THE
New Haven, Bridgeport
NEWS
Volume 21 No. 2173
Former Amistad Captive
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Experimental-School Rollout Slowed Down
Entrepreneur/ author/ social activist Richard Jeanty has launched the “We Matter” movement to bring attention to injustice taking place in urban communities
Returns’ to New Haven Black Press Strategizes 175 Years Later
at Miami Conference Stop-Smoking 1
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INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
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Black History Month By Christian Lewis
John P. Thomas Jr. Publisher / CEO
Spotlight on New Haven As we all know, February is Black History Month, I took the time to interview four individuals from New Haven to get their views on what Black History Month means to them, if they do anything to celebrate it and if they would change anything about it. I was very enlightened on the views of those I interviewed, it made me take a step back and examine this month in a different light. I for one do not limit myself to February for learning about the role African Americans played in society, if it wasn’t for us, more than half of the items we use on a daily basis wouldn’t exist, for example, the traffic signal which was invented by Garrett A. Morgan, or Valerie Thomas who invented 3-D on television, and the list goes on and on. I pride myself in learning about my people all year round and I make it a habit to introduce my daughter to it as well, our children are our future. I hope you all enjoy this article! Happy Black History Month!
Q: What does Black History Month mean to you?
Babz Rawls Ivy Managing Editor Liaison, Corporate Affairs Doreen Strong Advertising Director Sales Team Trenda Lucky Delores Alleyne John Thomas III Hilda Calvachi
Editorial Team Staff Writers Ratasha Smith / Current Affairs Anthony Scott / Sports Arlene Davis-Rudd / Politics Contributing Writers David Asbery Tanisha Asbery Jessica Carl Jerry Craft/Cartoons Barbara Fair Mubarakah Ibrahim Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha Kam Williams Content Contributors At-Large Christine Stuart www.CTNewsJunkie.com Paul Bass New Haven Independent www.newhavenindependent.org Dr. Fred McKinney Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council www.cmsdc.org
Drew Fain Sheila Toles
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Robert Williams A: As an African American is means a great deal just to be able to learn about so many great historians that fought their way to freedom. As an African American we will never fully know nor will we understand what our ancestors went through during the time period we consider history. Q: Do you do anything special to celebrate it? A: Well, I celebrate it everyday empowering my mind to learn more about African Americans that were the cause of a lot of things we utilize today. Take Henry Blair for example, he was the second African American to receive a patent. He patented a ‘seed planter’ which was used by farmers to plant more corn in a lesser amount of time.
A: Black History Month used to be a celebration of our culture highlighting some of the African Americans who made contributions to this country and to the world. In 2016, Black History has become moot, saturated with distraction such the Super Bowl, Grammys, Oscars and the NBA All-Star games, which do not mention or honor the month. Educators are trying to keep it alive but have to change gears to fight against Common Core, which is destroying our youth’s future. African Americans can’t depend on the school systems, government, or any media outlets to recognize this month. Let’s take a month off from the distractions such as “Love & Hip Hop,” and let’s educate out youth about our past, present and future.
A: It gives the youth and community more awareness of what individuals had to go through, all of the injustices; it gives a full view of what our people when through. Back in my day they didn’t expound on Black History Month, now that’s it’s bigger it gives more knowledge of our ancestors. It was once ignored but now it’s not. The month also recognizes our culture and the professionals that made contributions to our society such as inventors. Q: Do you do anything special to celebrate it? A: I haven’t done anything since my kids are now grown, I used to go to functions at my kids schools. I would like to take my grandkids to a museum to learn more about our culture.
LaVona Edwards
Memberships National Association of Black Journalist National Newspapers Publishers Association
A: It’s the shortest month of the year and they squeezed us in to acknowledge us and our achievements and the rest of the year all other races and cultures are celebrated. Q: Do you feel there is a need to continue on with Black History Month? A: No, no month, let’s just have Black History period but being that the month is the only way we are celebrated, it should stay.
Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. The Inner-City Newspaper is published weekly by Penfield Communications, Inc. from offices located at 50 Fitch Street, 2nd Floor, New Haven, CT 06515. 203-387-0354 phone; 203-387-2684 fax. Subscriptions:$260 per year (does not include sales tax for the in State subscriptions). Send name, address, zip code with payment. Postmaster, send address changes to 50 Fitch Street, New Haven, CT 06515. Display ad deadline Friday prior to insertion date at 5:00pm Advertisers are responsible for checking ads for error in publication. Penfield Communications, Inc d.b.a., “The Inner-City Newspaper” , shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad or for typographical errors or errors in publication, except to the extent of the cost of the space in which actual error appeared in the first insertion. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The entire contents of The Inner-City Newspaper are copyright 2012, Penfield Communications, Inc. and no portion may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
social-emotional learning and prompt parent engagement, Toll said. They are also learning how to direct their own learning in specific time blocks during the day.
by ALIYYA SWABY New Haven Independent
A New Haven middle school “school of the future” won’t get a planned full expansion next year, as administrators try to straighten out some of kinks in the model.
And middle school students are using online playlists in humanities and science to direct their own learning and master content, she said.
The Elm City College Prep board voted to halt a planned expansion of the experimental educational model, called “Greenfield,” in its middle school next year. The vote came after Achievement First charter network CEO Dacia Toll updated all board members of the successes and challenges of the new model Wednesday night at a meeting on Dixwell Avenue. Achievement First operates the school. This year, Elm City College Prep tried out the Greenfield model in kindergarten at 407 James St. and in fifth and sixth grades in a newly leased building at 495 Blake St. The model, designed by the company that developed Apple’s computer mouse, gives students more autonomy of their learning and incorporates real-world learning into academic learning. Next year, the board voted, the fifth and sixth grades will move out of the Blake Street building and into the elementary school
But middle school students were not ready for large group selfdirected learning, instead needing to work in smaller groups with more support, she said.
ALIYYA SWABY PHOTO Exploring
3-D design at Elm City.
building on James Street. And the Greenfield model will expand to second through fourth grades. That will be a smooth transition since some aspects are already being piloted in third and fourth grades, Toll said. Now Elm City College Prep Middle School is split into two, with Greenfield students at Blake Street and “classic” seventh and eighth grades at Elm City College Prep Middle School on Dixwell Avenue. Greenfield will not expand to the seventh and eighth grades, Toll said. At least not yet. Administrators hit a few bumps
in the road rolling out the model in fifth and sixth grades. Elm City College Prep Middle School Principal Robert Hawke explained some of these difficulties at the last board meeting in November. A plan for two-week career “expeditions” in fifth and sixth grades fell through. And administrators scaled back to a three-day indoor series of arts and culture workshops instead. The main problem is that leaders were “so focused on the new,” they forgot to build on existing foundational elements of teaching and learning, Toll said. The new
educational experiments “are not a replacement for having common expectations and new staff who are skilled at basic classroom management.” Teachers received two days “sort of” for training on school culture, compared to the weeklong process at other schools in the charter network, she said.
Most of the teachers in the middle school were new to the profession and needed more support than planned for, she said. The length of the school day which ends at 5 p.m. is too long for both students and teachers.
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Experimental-School Rollout Slowed Down
“The original school day til 5 o’ clock? Mistake,” Toll said. The plan to pursue a K-6 Greenfield school on James Street will benefit students and teachers, allowing the elementary school to work under one design so administrators can strengthen it over time, she said.
Some of the new aspects worked well, especially in kindergarten.
“I still deeply believe in this, but it takes a while,” Toll said.
Kindergartners are enjoying the regular “goal team” and “dream team” meetings that promote their
The Elm City College Prep board voted unanimously to expand Greenfield K-6 next year in the James Street building.
Mayor Seeks 39+% Raises For Paras by PAUL BASS In the wake of a study showing income inequality growing faster in New Haven than in any other U.S. city, Mayor Toni Harp Monday called for government to help lift the wages of workers on the lower rungs specifically, school paraprofessionals.
“It’s a big raise. But that’s deserved for what they do,” Harp said during her weekly “Mayor Monday” appearance on WNHH radio’s “Dateline New Haven” program. She put the requested raise in the context of a new Brookings Institution study showing that the gap between high and low earners in New Haven has increased by 6.7 times over the past seven
years. An activist group called New Haven Rising has called on Yale University and Yale-New Haven Hospital to address the gap by hiring more New Haveners for living-wage jobs. Harp said on the radio program that city government needs to step up as well. “New Haven Rising resonates with people [because] they are concerned with the unemployed, but as well with the underemployed,” Harp said. “I have to respond. The city of New Haven has to respond.”
“One of the things that really concerns me is paraprofessionals at the Board of Education. They start out at $18,000 a year,” Harp said. “Who can live on that? But we have people to do that, go to school every day, work with our kids. Some have bachelor’s degrees. Some have master’s degrees. That’s all they make.” Harp said that during a recent curriculum review, she heard from teachers citywide that they need more help in the classroom, which paraprofessionals provide, enabling teachers to remain
focused on the rest of the class, for instance, if one or a handful of students require special attention, or if students work at different levels. The system employs 483 paraprofessionals, according to Michael Crocco, director of the school district’s talent office. They cover all the kindergarten and first grade classes as well as special ed. Superintendent Harries said in an interview that he’s on board for requesting the paraprofessional raises in the soon-to-be-released 5
Harp called for raising the starting annual salaries of the paraprofessionals from $18,000 to between $25,000 and $30,000. She said she has “pushed” Superintendent of Schools Garth Harries to include that raise in the upcoming
proposed new fiscal year school budget, and to find that money elsewhere rather than have the city seek a tax increase to pay for it.
