers’ own intent.

For example, one video sample so degraded that Malcolm’s face is washed out, leaving only a gleaming white silhouette. Watching Malcolm preaching, it is as if he is glowing with inner light. Is it an allusion to Malcolm’s divine spark? He’s sainted by more than one adherent in the film. When a director doesn’t say anything, the search for meaning can grow desperate.

“I think it’s a consequence of the filmmaking format, as much as anything,” Cavanaugh told the AFRO. “Certainly, we tell American history stories. That’s what we do. That is always sort of our mode of thinking. When we go back and look at stories like this, it’s about telling you what happened. And this series, more than any other, it’s immersive. When there’s no narration, it’s about dropping you in the moment and experiencing history sort of live. You’re seeing reactions to events as they occur.”

It may be useful to consider “The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X” as a museum piece, a curio. The closest the film gets to narrative and character are pictures of Malcolm on his pilgrimage to Mecca, near his conversion to Sunni Islam. The closest to a private moment is Malcolm kneeling alone with his god in the Great Mosque of Muhammed Ali, Cairo. But he’s not saying anything.

Like the pyramids, “The Lost Tapes” Malcolm is grandiose, regal, larger than life, but there’s never a peek at the man inside.

“The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X” will premiere on the Smithsonian Channel on Monday, February 26 at 8 p.m. ET.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

February 21, 2018

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February 27, 2018

’Couch Potatoes’ May Face Higher Risk of Kidney & Bladder Cancers “You don’t have to run marathons to reduce your cancer risk, but you have to do something — even small adjustments like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking around the block a couple of times on your lunch hour or parking the car far away from the store when you go to the supermarket,” she said in an institute news release.

by HealthDay News

Let’s be real. In today’s society, ‘couch potatoes’ have arguably crossed over into the workplace environment. Many American workers take to their cubicles 8 hours of the day and many tack on an addition 4 hours sitting in their cars commuting back and forth to the office. Well, the time has finally come to start taking those trips to the water cooler a bit more serious.

Add greater risk of kidney and bladder cancer to the long list of why a lifetime of sitting isn’t good for your health, a new study suggests.

Specifically, lifetime recreational inactivity was associated with a 73 percent increased risk of bladder cancer and a 77 percent increased risk of kidney cancer.

The findings add to growing evidence that inactivity may be a significant risk

factor for cancer, the researchers said.

“We hope that findings like ours will motivate inactive people to engage in some form of physical activity,” said

study senior author Kirsten Moysich.

She is a professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.

The study included 160 kidney cancer patients, 208 bladder cancer patients and 766 people without cancer. Cancer risks were similar whether people were obese or not, the researchers said.

The study was only designed to show an association between a sedentary lifestyle and the risk of these cancers; it cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

“Our findings underscore how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including getting and staying active,”

THE SECOND AMENDMENT AND WHITE ANXIETY

by Oscar H. Blayton

There has been yet another school shooting in America. The multiple murders at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida mark the 18th school shooting in this nation since the beginning of the year. And once again the only response by elected officials has been to offer “thoughts and prayers” for the victims and their families.

News anchors and pundits scratch their heads and ask, “What can be done to fix this?” while ignoring the obvious answer limit access to guns.

If this seems like madness, it’s because it is. This country clearly has a gun problem, a problem that can be solved if we act, as so many countries around the world have done. But we choose not to.

Much of the blame for these killings is placed at the feet of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the political behemoth that slides dollars into the pockets of every conservative federal elected official and to many state politicians as well. These “bribes” ensure that conservative politicians will not enact any meaningful legislation that will stop or slow the flow of guns, even into the hands of the criminally insane.

But the NRA could not exist without a culture in this country that places a higher priority on the right to gun ownership than on the lives of school children.

The main question then becomes, “How did this madness come to dictate America’s priorities?”

In attempting to answer this question, we cannot ignore the racial dynamic of America’s obsession with guns. White men can walk the streets with fully loaded automatic rifles and suffer no negative consequences,

while people of color are shot dead for having a toy gun.

This is because the freedom of Americans to bears arms that is not the real issue here; it is the freedom of white Americans to arm themselves against people of color (who are perceived as a threat).

Even though the great majority of mass shooters are white, the perceived threat is the armed person of color. The psyches of many white Americans are tainted by a fear of retribution for past wrongs and injustices committed against people of color. This fear will not go away anytime soon because for as long as the injustices persist, the fear will persist and the gun culture will persist.

So, the mass killings will persist.

Typically, and ironically, the victims of American injustice are not doing the killing. A segment of the white populace that is armed to the teeth unleashes its murderous anxiety by firing assault weapons, killing the innocent. It may seem farfetched to quote a character from a “Star Wars” episode, but in this case, the warning by Master Jedi Yoda’s makes sense: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

To those whites prone to such behavior, Donald Trump has given license to openly fear and hate people of color. The resulting suffering has followed, as night follows the day.

The problem of mass shootings is most definitely a gun problem. It is also undeniably a mental health problem. And at the base of it all, the root of the gun culture that allows the mentally ill to run around with the capability to commit multiple murders is white America’s fear of people of color.

But the fear that many white people have of people of color pales in comparison to their fear of a Black man with a gun. The high-water mark for American gun control legislation during the last eighty years was in the late 1960s, due in large part to the Black Panther Party showing up heavily armed at the California State House in May 1967. The sight of armed Black men with large afros and berets sent a chill down America’s spine and sparked political activity that eventually led to new gun control laws being passed in federal and state legislatures.

In the years since, law enforcement across the country struck heavy blows against Black organizations perceived to be radical, armed and dangerous. These organizations began to fade and the perceived threat level lessened. Once this happened, gun control began to be relaxed.

A working paper released by the Harvard Business School in 2016 explored the impact of mass shootings on gun policy from 1989 to 2014. It showed that gun laws have been loosened over the years by legislators courted by the gun lobby. The paper even states, “When there is a Republicancontrolled legislature, mass shootings lead to more firearm laws that loosen gun control. A mass shooting in the previous year increases the number of enacted laws that loosen gun restrictions by 75% in states with Republican-controlled legislatures.”

In other words, when there is a mass shooting, Republicans make it easier for someone to commit another mass shooting by loosening gun control laws. This can best be explained by the existence of a great fear of, and a need to arm against, the perceived threat posed by people of color.

The gun lobby’s 2nd Amendment argu-

18

ment to keep and bear arms is predicated upon self-defense. But the language of that amendment begins,” A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State…” Gun rights advocates never talk about this first clause of the one sentence that is the 2nd Amendment. The necessary “well regulated Militia” underpinning the right to keep and bear arms has been swept aside, as it is now alleged that the amendment addresses the security of individuals rather than that of the “free state.”

Today, it is white privilege, not America, that some white people are seeking to protected by the 2nd Amendment.

We must now ask ourselves, “How do we, as citizens, take on the gun lobby and the culture that supports it?” Clearly, our current, collective elected officials will do nothing.

We, as citizens, need to begin on the local, state and federal levels to replace politicians who are lackeys of the NRA and the gun lobby so that we can pass laws restricting access to automatic weapons. The right to bear arms does not mean the right to bear all weapons. Ordinary people cannot possess mortars, rocket launchers or grenades, so, why can’t we extend these prohibitions to include automatic assault rifles? Why can’t we mandate strict background checks and limit the number of guns an individual can purchase?

We must put people in office who have principles and who value human life over profit and privilege and find ways to pass laws that create more effective gun controls.

It is time for us to use gun laws to protect citizens rather than to secure white privilege.

study first author Rikki Cannioto, an assistant professor of oncology at Roswell Park, said.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes each week of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes each week of vigorous physical activity as a way to generate significant, lasting health benefits,” Cannioto said.

Living a non-sedentary lifestyle might not be such an easy choice for some, workplaces have to start taking serious action and encourage a work environment where activity is a necessity, not problematic. However, the choice to get active is ultimately your choice and responsibility. For more ways to incorporate your healthy lifestyle into the workplace check out our Healthy Living section on BlackDoctor.org.