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Fed Up With Slumlord, Dwight Neighbors Quash $2M Grant Quest that should have been handled all along, so this is an ongoing issue and it has greatly depressed our property values. It just kind of came as a surprise that they would play a leading role in obtaining a planning grant that doesn’t reflect either their performance or the accomplishments of the neighborhood despite their presence.
by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent
Dwight neighbors said thanks but no thanks, for now, to seeking federal millions for a comprehensive revitalization plan because the plan included a notorious slumlord. The Housing Authority of New Haven (HANH) along with national real estate developers and property management company The Community Builders were seeking to be co-applicants for a two-year, up to $2 million U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant to create the plan, in collaboration with neighbors, to deal with distressed properties in the neighborhood and sustain affordable housing. Pursuing the grant and receiving it could have positioned the neighborhood to receive millions more to implement whatever plan they developed.
Back in 2012, TCB officials made similar promises of improved safety around the time a 16-month-old boy was shot on his front porch.
MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTOS
Marcus Paca, with Draughn: The community spoke.
concerned about for a long time” and dissing the neighborhood group that made her recommend to her neighbors to reject the grant Tuesday and possibly try again next year.
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
But TCB’s reputation in the neighborhood managing the Kensington Square Apartments, a complex of 216 federally subsidized apartments, proved insurmountable during a Tuesday night management team meeting held in the Amistad Academy gym behind the Edgewood Avenue police substaiton. HANH needed to have the neighborhood gorup sign off on the application by Feb. 9 in order to demonstrate neighborhood involved. Shenae Draughn, director of HANH special projects, sought during the nearly two-hour meeting to convince neighbors to vote for that sign off. She stressed that other than applying for the competitive federal grant, HANH had no plan in place on what direction a comprehensive planning process would take. She also tried to reassure neighbors that the planning process would be driven by the community. Draughn stressed that TCB was chosen as a partner because it manages distressed properties in the community that are in
“They have been very unresponsive,” Walton said of Kensington Square. “It’s literally been the focal point of the crime in the neighborhood for the time that they’ve been here, with the exception of when they first came in, they had a an excellent manager. But since then it’s a concern that they have been a crime magnet.”
proximity to housing authority property, namely Crawford Manor on Park Street, that also is ripe for redevelopment. TCB also is in position to receive about $3 million in bonding money and could receive a $10.6 million loan from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority to rehab the Kensington Square. But neighbors said they distrusted the process because TCB whose track record they blasted had already been selected as a co-applicant for the grant without the community’s input. They also complained that a preliminary draft of the
application failed to include details about the community that even Draughn said would make the application stronger, particularly the success of a community group in creating the (now titled) Stop & Shop Plaza and a park at Edgewood and Orchard. Kate Walton has owned her home on University Place for 36 years and created the Fellowship Place on Elm Street. She said it’s not that neighbors don’t want the grant, or even object to the housing authority renovating Crawford Manor. “It was a combination of them choosing a partner that we have been
Walton said that two years ago, neighbors demanded a meeting with TCB over the crime that plagues Kensington Square. She said top managers came down and said all the right things, admitting to the problems. They even vowed to address the issues of putting in security cameras and using better tenant screening methods. But then things didn’t get better. “Thy never came back again,” Walton said. “They are a multibillion dollar corporation, and simple things like landscaping, picking up the trash, having attractive fencing and other things that make the appearance of the place look more suitable are basic things
Neighbors Tuesday night pointed out that despite the lack of engagement from TCB, the community has a track record of improving the neighborhood including developing a daycare center and bringing in the supermarket. Linda Townsend Maier, Greater Dwight Development Corp. executive director, said that that TCB should have a role in a redevelopment plan, but that role should mean a real commitment to working with the community. “We’ve been trying to work with them for years, but they don’t manage their properties well. And they’ve had 20 years,” she said. “We’ve had 20 years and we’ve accomplished a lot. I just feel that they needed to attempt to work with us within the framework that we’ve already established. We have a track record and they don’t. “Townsend called the grant application an attempt to minimize the accomplishments of the neighborhood in order to clear a path for TCB to receive planning money to bolster their own projects. “TCB has just gotten a $3 million bond allocation. They are applying for up to $10 million from CHFA [the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority], all of this for some of their Kennsington Square projects. So Con’t on page 7
Dwight Neighbors do they need an additional $2 million to plan the neighborhood? They don’t need the money in my opinion,” she said. West River neighborhood organizer Stacy Spell called the grant a nice idea, but with a Feb. 9 deadline for grant application, it was too late in the process to have what the community has demanded time and again early collaboration. “When you come to Dwight,” Spell said, “come early.”
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Con’t from page 06
Draughn said the neighbors’ decision to reject support for the application is the end of the line for pursing the grant this year. “This was just specifically to bring resources to Dwight,” she said. “We can always redevelop Crawford Manor, and not do anything in Dwight, but we thought it would be more responsible to try to bring resources here.” Draughn said as the housing authority pursues its plans for redeveloping Crawford Manor, there might be an opportunity to revisit applying for the planning grant next year. “Hopefully there can be a future partnership around a comprehensive plan, because at the end of the day we look at the preservation of affordable housing and how best we can do that,” Draughn said. Michael Lozano, TCB’s Northeast region development project manager, said that the company’s plans for the redevelopment of part of Kensington Square have always been separate from the planning grant and not contingent upon trying to secure it.
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“That’s completely independent of this outcome,” he said. “This was an opportunity and there will continue to be opportunities moving forward to work with the community.
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Neighbors: Broaden Transit Talk like Yale, he said. As the public system improves, Yale might be willing to give up control and pay for its students and employees to ride CT Transit buses, thus increasing the demand and supporting greater service. (Mayoral candidate Justin Elicker called during the 2013 campaign for pushing Yale to consider such a system, similar to how Cornell supports Ithaca. N.Y.‘s bus system.) “In two months, we will find out a lot more,” Hausladen said.
by ALIYYA SWABY New Haven Independent
Nadine Herring, co-chair of the Whalley-Edgewood-Beaver Hills (WEB) management team, gave that piece of advice to 75 transit officials, legislators and advocates packed into the back room at BAR Tuesday night for a panel discussion on how to convince more New Haven to “think outside the car” when traveling to work. Most in the room had not driven to the restaurant that night.
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
The “Transportation on Tap” panel discussion came on the heels of a city announcement that New Haven has entered a federal Smart City Challenge Grant competition, which puts it in the running to win up to $40 million to start imagining and creating an alternative long-term transit system. Transit chief Doug Hausladen said that money could mean a leap toward turning New Haven from a city where 70 percent of people drive alone to work to a city where 70 percent ride buses, walk, cycle or share rides instead. Hausladen’s staff is also involved in a year-long $1 million state-funded study on how to improve mass transit, including rethinking bus routes. Panelists for the event “Transportation on Tap” were Sen. Gary Winfield; Anstress Farwell, founder of the New Haven Urban Design League; and Seila Mosquera, director of NeighborWorks New Horizon. Independent Editor Paul Bass moderated the event. Herring told the group she had reached out to cycling advocate Caroline Smith to host an event for the annual Bike Month series in her Whalley-EdgewoodBeaver Hills neighborhood this May the first time she remembers her region being included in a city-sponsored cycling program. “Come talk to residents in the
Hausladen raises his hand to show he did not drive to BAR. How do you get more people in the Hill and on Whalley riding buses or biking to work? First step: bring the conversations to them.
ALIYYA SWABY PHOTO
daughter is often difficult, she said. “I said, ‘Please buy a car!’” she said. Farwell called on the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to get its act together when it comes to mass transit, which she called a “stepchild” within an agency. It was “developed to serve the car, not to run a transit system,” she said. Though state officials have paid lip service to wanting to support mass transit, the money is being spent on parking garages and highways instead. neighborhood. There are a lot of people who can’t get here,” Herring urged the crowd. “Don’t just do it out here. Do it where they are.” Mosquera, Farwell, Winfield. A power differential determines who can easily commute into or within New Haven, Sen. Winfield said. “People who don’t have money and people of color in general are not people who can exert power on the system.” He and others called the bus system broken. Mosquera said 20 percent of those who go to NeighborWorks
seeking affordable housing options cannot afford transportation options other than the bus. But the bus does not fit into the lifestyles of families with children, she said. A single mother with two children could spend hours commuting daily to their daycare and then to work. Mosquera feels the limitations of the transit system in and around New Haven every day. When her ex-husband lost his car and didn’t replace it, he used a combination of bicycle and train to get from his home in Milford to his job in Bridgeport. Coordinating picking up their
Winfield said commuters need options now. “It can’t be a conversation for these people about what we should’ve done,” he said. CT Transit buses will be equipped starting in April with GPS devices, Hausladen noted. That will allow commuters to track vehicles along their routes. He said investments like that are a start to raising the quality of the public transit system services to the level of private systems such as Yale’s shuttle service. Running a shuttle service is not cost-effective for institutions
Despite New Haven’s success building bike infrastructure such as the green bike way and red bus way down Elm Street, most cyclists are “not the people in the neighborhoods we talk about” when discussing difficulties with transit, Winfield said. Most cyclists are white, not black or Latino, he said. From the audience, East Rock bike mechanic Joel LaChance suggested that more cycling education for young students would help build familiarity with the traffic laws earlier and reduce animosity between drivers and cyclists later. “Every year more people are working in town who want to ride bikes but they’re intimidated,” he said. “Everyone will have learned driver’s education as a bike rider.” Hausladen said he is optimistic about the future of transit, predicting about 10 to 15 years left of “privatized car ownership.” Instead, people will rely on microtransit systems that will feed into a larger mass transit system, he said. In the shorter term, he said he heard those at the meeting who called for Transportation on Tap and other transit discussion sessions to be held in neighborhoods other than downtown. “Everything about our mobile options can improve and will improve,” he said.