SOURCES: Roswell Park Cancer Institute, news release, May 24, 2017 Con’t from page 15

Winston Duke:

people to their tables, quickly learning how to charm strangers.

When he was 9, his mother sold the restaurant and all their earthly possessions and moved the family to a studio apartment in Brooklyn in order to support Duke’s older sister as she pursued her dream of becoming a doctor. As she shuttled back and forth to the City College of New York, Duke withdrew into himself, spending most days after school going to the library or to a local comic-book store called Winston’s.

It was one of his Spanish teachers that noticed Winston would come alive whenever he had to make presentations to the class. So she signed him up for the theater club and he never looked back, going on to study… … theater at the University of Buffalo.

He took a year off to hone his craft in Baltimore, then went north once again to enroll in the Yale School of Drama.

In order to win the part of M’Baku, he had to audition four times over the course of three months, in front of writer, director Ryan Coogler. “He took me in every direction known to man with the character,” he says. Sometimes, he’d sneak glances at the filmmaker and realize that Coogler wasn’t even looking at him, but rather looking down and listening to the performance—sussing out “the patterns and the musicality,” Duke guesses.

So what’s next for the young star?

From where we stand, the sky’s the limit! Keep rising Winston!

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

Open Houses Will Be Held February 15th & 28th, 3pm - 5pm For more information, contact Karen Martin at 203-234-7611 / kmartin@aces.org 31 Temple Street, North Haven, CT 06473 www.aces.org/village Imagine.

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Inspire.

Saint Aedan- St. Brendan School

Working together to build a stronger community – now and forever.

351 McKinley Ave., New Haven, CT 06515

“But the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved COMMUNITY. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends.”

“Nurturing the Spirit,

Educating the Mind”

Now accepting applications for Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 8 Now We offer a faith-based education that prepares children for their future.

Students learn through creativity and ownership while building character and Lasting relationships with peers and staff alike.

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Come be apart of our COMMUNITY.

Before & aftercare available Extracurricular activities include Band, Choir, Concerts and Athletics

Contact us to learn about the many ways you can strengthen our community and create a personal legacy that benefits the nonprofit(s) that matter most to you.

203-387-5693 www.staedan-brendanschool.org Title I Services Mr. Michael Votto, Principal Rev. Thomas Shepard, Pastor

www.cfgnh.org | 203-777-7068

Tuition Payment Plans Available • Credit Cards Accepted

Accredited by NEASC· State of CT

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport (HACB) d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) will be opening its Low Income Public Housing Waiting List for 2 bedroom units beginning Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 16, 2018. To qualify, a family size MUST be a minimum of two (2) AND the families annual gross income may not exceed the income limits shown below for the household size. Pre-Applications may be picked up at Gary Crooks Community Center, 301 Bostwick Ave. PreApplications can also be downloaded from our website www.parkcitycommunities. org. Only one pre-application per family will be accepted; duplicate pre-applications will be disqualified.

Applications must be returned to Gary Crooks ONLY. This housing authority does have a preference point system: disabled, homeless, elderly, working, displaced, domestic violence, veterans, elderly congregate and witness protection. A waiting list with preferences means that applicants who qualify for the preference will receive assistance before applicants who do not.

February 21, 2018

-

February 27, 2018

Class A Driver

Class A CDL Driver with 3 years min. exp.

HAZMAT Endorsed.

(Tractor/Triaxle/Roll-off)

Some overnights may be required.

FAX resumes to RED Technologies, at 860.342-1042; Email: HR@redtechllc.com Mail or in person: 173 Pickering Street, Portland, CT 06480.

RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.

TRUCK DRIVERS We are looking to hire Class A and Class B truck drivers for the upcoming paving season. Applicants must have a clean driving record and be able to pass pre-employment drug and alcohol screenings.

Experience is a plus, but willing to train the right candidates. Apply in person or fax resume to: (860) 376-3909, Attn: Christina Walsh

American Industries Inc.