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
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School in the Community and Celentano Academy.
by ALIYYA SWABY New Haven Independent
Darnell Goldson, another newly elected board member, said he worries about the number of vacancies after meeting the parent of a high school student who had not had one of her classes for an entire semester, because the teacher had not been replaced.
Like other districts in the state, New Haven is short on math, special education and bilingual teachers needed to fill empty slots, according to a new report on staff vacancies. Board of Education members received that report this week and brainstormed ways to increase retention and track school-level shortages.
“A lot of children are not being fully educated,” he said. He said he plans to ask district officials to keep a “running tab” of positions over the next few months, to give the public an idea of how long it takes for vacancies to be filled. “I just want to see the raw data,” he said.
The district’s Human Resources department agreed to provide members with an updated version of the report each month. The information and the problem became public after newly elected board member Ed Joyner made a motion at the previous Board of Education meeting asking for a monthly budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. “It’s a step forward toward professionalizing that workforce,” he said. He added that he plans to seek to combine the raises with requests for “flexibility” on work rules, more professional development for paras, and accountability “encouraging high performance” with the ability to “address when it’s not.”
update of staff vacancies across New Haven Public Schools. The board passed his proposal unanimously. He also asked that the board create a panel to hold exit interviews with people leaving the district, to get a better sense of how to increase retention. The report presented this Monday’s meeting at L.W. Beecher School provides a snapshot of the positions that still needed to be permanently filled as of Jan. 20, 2016, and includes the school, funding source, reason for the vacancy, status of the position, and any associated change in salary. Michael Crocco, director of the school district’s talent office, said a hiring manager is assigned to each vacant position, responsible for pulling together a team to ensure the hiring process is going forward. Of 30 slots listed as vacant in the report, 16 are in positions
designated shortage areas for schools across the state of Connecticut, according to the state Department of Education. Those shortage areas include bilingual education for all grades, special education for all grades, intermediate administrator, middle and high school math and science, library and media specialists, technology education for all grades, and middle and high school world languages. The state has developed incentives for teachers working in shortage areas, such as a mortgage assistance program. The report presented Monday did not include newly vacant positions listed on Superintendent Garth Harries’ personnel report dated Jan. 25. That report included three retirements, four resignations, one termination, and five school transfers. Two of the resignations were of science teachers at High
Superintendent Harries told the Independent that district leaders have had “preliminary conversations” about how to improve retention and fill vacancies more efficiently during the year. He said they might consider “prehiring” teachers in shortage areas, such as science and math, at the beginning of the year, when the pool is strong. Those prehired teachers could work as coaches, share teaching loads with established teachers or apprentice with teachers until a permanent teaching position opens up in a school. “We wouldn’t absolutely need the teacher at the start of the year,” Harries said. “But we avoid running around mid year trying to tap the pool that’s still available.” He said he would also consider going against state regulations to hire qualified teachers who have
Harries has not yet spoken with board members about setting up a panel to hold exit interviews with departing teachers. But he said the board would discuss it during its next retreat. The longest-held vacancy in the report is a music teacher position at Lincoln-Bassett School, empty since August 2014. A part-time instructor is currently holding the place of a full-time teacher, until the Praxis certification exam is passed, according to the report. Half of the teachers in the report resigned, leaving open positions. Six transferred to other schools within the district. Several notes next to specific positions mark them as “hard to fill” or “shortage area” that officials are working with a supervisor to fill. Others showed potential options for filling the position. Administrative intern John Tarka was pitched to “possibly fill” the shoes of Nicholas Montano, assistant principal of Adult & Continuing Education, who received a salary of $132,043 before retiring. Substitute teacher Shirley Gonzalez is filling in for a Spanish teacher who took a leave of absence from RossWoodward School September 2015. The position is not posted for applications, instead marked as a “hold.” A first-grade teaching position at Troup Magnet School is being held until a long-term substitute gets certification. Instead of finding a new thirdgrade teacher at West Rock Author’s Academy this fall, officials “dispersed students into the other grade 3 classrooms,” according to the note on the report.
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Also during the “Mayor Monday” WNHH radio program, Harp explained her administration’s evolving plans to set rules, and institute some licensing fees, for mobile food operators. She defended her position in the ongoing dispute with the Board of Alders over the size of the Board of Education and recalled how last week was not the first time she has been sued in an education dispute. Last week the Board of Alders sued the Board of Education over its decision not to comply with an alder vote to remove a member. Back in the 1980s, when she was an alder, Harp led a fight to get more budget information out of the Board of Ed; the Board of Ed sued the alders over funding levels for the schools.
(pictured) pressed for a monthly update of vacancies.
At Monday night’s meeting, board member Mike Nast asked whether the district had thought about creative ways to attract more applicants to the positions in shortage: “Is there a way to pay more money? Or we bring back a physics PhD at Yale who might not be certified but makes more money?”
not passed the certification exam, since “certification doesn’t necessarily mean someone’s a good teacher.”
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Schools Struggle To Fill Teacher Vacancies
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Black Press Strategizes at Miami Conference By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the NNPA News Wire from the Washington Informer
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
A group of just over 100 men and women, all devoted to promoting the positive contributions and aspects of the Black press, attended the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Mid-Winter Conference last week in Miami, where the main topic was finding ways to retool and revitalize the group whose over 200-members, all owners of Black newspapers in America, have been addressing news relevant to and impacting the Black community following a tradition established in 1827 with the publishing of the “Freedman’s Journal” – the nation’s first Black newspaper. Publishers of Black newspapers from across the U.S., along with their editors, writers, special guests and speakers participated in the four-day event. Since its founding 75 years ago, the NNPA has sought methods to assist its members in their quest to provide well-written, provocative and authentic news about the Black community. Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of the Washington Informer and the NNPA’s chairperson, described
(From left-right) Terry Jones, publisher of the New Orleans Data News Weekly, Garth Reeves, Sr., the NNPA 2016 Global Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and publisher emeritus for The Miami Times, Benjamin F. Chavis, president of the NNPA, and Denise Rolark Barnes, chairwoman of the NNPA celebrate Reeves’ career. (Andre Williams/EYEURBANTV.COM/NNPA) -
the conference as “extremely successful” – something she’s quite “proud.” “I listen to the concerns and desires of our publishers and at the conference we sought to fulfill those requests,” said Rolark Barnes whose father, Dr. Calvin Rolark, Sr., founded the D.C.based Informer over five decades ago. “The feedback we received was extremely encouraging as most publishers said we ‘hit the mark.’”
Rolark Barnes said moving forward and based on discussions held in Miami, the NNPA stands on the belief that the Black press remains alive and well with digital media serving as an excellent opportunity to broaden their brand. “Our future lies in the hands of the next generation of publishers who are anxious and ready to step into the role,” she said. “We will build on these themes and work closely with the corporate community to help them understand the
value we bring to their brands as well as to other non-profit organizations and publications.” Rolark Barnes noted that there will be additional opportunities to build on the NNPA’s brand including Black Press Week, which takes place in the District in March and the NNPA’s annual conference, scheduled for June 2016 in Houston. NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. referred to the conference as a “strategic suc-
cess.” “We are facing several opportunities and challenges, one being the digital issue,” he said. “But I see that as more of an opportunity. To the extent that our newspapers embrace the digital platform, it will enhance the value and effectiveness of the print platform. I see a bright future for African-American-owned newspapers.” Chavis pointed to several new relationships recently forged by the NNPA with other like-minded groups including the National Association of Hispanic Publications [NAHP] as an illustration that the Black press recognizes the importance of adapting to the country’s changing demographics. “It’s in the best interest of Hispanics and Blacks to work together and I believe that when we collectively sit down with the Congressional Black Caucus in March during Black Press Week to address public policies that impact the quality of life for both the Black and Hispanic communities, our voices will be heard – our concerns will not be ignored.” “For 189 years, the Black press has remained true to its calling, serving as the unrestrained voice Con’t on page 16
DeLauro’s Moving Downtown by PAUL BASS New Haven Independent
Call her Downtown DeLauro (inset); house for sale (above). U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro is joining the wave of empty-nesters selling homes and moving into downtown New Haven. The Congresswoman and her husband, pollster and political strategist Stanley Greenberg, have put their Huntington Street home up for sale. The couple has rented an apartment in The Eli, a renovated art deco former phone company building on Church Street, DeLauro said in an interview Tuesday. She said
they plan to move there along with her mother, former Wooster Square Alder Luisa DeLauro, once the house sells. The Eli was among the earlier apartment building conversions in what has become a boom in downtown rental housing, as both young professionals and empty-nesters choose urban living. “We’re downsizing. The kids — they’re in Washington, New York,” DeLauro said. “We’re very excited about being in downtown New Haven. It’s a very buzzing these days. “I love New Haven. I was born and raised in the city of New Haven. I think it’s a good place to be,
downtown. It’s a cultural life. It’s restaurants. It’s walking distance to places.” The Eli is around the corner from DeLauro’s Third U.S. Congressional District office on Elm Street.a DeLauro, a Democrat, was first elected to the seat in 1990. “Yes, of course I’m running for reelection” this year, DeLauro replied, when asked. DeLauro and Greenberg purchased the Huntington Street home in the East Rock neighborhood in 1978 for $80,000. They’re asking $1.05 million for it now. The 4,800 square-foot home has four bedrooms and five baths;
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Con’t from page 12
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Conference of Black America,” Chavis added. “We have been the bodacious, bold articulation of the interests, particularly today, for over 45 million Blacks. So, we should celebrate, during 2016’s Black History Month, the long, distinguished legacy of the Black print press in America.” One highlight from among the many workshops, presentations and networking sessions that took place during the Mid-Winter Conference included the conferring of the NNPA 2016 Global Lifetime Achievement Award to Garth Reeves, Sr., publisher emeritus for The Miami Times – publication founded by his father, Harry E.S. Reeves, in 1923. Reeves became publisher and chief executive office when his father died in 1970. He served for 10 years as president of the Amalgamated Publishers of New York City, an organization that once represented over 100 Black-owned newspapers across the U.S. and served two terms as president of the NNPA. His numerous awards reflect the hard work he’s done for the NNPA, Blacks in Miami and people of color around the world. During his acceptance speech, Reeves talked about his father, his relationships with other publishers dating back to the 1950s and his continued commitment to the Black press. “The Black press has always been led by people who wanted to serve and wanted to see positive change for our community,” said Reeves, who will turn 97 on February 12. “That hasn’t changed.” Reeves continued: “I’m proud of the fact that our newspaper, The Miami Times, has never missed publishing an issue since our founding over 90 years ago. Working for The Miami Times has been the only job I’ve ever had. I learned the business well. My father saw to that. I learned how to make money and how to produce something of which I continue to be proud. And I’ve made some good friendships along the way by being involved with the NNPA.”
New Social Awareness Apparel Line and Movement Says “Black Men Matter”, “Black Women Matter,” “My Brother Matters”, “Africans Matter” and More
There’s a new movement taking place called the “We Matter” movement, and it’s the brainchild of author, publisher, and real estate investor, Richard Jeanty. Via his new apparel line, his message is simple: “Racial Equality and Peace”. T-shirts, long sleeves, and hoodies are now available for men, women and children that say not just “Black People Matter”, but also other messages like “My Brother Matters”, “Black Boys Matter”, “Africans Matters”, “Black Women Matter”, “My Daddy Matters”, and more. Jeanty’s mission is to “make visible the human beings that we are, and open the eyes of the public as a whole to our struggle.” He comments, “I started this movement for many reasons, but the most important reason is to raise awareness, and help assist with the funding of programs in the black community. I hope to hire many young people around the country to help make these shirts and hoodies visible in their local communities, schools, college campuses, and the online community. Before people can understand our lives matter, we must make them understand we matter first, as human beings.” But the movement is not just about clothing
Entrepreneur/ author/ social activist Richard Jeanty has launched the “We Matter” movement to bring attention to injustice taking place in urban communities Jeanty is also founder and president of his own publishing company, RJ Publications (www.rjpublications.com). He first turned words into vivid images, when he penned his first non-fiction book in 2007, The Most Dangerous Gang In America: The NYPD, which addresses police brutality and the senseless murder of Sean Bell, an unarmed African American who was killed by New York City police officers. He also wrote another best-seller entitled, Neglected Souls, Neglected No
More, Ignorant Souls. The prolific Atlanta-based by way of New York City and Boston, contemporary wordsmith and visionary, has found a new course to raise the consciousness of the black community. Having found a niche for his new style of conscious writing on Facebook and other social media sites, Jeanty is determined to make a difference. An avid traveler, he writes eyeopening essays daily to enlighten and encourage his readers about black culture, and the subjugation
of black people around the world. In his quest to leave his own indelible mark on humankind, Jeanty always finds ways to reinvent himself as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Social activist as much as he is an entrepreneurial crusader, Jeanty’s mission is to foster change in people and society as a whole, and raise the consciousness of black people to the issues affecting them. That is always his motivation in all his undertakings. In a span of 13 years, Jeanty has written 19 books and published a
total of 49, which includes other socially conscious books written by authors. “Our Existence Matters” “We have to make the world aware that our existence matters, because we are great contributors to the world and humankind. Civilization started in Africa, and we must not allow our children to forget that. African unity should not be threatening to white imperialism. America should not use ‘The Melting Pot’ only as a slogan to the world, to sell this country as the land of opportunity for all. In order for us to truly become a melting pot, we must root out injustice, and erase ignorance from the minds of those people who feel threatened by the presence of black people in this country,” Jeanty says. He is also educating and enhancing urban communities by offering scholarships and other financial assistance to students planning to study art, journalism or communications in college. Support the Cause For more details about the movement and/or to purchase a tshirt or hoodie, visit www.wematter.us or call (404) 428-3404. (A portion of all sales will be appropriated to help financially assist educational grassroots programs in the community.)
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
“We Matter” movement to bring attention to injustice taking place in urban communities
All Elections Matter: It’s Time to Make Our Voices Heard at the Ballot Box in 2016 By Melanie L. Campbell
Melanie L. Campbell is the president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), a non-profit organization that promotes greater social and economic justice to enhance the quality of African American life. NCBCP strives to create an enlightened community by engaging people in all aspects of public life through service/volunteerism, advocacy, leadership development and voting.
As the leader of a non-partisan Black civic engagement organization (NCBCP), that will be celebrating the 40th Anniversary of its founding in 2016, it was very moving to hear President Obama deliver a message of hope, optimism and achievement. He also declared he is going full speed with his 4th quarter agenda for the American people that includes continuing to fight for voting rights reform. During the speech, I recalled the images of millions of black Americans standing in long lines for hours and many voting for the first time for President Obama in 2008 and 2012. Still, even with Con’t on page 21
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In just over a week, Iowa, which has a 3.4 percent Black population and New Hampshire, which is less than 2 percent Black, will hold their presidential caucus and primary. From there, the primary battles move to states with larger Black populations — first in South Carolina where over 27.8 percent of its population is Black. Then it’s on to Super Tuesday with several southern states with large Black populations that are key for presidential candidates to win their party nominations including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
The additional reality is that in less than one year the presidency of Barack Obama, the first African American President, comes to an end. We were reminded of this reality on January 12th, when President Obama delivered his final State of the Union message. I watched the President with bittersweet remembrance of his historic and impactful two-term presidency. The President stressed the need for reforms in our democracy and emphasized the importance of people, not corporations electing their representatives. He also called for bipartisan unity when it comes to the electoral process.
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How Accurate is the Civil War Drama ‘Mercy Street’? by Shantella Y. Sherman Period sagas are the next big thing. As if yearning for some wistful bits of the past, public television docu-series like “Finding Your Roots” and “Who Do You Think You Are,” gave way to cable productions like the celebrated “Boardwalk Empire,” “Hell on Wheels,” and “Copper.” Using a successful British template created with “Call the Midwives,” “Selfridges,” and “Downton Abbey,” PBS recently began producing its own Civil War-era series, “Mercy Street.” Based on real events, “Mercy Street” offers a relatively accurate look at life in a Unionoccupied mansion-turned hospital in 1862 Alexandria, Virginia. The show premiered on Jan. 17. And while reviewers point to some period inconsistencies – too many women speaking their mind, and some rather one-dimensional characters – the litmus test for most viewers has been its treatment of enslaved Africans in the midst of the Confederacy. Fortunately, for both viewers and some historians, “Mercy Street” makes a decent mark.
“It is not just that we are currently dealing with a lot of racial tensions in 2016 focused on representation and realism, but also that the Civil War remains a bit of an incendiary narrative for Whites and Blacks alike,” said historian Barbara Bell, whose work examines convict leasing following the Civil War. “‘Mercy Street’ does a decent job of broadening the scope of the narrative, but brushes over a lot of the violence and hostilities away from the
battlefields.” Dramatized from the perspectives of two volunteer nurses – one a Unionist, the other a supporter of the Confederacy – Mercy Street introduces strong-willed, defiant White women into a world often filled with soldiers’ stories of battles and loss. The movie shows the diversity of Alexandria – a Southern city taken over by the Union and brimming with soldiers, civilians, female volunteers,
doctors, wounded men from both sides, runaway slaves, prostitutes, speculators and spies. Historian Kevin M. Levin said that “Mercy Street’s” careful exploration of shifting ground between freedom and slavery occupied by thousands of fugitive slaves or contraband as described by military and civilian authorities in mid-1862, was a pleasant surprise. “Hospital orderlies such as Samuel Diggs, a free man and
Aurelia Johnson, a former slave from North Carolina, both face the humiliation of widespread racism and the more immediate dangers of slave catchers and even sexual violence,” Levin said. “At the same time these Black characters are not presented as passive, but instead assert themselves in ways that challenge and surprise their White counterparts.” For viewers like Georgetown history major Ingrid Arthur, it doesn’t make sense to go from showing the racial tensions among Black characters back to seemingly nonsensical jibes between the two nurses that disrupts the real story within Mercy Street. “When you consider how the injuries and loss these white soldiers face was believed to be caused by Black bodies – free, enslaved, or runaway – there would have been an extreme amount of tension in Alexandria,” Arthur said. “Even those bickering nurses would have had some type of reactions to these black bodies, rather than staying in their lanes [doing nothing].”