630 Plainfield Road Jewett City, CT 06351 No phone calls please

BRANFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY

If you require a reasonable accommodation for this process, a designated help line will be available to receive your requests at (203) 337-8804 PCC does not discriminate based upon race, color, disabilities, religion, sex or national origin.

ELECTRICIAN/APPRENTICE – Telecommunications company looking for low voltage cable installer familiar with all aspects of indoor & outdoor cable installation, aerial bucket work, pole work, messenger, lashing, manhole & underground installation. Company is also looking for apprentices to train. Good salary with 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

Class A CDL Driver with 3 years min. exp. HAZMAT Endorsed.

(Tractor/Triaxle/Roll-off ) Some overnights may be required. FAX resumes to RED Technologies, at 860.342-1042; Email: HR@redtechllc.com Mail or in person: 173 Pickering Street, Portland, CT 06480. RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.

Listing: Logistics Assistant - Immediate Opening High Volume petroleum oil company is seeking a full time skilled Logistics Assistant with previous petroleum oil, retail or commercial dispatching experience for days, shared on call duties and weekends required also. Must possess, excellent attention to detail, ability to manage multiple projects, excel proficiency and good computer skills required. Send resume to: Human Resource Dept., PO Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437. ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**********

c/o Merit Properties, Inc. 1224 Mill Street Building A, Suite 102 East Berlin, CT 06023

WAITLIST OPEN Lista de Espera (Apertura)

El Branford Housing Authority anuncia que ahora están aceptando solicitudes para el Estado/ Ancianos Discapacitados Parkside complejo Village I y II. Para calificar usted debe tener al menos 62 años o 18 años y los discapacitados. Los límites de ingresos publicado por HUD no puede superar los $47,600 dólares (una persona) y $54,400 dólares (dos personas). Hogar también deben cumplir el requisito de ingresos mínimos de $17,760 para pagar el alquiler básico mínimo para la unidad. Las partes interesadas podrán recoger una solicitud en Parkside Village, 115 South Montowese Street, Branford, o usted puede llamar al 203-481-3194 para pedir una solicitud para ser enviado a usted.

BRANFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY c/o Merit Properties, Inc. 1224 Mill Street Building A, Suite 102 East Berlin, CT 06023

Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of operating heavy equipment; be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Contact: Dana Briere Invitation for BidsPhone: 860-243-2300 Email: Temporary Staffing Services dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are The Housing Authority of the City New Haven d/b/a Elm encouraged toofapply City Communities currently Equal seekingOpportunity Bids for Temporary AffirmativeisAction/ Staffing Services. A complete copy of the requirement may Employer

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, January 29, 2018 at 3:00PM.

GARRITY ASPHALT RECLAIMING , INC Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks: Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record.

We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860243-2300 Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming Inc Employer

seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory training Asphalt on equipment we operate.

Garrity Reclaiming Inc Location: Bloomfield CT seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic Contact: experienced James Burke Phone: 860-and preferably in Reclaiming 243-2300 Road Milling Equipment.

We offer factory email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com training on equipment we operate.

Women & Minority Applicants are Location: Bloomfield CT Contact:encouraged James Burke Phone: 860to apply 243-2300 Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & Women excellent & Minority Applicants are benefits encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

WAITLIST OPEN

The Branford Housing Authority hereby announces that they are now accepting applications for the State Elderly/Disabled Complex Parkside Village I & II. To qualify you must be at least 62 years old or 18 and disabled.

Income limits as published by HUD cannot exceed $47,600 (one person) and $54,400 (two people). Households must also meet the required minimum income of $17,760 to afford the minimum Base Rent for the unit. Interested parties may pick up an application at Parkside Village, 115 South Montowese Street, Branford, or you may call 203-481-3194 to request an application be mailed to you.