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History Fact Check
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Former Amistad Captive ‘Returns’ to New Haven 175 Years Later New Haven, Conn. (February 2016) – Margu was just nine years old when she was sold into captivity, marched 80 miles to the West African coast, held in the notorious Dunbomo slave pens on Lomboko Island, and then shipped to Cuba. In 1839, she was one of four children among the 53 captives aboard the schooner Amistad, headed toward a life of slavery. She ended up in Connecticut. Margu, as portrayed by storyteller and actress, Tammy Denease, will visit the New Haven Museum on Thursday, March 10, 2016, at 5:30 p.m., commemorating the 175th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that gave the Amistad captives their freedom. The presentation, “Sarah Margu: A Child of the Amistad,” will share the moving details of Margu’s life in the Northeast, and Africa, and tell how she became the first African to graduate college in the United States. Margu will also share how she became a deeply conflicted woman rooted in two different cultures, on two different continents. The free event is sponsored by the Amistad Committee, Inc., Friends of Grove Street Cemetery, and the New Haven Museum. Following a revolt on board the Amistad, and seizure of the vessel off the shores of Long Island, New York, the captives were imprisoned in New Haven, Connecticut. Margu and the other children were held in the home of the jailer, in New London. After gaining her freedom through a landmark legal victory on March 9, 1841, Margu lived in Farmington, Connecticut, and was educated by abolitionists. She was one of the 39 former Amistad captives who returned to their homeland. But
Margu to Share Her Story at New Haven Museum in 1846, 14-year-old Margu returned to the United States, and later graduated from Oberlin College, the first U.S. college to admit African students Noting that many people are aware of the legal aspects of the Amistad saga, Denease says that she will share the human side of the story. “After my performances people
have a different outlook and appreciation for the Amistad captives as being human, and not just cargo.” Denease was born in Columbus, Mississippi, where she spent countless hours with her great-grandmother, a former enslaved person, and her grandmother. Both women were centenarians and noted storytellers. Denease’s up-
bringing instilled in her a passion for history. As a storyteller in her own right, she brings history to life, taking viewers back in time to more fully understand the past, and how it led to the present. Denease specializes in strengthening public appreciation for noteworthy black women, holding her enlightening presentations at museums, schools and historical sites across New England. As a historical tour guide for Connecticut museums, she teaches children colonial history, health, medicine, and slavery and Native-American history. The New Haven Museum is home to the Amistad Gallery, which exhibits a significant collection of materials from the Amistad rebellion and trial. Subtitled “Cinque Lives Here,” the Amistad Gallery includes a portrait of Cinque, leader of the Amistad rebellion, by New Haven painter Nathaniel Jocelyn. The painting is generally understood to be the first, and one of the finest, early portrayals of an African in American art. The collection also includes a comprehensive timeline of the Amistad narrative, notable ephemera from the period—including a letter from one of the Amistad captives and a letter from John Quincy Adams—the keys to the New Haven jail cell where the captives were held during the trial, and the law-office sign of Roger Sherman Baldwin, attorney for the captives. About The Amistad Committee Inc. Established in 1988, The Amistad Committee, Inc. is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization. The original Amistad Committee formed to raise funds for the legal defense and return voyage of the subsequently liberated Africans who were involved in the Amistad Incident of 1839. To-
day, The Amistad Committee, Inc. is dedicated to the preservation and honoring of African and American history in Connecticut. The preservation of this history and its lessons are imperative and shall not be forgotten, diminished, erased or go unrecognized. “The work to be done is not to be completed in a day or a year; it will require a long time to remove the evils which slavery and habit have so deeply engraved upon the very foundation of everything.” Reverend Amos G. Beeman, Middletown, Sept. 6, 1862, letter to the editor of The Weekly Anglo-African newspaper. About the Friends of Grove Street Cemetery The Friends organization was founded in 1997 in response to growing public interest in the New Haven Burial Ground, better known as the Grove Street Cemetery, as an historic and cultural resource for the community and the nation. Grove Street Cemetery is the oldest incorporated cemetery in the United States, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. About the New Haven Museum The New Haven Museum, founded in 1862 as the New Haven Colony Historical Society, is located in downtown New Haven at 114 Whitney Avenue. The Museum is currently celebrating 150 years of collecting, preserving and interpreting the history and heritage of Greater New Haven. Through its collections, exhibitions, programs and outreach, the Museum brings 375 years of New Haven history to life. For more information visit
What if year-round we could impart our history to our children? We would raise a proud, self-aware and empowered generation! Heritage Box delivers such a tool for families. – Nationwide — Heritage Box provides families a tool that will keep children engaged YEAR ROUND, not just in February during Black History Month. Each box is designed to build self-pride and enhance children’s understanding of their heritage. The monthly boxes are specially curated for your child to ensure they receive age appropriate books and activities. Each month is an exciting cultural adventure that your child will love! The starter box comes with: * An authentic Masaai Box made in Kenya to store future African souvenirs
* A world map * A journal to record their thoughts * A postcard album to store postcards from the different countries/places families will visit together virtually * A book with an overview of African American history a bookmark * For the second month, they will receive a “Travel” package. This box will focus on one country in Africa and provide a souvenir, games, a book and other fun surprises! * The third month will feature a theme/ person in Black history. * After the third month, they will alternate the box contents with Black History content and African geography content. Each box will come with a relevant book! For more details and/or to
purchase a subscription for your child, visit www.heritagebox.com About Heritage Box Heritage Box was founded by parents of young children who are passionate about teaching their children their history and about Africa. It proved challenging to do this consistently, and they realized a lot of other parents had the same challenges. Even parents who adopt children of African heritage also face this challenge, and are in need of such a tool. Heritage Box was designed to aid families in raising self-aware and confident children! “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” — Marcus Garvey
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
First Ever Monthly Subscription Box Curated to Teach Children About Black History and African Geography
Beyond the Rhetoric: Filthy Rich and Dangerous – Part 1 By Harry C. Alford NNPA News Wire Columnist
that we have arrived in the major leagues and the enemies would not be some Hoosier Hicks. All of a sudden we were in the arena of billionaires who saw money as no object and vengeance as a requirement to their under the table activities. These guys make presidents, congresspersons, senators, etc. They take no prisoners (literally). One of my friends explained to me: “You have
been used to dealing with people who seek to knock you down. These folks here will take you all the way out. They will seek to destroy you!” One of my first examples of this was during the first Clinton Administration. The number two person at the Small Business Administration was a sister, who decided that the SBA would no longer get into the procurement
So I played this game. A few “jabs” here and a “duck” there, progress was being made. In fact, our positions were similar to the platform of President George W. Bush. The pro-business arena saw talent in me and the National Black Chamber of Commerce. We were on a major roll and considered the voice of Black business. Fortune Magazine, the House, the Senate and cable television referred to the NBCC to measure the mood of Black business. Then, as Earth, Wind and Fire would say: “Something happened along the way and what used to be happy turned sad”. The presidential race for 2008 brought the fiercest political battle in the history of the United States. It wasn’t Democrats versus Republicans any more. It was do or die. There were a lot of organizations: environment, taxation, education, military, labor, economic parity, civil rights, homosexual, etc. But now, there was a major movement to take all of these organizations and classify them as Group 1 and Group 2. Saying liberal or conservative wasn’t enough. Terms like 21
My early days of being an activist seem so simple now. A hot head reporter or radio personality would challenge my actions and I would simply shut him/her down with my quips and verbal jockeying. An IRS series of audits, police interrogations, being pulled over by the state police, for no reason, were some of those tactics back then in Indiana. A strange car following our sons home from school was about the lowest tactic. Our opponents, politicians and local business owners found that we were afraid of nothing. We took a vow of near poverty. That meant we had nothing serious to lose and they had nothing to leverage us into submission or contrition. When we (my wife, Kay and I) decided that the above state was not beneficial to our twin son’s upbringing, we left Indiana for Washington, D.C. and began to live an upscale lifestyle. We brought with us an understanding of local political harassment and how to dodge around it. We relied on that experience until now. It appears
business and just concentrate on lending and technical support. That was war to us and we prepared for battle. We raised some serious noise on a national basis and this caught the attention of the White House. Some elderly guy met with some of our principals. No one really knew who he was. But when he realized that we were prepared for “war” he made a suggestion. “If I talked to Bill (the president) and told him if we removed this lady from her position, the problem would go away – would that work?” We said yes. Two weeks later she was gone! She went to one of Vernon Jordan’s companies (He was a board member for about a dozen Fortune 100 companies). That spoke volumes. It also made us aware that there was a force out there that was more powerful than the President. As the “body counts” under the Clinton Administration started to multiply and the overwhelming scandals started to appear, it was so clear to me. Forget about the movies, this was the real “Empire.” My advocacy remained strong, but I purposely remained under the “radar” of these real power brokers.