TRANSFER STATION LABORER Off load trailers, reload for trans/disp. Lift 50 lbs., operate industrial powered trucks and forklift. Asbestos Worker Handler Training a +. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering St., Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860-342-1022; or Email to lkelly@ redtransfer.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

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Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of operating Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer heavy equipment; be willing to travel Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer Equipment. Must have a CDL License, excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits clean driving record, capable of operating Contact: Dana Briere Phone: heavy equipment; be willing to travel 860-243-2300 Email: throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Women & Minority Applicants are Contact: Dana Briere Phone: encouraged to apply 860-243-2300 Email: Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Employer Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

Field Engineer

BA/BS in Civil Engineering or Construction Management.

2-5 yrs. experience. OSHA Certified.

Proficient in reading contract plans and specifications.

Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; Email resumes to info@redtechllc.com. RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Project Manager Environmental Remediation Division 3-5 years exp. and Bachelor’s Degree, 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training Req. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002;

Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Class A CDL Driver

with 3 years min. exp. HAZMAT Endorsed. (Tractor/Triaxle/Roll-off) Some overnights may be required. FAX resumes to RED Technologies, at 860.342-1042; Email: HR@redtechllc.com Mail or in person: 173 Pickering Street, Portland, CT 06480. RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.

Town of Bloomfield

Custodian $22.31 hourly For details go to www.bloomfieldct.org

KMK Insulation Inc. 1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits.

Please mail resume to above address.. MAIL ONLY This company is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

Common Ground seeks an Assistant Fa-

cilities Manager to be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of Common Ground’s facilities. The Assistant Facilities Manager will supervise part time custodial staff. This is a full time, year round 40-hour per week position with benefits. Work hours will generally run from noon until 8 pm with some weekend hours required. For a more detailed job description and how to apply, please visit http://commongroundct. org/2017/10/common-ground-seeks-an-assistant-facilitiesmanager/Common Ground seeks an Assistant Facilities Manager to be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of Common Ground’s facilities. The Assistant Facilities Manager will supervise part time custodial staff. This is a full time, year round 40-hour per week position with benefits. Work hours will generally run from noon until 8 pm with some weekend hours required. For a more detailed job description and how to apply, please visit http://commongroundct.org/2017/10/common-ground-seeks-an-assistant-facilities-manager/

Help Wanted. Immediate opening for opera-

tor for Heavy and Highway construction. Please call PJF Construction Corp. @ 860-888-9998.

We are an equal opportunity employer M/F.

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

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT is requesting proposals for the painting of interior vacant units.

Proposal documents can be viewed and printed at www. norwalkha.org<http://www.norwalkha.org> under the Business section RFP’s/RFQ’s Norwalk Housing is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Curtis O. Law, Executive Director.

Contract Administrator Galasso Materials is seeking a motivated, organized individual to be its next Contract Administrator. This position provides administration associated with our paving division. Responsibilities include billing, payroll, collection, lien tracking, coordinating with outside legal counsel, and job cost. Experience is preferred but willing to train the right candidate. Salary commensurate with experience and educational achievement. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Reply to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026.

EOE/M/F/D/V.

NOTICIA PUBLICA The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport (HACB) d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) abrirá la lista de espera de Viviendas de Bajos Ingresos de 2 dormitorios el día 5 de Marzo 2018 hasta 16 de Marzo 2018. Para calificar, una familia debe tener un mínimo de tres (3) miembros y los ingresos bruto anual de la familia no pueden exceder los límites de ingresos que se muestran a continuación para el tamaño del hogar. Pre- solicitudes se pueden recoger en la oficina de Gary Crooks Community Center situado en 301 Bostwick Avenue, Bridgeport, CT. Aplicaciones pueden ser descargadas desde nuestro sitio de web www.parkcitycommunities.org. Sólo se aceptará una pre-solicitud por familia; duplicados de pre-solicitudes serán descalificadas.

Aplicaciones deben ser entregadas a Gary Crooks Community Center solamente!

La Autoridad de Viviendas tiene un sistema de preferencias: personas sin hogar, discapacitados, mayor de edad, empleados, víctimas de violencia domestica, veteranos, ancianos congregados y protección de testigos. Una lista de espera con preferencias quiere decir que personas que cualifican con su preferencia recibirán asistencia antes de personas sin preferencias.