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Tuning Out: Why I will not Watch the Oscars by Marc H. Morial President and CEO National Urban League “The Academy has a problem. It’s a problem that needs to be solved…For 20 opportunities to celebrate actors of color, actresses of color, to be missed last year is one thing; for that to happen again this year is unforgivable. This institution doesn’t reflect its president…I am an Academy member and it doesn’t reflect me, and it doesn’t reflect this nation.” It turns out that Hollywood does, in fact, love a sequel. For the second straight year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences – the organization behind Hollywood’s biggest and splashiest awards show-failed to nominate a single actor or actress of color in the lead and supporting acting categories. This year, when pay equity and
gender equality were as much a Hollywood narrative as anything screened in local movie theaters, women earned more Oscar nominations (up almost 24 percent versus 21 percent in each of the last two years), but they were shut out from the best cinematography and best director categories – again. In a nation as diverse as ours, an Oscars ceremony that neither recognizes nor includes the vast artistic talent and contributions of women and people of color is a white-washed fiction that would better serve us as the premise of a sci-fi feature and not as a mirror of our multicultural reality. While my role is not to question the cinematic credentials of the academy’s 6,291 voting members, I do question how it is that in a season that produced criticallyacclaimed films such as “Beasts of No Nation,” which stars Idris Elba as an African warlord; the N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton” and “Creed,” the latest installment in the iconic “Rocky” franchise, there were no Black screenwriters, directors,
composers, cinematographers or actors to be found whose contributions deserved academy recognition. Ironically enough, two films helmed by either Black actors and/ or directors – “Creed” and “Compton” – were recognized by the academy, but their sole nominations were denied to people of color, with Sylvester Stallone receiving a best supporting actor nod for his role in “Creed” and writers of “Compton” receiving a nomination for best original screenplay. A lot of ink has been spilled citing the composition of the academy and its role in travesties like this year’s copycat lock out of talent from communities of color. A much-cited 2012 survey of the academy by the Los Angeles Times highlights the crux of the problem: the academy’s members are 94 percent White, 77 percent male, and an average age of 63 – hardly representative of the diversity we see in the streets and increasingly on our TV screens. There was a push for more inclusion after last year’s
infamous snub of the civil rights movie “Selma,” with a record 322 invitations sent to join the academy. The list of invitees included fewer than 20 new African-American members, close to 14 Asian and Pacific Islander members and a handful of Latin Americans, according to The Wrap, an industry-insider magazine. Here are a few more statistics you should also take into consideration. In its most recent study, the Bunche Center at UCLA found that film studio heads were 94 percent White and 100 percent male and that film studio senior management was 92 percent White and 83 percent male. The problem is two-fold. The struggle to transform the academy into a diverse body that thoughtfully contemplates and recognizes the work of communities who do not fit the cookie cutter mold is one that must take place within the academy, but change will remain elusive if there is no transformation of White male dominated studio system that
decides what gets made – and perhaps most importantly, what doesn’t get made. Major studios are not green-lighting the projects that reflect our nation and the few movies that are produced end up on the cutting room floor of the nomination process. Like so many others, I am stunned by the shut out of people of color across most major awards categories for the second consecutive year. I will continue to add my voice to the public scrutiny necessary to keep this issue on Hollywood’s front burner. And I will also be doing something else this year: I will ignore the Oscars. I am not an Academy Award member. I do not greenlight films, nor do I direct them. But I do control what does – or doesn’t – appear on my television screen. If we want Hollywood to tune in to our legitimate concerns and issues, I, for one, will be tuning out. Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Standing on Sacred Ground By Julianne Malveaux NNPA News Wire Columnist Three unarmed Black men encountered a group of White men walking down a dirt road in Slocum, Texas on July 29, 1910. Without warning, and with no reason, the White men opened fire on the Black men. And for two days White men simply slaughtered Black people. Eight deaths have been officially acknowledged, but historians who have studied the Slocum Massacre say that it is likely that dozens more were killed, with some saying as many were killed in Slocum as in Tulsa in 1921 (and those numbers range into the
hundreds). The New York Times quoted William Black, the sheriff at the time of the massacre: “Men were going about killing Negroes as fast as they could find them, and so far as I was able to ascertain, without any real cause. I don’t know how many were in the mob, but there may have been 200 or 300. … They hunted the Negroes down like sheep.” History mostly swallowed the horror of the Slocum Massacre. Some descendants of those massacred pushed for official acknowledgement of the horror, but there have been efforts to cover up the carnage, with some in Slocum pretending that the Massacre never happened. It took more than a century, until 2011, for the Texas Legislature to formally acknowledge the massacre. A roadside marker commemorating the tragedy was just placed on
January 26, 2016. A local member of the Anderson County Historical Commission opposed the marker because, “The citizens of Slocum today had absolutely nothing to do with what happened over a hundred years ago. This is a nice, quiet community with a wonderful school system. It would be a shame to mark them as racist from now until the end of time.” E.R. Bills, author of The 1910 Slocum Massacre: An Act of Genocide in East Texas, says that there are more than 16,000 historical markers in the state of Texas. “The Slocum Massacre historical marker will apparently be the first one to specifically acknowledge racial violence against African Americans.” His book meticulously documents the Slocum facts, and asserts, “Many white folks got away with murder”. Only 11 were arrested for their role
in the massacre. Seven were indicted but none were prosecuted for their crimes. The eleven were only the known criminals. According to Bills, many murderers buried dead bodies on their land to perpetuate the cover up. The Slocum historical marker stands on sacred ground. There is much other sacred ground in these United States, ground that is soaked with the blood of lynched and murdered African Americans. Yet there are few markers of our nation’s historical madness. The Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based organization that has documented the magnitude of our nation’s lynching history, hopes to build markers and memorials on lynching sites, much like the one in Slocum. We need these memorials to remind us of an era of racial terror, and to consider the
contemporary consequences of that terror. This year the association for the study of African American life and history (ASALH) has chosen Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories as their Black History Month Theme. While ASALH has not focused specifically on markers and memorials for sites of lynching and massacres, the focus location is important. They mention plantations, historic homes, and historic streets (like Beale Street in Memphis, Sweet Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, and 125 Street in Harlem) as important places to embrace and celebrate. Many of our nation’s major cities have experienced gentrification in the past decade or so. Washington, DC is no longer Chocolate City – more like neapolitan or chocolate
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
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Angela Davis: Prison Reform Now by Akira Kyles Special to the AFRO
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Angela Davis, noted activist and scholar, took the stage at Johns Hopkins University on Feb. 2 to deliver a lecture that touched on the war on drugs, race, gender and the prison population. Davis, who currently teaches humanities at the University of California, Santa Cruz and has lectured across American and internationally, was a staunch advocate for the oppressed. Junior and neuroscience major, Kinaya Hardie was excited to attend the event and hear Davis speak. “I just believe that Angela Davis is such an impactful activist through Black history and I just love her,” said Hardie. “I believe strongly in very powerful activism and radicalism and her influence on women and Black women specifically.” The second Davis walked on the stage a roar of applause filled the room and she was met with a standing ovation. Davis opened with speaking about Baltimore’s influence on justice. “Of course throughout the world today, the mere mention of the city of Baltimore evokes the police killing of Freddie Gray and the protests that were unleashed by his
(Angela Davis spoke at Johns Hopkins University on the war on drugs, race, gender and the prison population. (Photo courtesy of Johns Hopkins University)
death,” said Davis. “As well as the continuing efforts to achieve justice for Freddie Gray and to persuade the world that Black lives do indeed matter.” The main focuses of David’s speech were both prison and race. The main question she wanted to address was “how can individuals be held accountable without concealing the deep structural racism that is embedded in the very systems of policing and imprisonment?” “There’s now a popular public discourse on the continuing con-
nection between over incarceration and policing on the one hand and the persistence of racism on the other,” said Davis. “Racism continues to play a determining role in who gets stopped by police and who doesn’t; who gets arrested and who goes free; who gets longer sentences, who gets shorter sentences. Racism is a factor from the beginning of the beginning to the end from what was called the justice process… the justice process that does appear to be criminal.” Davis took time to answer ques-
tions from the audience. On Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan taking money from higher education institutions to rebuild a prison in Baltimore Davis said: “The millions of dollars that are being spent on the jail here in Baltimore could be better used by reenvisioning education. How much would it take to rebuild a new school? And not just a new school but a new school with teachers that are not schooled in the notion that discipline is the main activity that teachers should engage in. The board of supervisors in San Fran-
cisco California refused to agree to the construction of a new jail and in announcing their decision they made it very clear that they wanted those millions of dollars to be used in a way that would be more productive for the San Francisco community.” The more Davis spoke, the more of an effect she had on her audience. Melissa “Queen Earth” Smith was clapping and cheering in agreement with Davis as she spoke. “I liked when she said when a problem is so big and overwhelming you have to ask yourself ‘Where do you start?’ and she said ‘Everybody can start somewhere,’ that’s beautiful,” said Smith “People feel like ‘oh, what can I do?’ or you have to pick apart everything you do all day and [ask] what did I do to contribute to the revolution. You can start anywhere.” If there is anything that Davis made clear speaking at JHU it’s that there needs to be a change and the answer to that change does not involve prison. “We need new conceptions of security that do not reside on police and prisons as the anchors of a notion of security that includes more oppression and more violence,” said Davis at the end of her lecture.
Black Lives Matter Activist DeRay Mckesson Enters Baltimore Mayor’s Race
by Lisa Snowden-McCray Special to the AFRO Activist and Baltimore native DeRay Mckesson surprised many Wednesday evening when he filed to run for mayor of the city of Baltimore. The lastminute move made him the 30th candidate in an already crowded
mayoral race. A member of the Black Lives Matter movement, Mckesson has made a name for himself as an outspoken advocate against police brutality. He recently appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” “Baltimore is, and has always been, a city of promise and possibility,” read a statement posted on the funding website Crowdpac. “If we are to reach that promise and possibility we cannot rely on traditional pathways to politics and the traditional politicians who walk
those paths. We have seen and lived through enough lofty promises and vague plans. We must demand more from our leaders and local government.” By Thursday afternoon, Mckesson had raised over $30,000 toward a posted $250,000 goal. In a long post on Medium.com, McKesson wrote, “I am running to be the 50th Mayor of Baltimore in order to usher our city into an era where the government is accountable to its people and is aggressively innovative in how it identifies
and solves its problems. We can build a Baltimore where more and more people want to live and work, and where everyone can thrive. It is true that I am a nontraditional candidate_—_I am not a former Mayor, City Councilman, state legislator, philanthropist or the son of a well-connected family. I am an activist, organizer, former teacher, and district administrator that intimately understands how interwoven our challenges and our solutions are. I am a son of Baltimore.”
Former mayor Sheila Dixon, Councilman Nick Mosby, State Senator Catherine Pugh and businessman David Warnock are just some of the other candidates running for mayor. Because Baltimore voters tend to be mostly Democrats, the April 26 primary typically determines the outcome of the mayor’s race. “The Afro” reached out to Mckesson for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
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Con’t from page 23
Standing on Sacred chip. The 125 Street of the Harlem Renaissance has diversified, as young whites with deep pockets are pushing the prices of historic brownstones into the seven or eight figure price range. No matter. The places are still sacred ground, and should be recognized as such. It is important to acknowledge these places with statues, markers, and memorials, lest we forget. Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. We assert that Black Lives Matter because so many black lives were obliterated in Slocum, and because for far too long it was convenient and comfortable to forget a heinous massacre. Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist and Founder of Economic Education. Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available for pre-order at www.juliannemalveaux.com. Con’t from page 20
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Beyond the Rhetoric: Progressive and Free Market became defining roles. Thus, America and the western world for that matter became divided into two groups of tribes. We, the NBCC, found ourselves classified as Free Market and that was cool to us. The Progressives came up with this project named Barack Hussein Obama. Muslim name, African blood mixed with Caucasian blood and early roots in Islamic Indonesia. It was unique to say the least. So, when the progressive groups like Greenpeace, 1 Percenters, SEIU and other hostile organizations launched a physical attack on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its members the format was set. They viewed capitalism as their enemy and a socialistic/communistic philosophy as their mantra. The White House was on their side and they would not compromise in the least. The world, as we know it, was about to change. Chaos was in charge! Mr. Alford is the President/CEO, co-founder of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. For more information about the NBCC visit www.nationalbcc.org or email halford@nationalbcc.org.
by Ron Daniels Recently, much attention has been made of President Obama’s “bucket list,” those things he would like to accomplish before the end of his term. Among the items on his list is a visit to Cuba. This would be a dramatic event, climaxing one of the signature achievements of his presidency – breaking the decades- long diplomatic and economic isolation of Cuba to usher in a new era of normalized relations. The sight of the first African American president, being welcomed in Cuba, an AfroHispanic nation, would be stunning and historic. I also believe a visit to Haiti, the world’s first Black Republic, should be on Obama’s bucket list. The Haiti Support Project of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century always views January as Haitian Independence Month because it was on January 1, 1804
that General Jean Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence. This after a long, brutal but glorious struggle for self-determination during which the Haitian freedom fighters defeated the British, Spanish and ultimately decimated the army of Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Never in the history of humankind had an enslaved people defeated their slave masters to create an independent nation. The Haitian Revolution, which gave birth to the world’s first Black Republic, was one of the greatest feats in history. Not only did the Haitian freedom fighters create an independent nation at the height of the European and American slave trade, they further declared that any enslaved person who set foot on Haitian soil would be free. These declarations alone are of sufficient historical significance to warrant acknowledgment with a visit by President Obama. This recognition would be particularly significant since Haiti was stigmatized, marginalized and punished by the U.S. and other
slave trading nations for fear that the example of an independent Black nation would be infectious, spreading among enslaved Africans everywhere to fuel rebellions. This was indeed what happened. The U.S. owes a huge debt of gratitude to Haiti for its contributions to this nation’s struggle for independence and the expansion of its territory. Under the leadership of General Henri Christophe and at the behest of the French, Haitian troops contributed to the defeat of the British in the battle of Savannah during the Revolutionary War. Indeed, during the commemoration of the bicentennial of Haiti’s independence in 2004, Haitian-American Daniel Fils Aime led a successful campaign to have a monument to this achievement erected in Savannah. The colonies achieved their independence and were able to found a new nation on what was Native American land, because the Louisiana Purchase was a direct outgrowth of the defeat of Napoleon’s armies by the Haitian
Freedom Fighters. This disastrous defeat ended Napoleon’s grand vision of creating an economic axis between Saint Dominique (Haiti), the most prosperous “colony” in the Caribbean and the vast French territory in North America, anchored by the city of New Orleans at the mouth of the Mississippi River. After the humiliating defeat at the hands of the Haitians, Napoleon abandoned this ambitious goal and sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S. at a bargain basement price. The size of the U.S. nearly doubled as a result of this acquisition, a fact that Americans should forever be thankful to the Haitians for facilitating. Here’s another little-known fact:. Denmark Vesey planned the most extensive insurrection of enslaved Africans ever conceived in the U.S. His destination? Haiti. King Henri Christophe’s first Minister of Education was an African American. And, scores of African Americans migrated to Haiti to escape oppressive life in the U.S. Frederick Douglass was
appointed the first Ambassador to Haiti and pointedly warned against treating the Black Republic as a U.S. colony. When the U.S. invaded Haiti in 1915, it was the NAACP under the leadership of Walter White that led the opposition to the U.S. occupation. The reality of an independent Black nation in the Caribbean undercut the argument of Black inferiority as a rationale for legal and de facto segregation in the U.S. Haiti was a beacon of hope to African people everywhere. A state visit by President Barrack Obama would be an occasion to acknowledge these historical wrongs and properly recognize Haiti’s contribution to the U.S. and the world. Ron Daniels is president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York. To send a message, arrange media interviews or speaking engagements, he can be reached via email at info@ibw21.org
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
The President Should Visit Haiti
Con’t from page 16
It’s Time to Make Our Voices Heard at the Ballot Box in 2016 the statistics on those likely to be victims of police violence or injustice. Thanks to partisan gridlock nationally and in many state legislatures, middle class wages are stagnant and the Labor Movement — a traditional gateway to middle class for working families-is under attack like never before in states across the country. Also, thanks to the U. S. Supreme Court — our voting rights are not fully protected through the Voting Rights Act! As we all know it’s not just any old ordinary election year. There’s a lot in the mix. The seeds of discourse sowed by some are finding their way into the mainstream. Right now 31 states have passed some form of restriction to voter access. So, we
have our work cut out for us to ensure the Black vote not only turns out in record numbers in 2016, but, we also must unite to protect our vote. That means we have to work even harder. There is much at stake. In 2016, voters will elect the 45th president, 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 34 U.S. Senators and 12 state governors. Further, history has proven that all politics is local and that local elections matter. In 2016, forty-one of the 100 largest cities are holding municipal elections including mayor and/or city council. Several of those cities holding local elections have large Black populations including Baltimore, Md., Baton Rouge, La., Norfolk, Va., and Washington, D.C.
It is time for us to use our skills. Those in leadership positions have to reach people on the grassroots level. It’s great to reach people who are always taking part in the process but we have to figure out how to go deep — that means the beauty shop and the barber shop and the ushers and the cashier at the drug store and the waitress at the diner. Each one, reach one. I’m talking about educating and reinforcing to black people of every stripe about the power and importance of their vote. Lest we forget — in 2012, Black voters surpassed the rate of White voters for the first time in history — and Black women, we are the “secret sauce” leading the way for the Black vote and young Black women led the way in 2012.
To assist voters, the NCBCP Black Women’s Roundtable released our non-partisan 2016 Election Voter Guide. The BWR Voter Guide provides a number of tools that voters can use that includes how to find your precinct, how to become a delegate and other resources. Further the National Coalition has joined with more than 80 organizations to form the National Black Voter Alliance. History has taught us that all elections matter and the Black vote has made the critical difference to improving the lives of generations. Now is the time to unite and come together to leverage the power and influence of the Black vote in 2016 and beyond. Now is the time for action.
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the historic election of President Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States and the many gains made, there is much work to be done that the next president will be responsible for in 2017 and beyond. African Americans and other people of color dominate statistics of the undereducated, unemployed and poor; and millions do not have access to affordable health care in many states with large minority populations, especially in the South where many governors have blocked fully implementing the Affordable Care Act for partisan gain. Further, the Black Lives Matter Movement is a reminder that there is much social justice work to be done — where we dominate
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Administrative Assistant reception, phones, filing, and corporate staff support. +/- 30 hours weekly. RED Technologies, Bloomfield, CT Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to Info@redtechllc.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE. City of Norwich Finance Department COLLECTOR OF TAXES AND REVENUES Salary: $74,617 - $80,586 Visit www.norwichct.org/hr to apply and for more information regarding qualifications, and application deadline. AA/EEO. “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. Good salary and benefits. Fax resume to 860-282-0424 or mail to Fibre Optic Plus, Inc. 585 Nutmeg Road North, South Windsor, CT 06074. Attn: Greg Brown. AA//EEO Employer.” Diesel Mechanic 3-5 yr. min. exp. 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training. Repair/Maintain triaxles, roll offs and heavy equipment. Kenworth, Mack, John Deere, CAT. RED Technologies, Portland, CT FAX 860.218.2433; Email Info@redtechllc.com. RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.