CARPENTER Large CT Fence Company looking for a carpenter for our Wood Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. This is an in-shop production position. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and more. Some pickup & delivery of materials may also be required. Must have a valid CT driver’s license and be able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com. AA/EOE

Town of Portland, CT (EOE) Suburban municipality of 9,400 residents; supervises 25 employees; 1.8 million budget; 75 miles of roads. Requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering or business/public administration plus seven years of progressively responsible administration experience, including three years of supervisory capacity.

Must possess valid CT driver’s license. Salary range DOQ; non-union with fringe benefits. Subject to pre-employment drug/alcohol testing. Deadline: 3/2/2018. Submit resume with Town application & 3 letters of reference to: Office of the First Selectwoman, P.O. Box 71, Portland, CT 06480-0071

Dispatcher Galasso Materials is seeking a motivated, organized, detail-oriented candidate to join its truck dispatch office. Responsibilities include order entry and truck ticketing in a fast paced materials manufacturing and contracting company. You will have daily interaction with employees and customers as numerous truckloads of material cross our scales daily. We are willing to train the right individual that has a great attitude. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Reply to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026.

EOE/M/F/D/V.

Hot Mix Asphalt Plant Technician & Paving Inspector

There are multiple openings in Galasso Materials Quality Control Department.

NETTCP certification is preferred, with at least one year of experience. Full time positions available. Your schedule must be flexible as sometimes night shifts are required. Must be able to lift and carry 50lb buckets. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Reply to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026.

EOE/M/F/D/V.

Equipment Operators and Laborers Galasso Materials is seeking applicants for the 2018 paving season. Experience in paving operations is required. Must possess current OSHA 10 card, have a valid driver’s license, and own transportation. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Reply to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026. EOE/M/F/D/V.

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Si necesita un ajuste razonable para este proceso, una línea de ayuda designada estará disponible

para recibir sus peticiones al (203) 337-8804

PCC no discrimina basado en la raza, color, discapacidad, religión, sexo u origen nacional.

Construction Truck and Equipment Head Mechanic Large CT based Fence and Guard Rail contractor looking for experienced, self-motivated, responsible Head Mechanic. Responsibilities will include maintaining and repairing all company equipment and vehicles, updating asset lists and assuring all rolling stock is in compliance with state and federal regulations. Must have extensive diesel engine, electrical wiring and hydraulic systems experience. Top wages paid, company truck and benefits.

AA/EOE Please send resume to Mpicard@atlasoutdoor.com

DELIVERY PERSON NEEDED Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

Must Have Own Vehicle If Interested call (203) 435-1387 TRANSFER STATION LABORER Off load trailers, reload for trans/disp. Lift 50 lbs., operate industrial powered trucks and forklift. Asbestos Worker Handler Training a +. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering St., Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860-342-1022; or Email to lkelly@redtransfer.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS

February 21, 2018

-

February 27, 2018

Black Panther

Film Review by Kam Williams

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Chadwick Boseman Rises to the Occasion as African King/Marvel Superhero Chadwick Boseman has already made quite a career out of portraying a variety of prominent AfricanAmericans, from football star Floyd Little (The Express), to baseball great Jackie Robinson (42), to Godfather of Soul James Brown (Get on Up) to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (Marshall). The versatile actor’s efforts have been appreciated by the NAACP which has seen fit to nominate him for five Image Awards.

Although Black Panther is a fictional character, the role is ostensibly of no less significance than the historical figures Chadwick has played in the past. That’s because black kids have rarely had a superhero that looks like them to root for, even in Africa, where the Lord of the Jungle, Tarzan, was white, too.

Consequently, advance ticket sales for this Afrocentric origins tale have been through the roof, and I’m happy to report that audiences will not be disappointed. For, the film not only features a dignified protagonist and a socially-relevant plotline, but it’s also a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.

The picture was directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed) who made the most of his $200 million budget, between visually-captivating special effects and an A-list cast which includes Academy Award-winners Forest Whitaker (for The Last King of Scot-

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land) and Lupita Nyong’o (for 12 Years a Slave), Oscar-nominee Angela Bassett (for What’s Love Got to Do with It), as well as Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya and Sterling K. Brown.

At the point of departure, we learn that in ancient times the five tribes of Africa went to war over vibranium, a meteorite which imbues its holder with superhuman powers. Fastforward to the present and we find T’Challa (Boseman) being summoned home to the fictional nation of Wakanda to assume the reins of power in the wake of the passing of his father, King T’Chaka (John Kani).

Complicating matters is the fact that a number of other warriors covet the throne and that a South African arms smuggler (Andy Serkis) is trying to get his hands on some vibranium. Not to worry. T’Challa has a capable CIA agent (Martin Freeman) and a trio of loyal females on his side in his 16 year-old sister (Letitia Wright), his exgirlfriend (Nyong’o) and a two-fisted bodyguard (Danai Gurira).

What ensues is an edge of the seat roller coaster ride every bit as entertaining as any Spider-Man, Wonder Woman or other superhero adventure.

Simply ‘Marvel’-ous!

Excellent (4 stars) Rated PG-13 for pervasive violent action sequences and a rude gesture Running time: 134 minutes Production Studios: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Pictures Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Con’t from page 15

Diplomacy toward North Korea

national security threat and ramped up military exercises to the very borders of the North.

For our South Korean allies, the escalating threats are bone chilling. There is no rational military “option” against North Korea. A pre-emptive attack would be an illegal act of aggression that would lead to massive casualties in both North and South Korea and make the U.S. a pariah among nations.

Worse, the military threats only make the North Korean leadership less likely to negotiate away their nuclear weapons program. The U.S. sees North Korean nuclear weapons as offensive, threatening the U.S. and our allies. North Korea clearly sees its nuclear weapons as defensive. For an isolated dictatorship that is denounced by the U.S., a nuclear weapons capacity may serve the same purpose the U.S. claims for its own nuclear arsenal — deterring any country from attacking.

President Moon would clearly like to lessen tensions and move toward better relations. He has no desire to distance himself from the U.S., but would like to bring the U.S. and North Korea to the negotiating table.

What do Trump and his advisers want?

The no-talk, big-stick policy leads to a dead end. North Korea already has nuclear weapons. Severe sanctions have not slowed its development of intercontinental missiles.

The Chinese suggest that talks could start if the U.S. suspends its regular joint military exercises with South Korea and North Korea responds by suspending nuclear and missile tests. Neither the U.S. nor North Korea has expressed support for that.

Kim vows to “mass produce” nuclear weapons; Pence demands that North Korea begin “denuclearization,” the dismantling “permanently and irreversibly” of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs before there are any negotiations or loosening of sanctions or suspension of military exercises.

A no-talk, all-swagger policy has produced nothing. If escalating military exercises and threats don’t produce a war by miscalculation, they end up advertising the impotence of U.S. policy.

Diplomacy isn’t a surrender; it is an opening. The only way North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons is if it can receive concrete guarantees against foreign attack. The only way we can live with North Korea having nuclear weapons is with dialogue and mutual steps to build trust and security.

North Korea is a ruthless dictatorship with a failed economy. South Koreans are understandably fearful of war, but not exactly eager to bear the cost of rebuilding the North. Kim has made an opening gesture at the Olympic Games. Both South Korea and the U.S. have every reason to call his bluff, to seek discussions rather than to continue a no-talk policy that leads only to greater tension and frustration.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS February 21, 2018 - February 27, 2018

N e w P u b l i c

H av e n S c h o o l s

Please join us at our school oPen houses. check

our website for dates.

Application Period Closes: Sun â&#x20AC;¢ March 4, 2018 Office of Choice and Enrollment

Location: 54 Meadow St., 1st Floor, New Haven, CT 06519 Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm Phone: 475-220-1430 and 475-220-1431 Website: choice.NHPS.net 23

THE INNER-CITY NEWS

February 21, 2018

-

February 27, 2018

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2/12/18 2:03 PM