Laboratory Technician
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Responsible for the sampling and laboratory analysis of domestic and industrial water and wastewater. Requires an A.S. degree in biology, chemistry or related field and 2 years experience in laboratory analysis. Experience and training may be substituted on a year for year basis. Must have a valid State of CT driver’s license. $25.91 to $31.15 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, (203) 294-2080, Fax #: (203) 294-2084 The closing date will be that date the 50th application form/resume is received, or January 27, 2016, whichever occurs first. EOE
Housing Authority of the City of New Haven Invitation for Bids
76 Day Street Townhouse Renovation The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for 76 Day Street Townhouse Renovation. Bids will be received until Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 10, 2016 @ 11:00 AM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Monday, February 1, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Request for electronic copies of the request should be emailed to bids@newhavenhousing.org.
Housing Authority of the City of New Haven Invitation for Bids 210 Valley Street Vacancy Rehabilitation The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for 210 Valley Street Vacancy Rehabilitation. Bids will be received until March 4, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 17, 2016 @ 12:00 PM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Monday, February 8, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Request for electronic copies of the request should be emailed to bids@newhavenhousing.org.
Housing Authority of the City of New Haven
Invitation for Bids Marshal Services
Drivers: Company Drivers. $5000 transition bonus. Paid out in the first 4 months - Call us for details! New Home Time policy: 5 days out - 2 days off; 10 days out - 4 days off; 15 days out- 6 days off. We offer: average $1200-$1400 weekly. $1500 quarterly bonus. $5000 referral bonus. Dedicated lanes. Longevity bonus. Dedicated driver advocate team. Health, dental, vision benefits available. Paid layovers & orientation. Requirements: must have CDL-A with tanker & hazmat endorsements. Have or be willing to obtain TWIC card. 1yr. tractor-trailer exp. Call Jessica: 866-983-0855 or apply online at www.Work4QC.com
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill the position of Development Associate. Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs/ EmploymentOpportunities.aspx EOE electronic su
Lady seeking a job as an Elderly caregiver Many years experience, call Jenn 347-866-4866
The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for Marshal Services. Bids will be received until Friday, February 26, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 16, 2016 @ 2:00 PM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Email request for requirements must be emailed to bids@newhavenhousing.org.
Welder-Exp. Welder for structural steel Misc shop. Send resume:gwf@snet.net
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Listing:I Maintenance Assistant Immediate opening for a part time maintenance assistant for grounds and building maintenance. Position requires flexible work schedule. Some heavy lifting required. Computer knowledge a plus. Send resume to HR Manager, 401 Soundview Road, Guilford, CT 06437. **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**
Elementary Café Manager 10 months per year – 20 hours per week The Town of Wallingford Board of Education Food Service Department is seeking a skilled individual to coordinate and manage the activities of the other foodservice employees within the facility. Applicants must have a high school degree or equivalent. Ability to read, write, and speak English. Individuals must have experience in food service with school food service experience preferred. Supervisory experience also preferred. Special Requirement: Must possess sanitation certification from an approved Dept. of Education source. Hourly Rate of $15.77 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be January 27, 2016 or the date the 50th application is received, whichever occurs first. EOE.
Welder-Exp. Welder for structural steel Misc shop. Send resume:gwf@snet.net Town of Bloomfield Part Time- Non-benefited After School Activity Specialist $10 to $12 hourly After School Program Director $16 - $20 hourly After School Assistant Program Director $13 - $15 hourly For details and how to apply, go to /www.bloomfieldct.org/” www.bloomfieldct.org. Pre-employment drug testing.
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
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AA/EOE
The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Boiler Preventive Maintenance and Repairs Solicitation Number: 060-AM-16-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is currently seeking bids from qualified and licensed contractors to respond to this Invitation to Bids for Boiler Preventive Maintenance and Repairs at several locations. Solicitation package will be available on February 1, 2016. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on February 16, 2016, @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to nities.org” bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than February 26, 2016 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received until March 4, 2016 @ 2:00 PM, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.
Listing: HVAC Technician Immediate opening for a full time, CT licensed HVAC Technician for a fast paced shoreline Petroleum Company. Applicant must have experience in oil, propane, natural gas and A/C. Send resume to: Attn: HR Manager, Confidential, PO Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437. **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**
The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Replacement of Trash Compactors and Chutes Solicitation Number: 062-PD-16-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed bids for replacement of trash compactors and chutes at C.F. Greene Homes and Harborview Towers. Solicitation package will be available on February 1, 2016 to obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to mmunities.org” bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on February 16, @ 11:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than February 26, 2016 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received until March 4, 2016 @ 4:00 PM, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.
New Haven Section 3, DAS certified MBE & WBE subcontractors wanted Allstate Fire Systems is looking for Section 3, DAS certified MBE & WBE subcontractors to install a fire sprinkler/suppression system. All interested bidders, companies and employees are to be licensed in the State of Connecticut, Bonded and Insured. Work duties will include all tasks required for proper fire sprinkler system installation per approved plans. Construction experience is a must. All F2 licensed mechanics are responsible to arrive to the job site on time, have a minimum of OSHA 10 training and possess approved personal protection equipment. You will also
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participate in daily, weekly and monthly progress reports. If interested, please contact allstatefire110@gmail.com.
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GARRITY ASPHALT RECLAIMING OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
INVITATION TO BID – Site work & Paving THE GLEN APARTMENTS – Danbury CT Millennium Construction Services, LLC
Immediate opening for organized, self motivated, multitask person Skills & Duties required: • Microsoft Word, EXCEL a must/ Timberline Software a plus • Classify- Scan documents to Timberline files • Manage Subcontractor Service Agreements, Certificates of Insurance & W-9 requests Assist with: • Certified Payroll Reports & Lien Wavers • Bond Filings on delinquent AR accounts • Municipal bids • Contract documents • Monthly, quarterly federal/ various state tax reporting • Other duties as required Equal Opportunity Employer Minority and female candidates are highly encouraged to apply Apply Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming 22 Peter Rd Bloomfield, CT 06002 Phone: 860-243-2300 Fax: 860-243-3100 Send resumes & salary requirements to:
Phone: 860-529-1111 Fax: 860-529-5555 Email: “mailto:bwhitaker@millennium-realty.com” bwhitaker@millennium-realty.com Contractors are invited to bid on the site work/paving phase of the renovation project known as The Glen Apartments in Danbury CT. The Glen Apartments consists of 100 individual apartments of elderly affordable housing located on Memorial Drive and Rocky Glen Road in Danbury CT. The scope of work for this solicitation consists of the modernization of the existing facility and the following direct performing trades are incorporated into the scope of work and are encouraged to respond to this solicitation; Divisions 31 & 32; asphalt paving and curbing, minor excavation, sidewalks installation, minor site work to include install of yard drains and catch basins, line striping. Contractor shall be able to commence work in June 2016 and continue until complete with completion no later than July 15, 2016. Owner is a Tax Exempt governmental organization. CT State Prevailing Wages Contractors are invited to bid on the site work/paving phase of the renovation project known as The Glen Apartments in Danbury CT. The Glen Apartments consists of 100 individual apartments of elderly affordable housing located on Memorial Drive and Rocky Glen Road in Danbury CT. The scope of work for this solicitation consists of the modernization of the existing facility and the following direct performing trades are incorporated into the scope of work and are encouraged to respond to this solicitation; Divisions 31 & 32; asphalt paving and curbing, minor excavation, sidewalks installation, minor site work to include install of yard drains and catch basins, line striping. Contractor shall be able to commence work in June 2016 and continue until complete with completion no later than July 15, 2016. Owner is a Tax Exempt governmental organization.
Email: kevin.sheehan@garrityasphalt.com
CT State Prevailing Wages – “Residential Rates” do apply and will be supplied to all bidders.
TRANSFER STATION LABORER Off load & load trailers, Lift 50 lbs., operate trucks and forklift. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering St., Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860-342-1022; Email to lkelly@redtransfer.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.
A pre-bid walk through will occur on Thursday February 18th at 1:00 pm and will commence at the community room located at 25 Memorial Drive, Danbury CT. A tour of the facility will be conducted. Parking is limited so please park on Memorial Drive. A complete set of plans and specifications will be available for review at the Glen Apartments construction office located on site and are immediately available for review at www.millenniumrealty.com Millennium Construction Services, LLC and the owner reserve the rights; to accept any, all, or any part of any bids; to reject any, all or any part of any bids; to waive any non-material deficiencies in bid responses; and to award the bid that in its judgment will be in the best interests of the owner.
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER, SECTION 3 BUSINESSES AND WBE AND SBE/MINORITY BUSINESSES ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATEMINORITY BUSINESSES ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE
The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Elevator Preventive Maintenance and Repairs Solicitation Number: 061-AM-16-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is currently seeking bids from qualified elevator companies to provide elevator preventive maintenance and repair authority-wide. There is a mix of elevator types and locations. Solicitation package will be available on February 1, 2016. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on February 18, 2016, @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to itycommunities.org” bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than February 26, 2016 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received until March 4, 2016 @ 3:00 PM, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill the position of Development Associate. Please refer to our website for details:http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs/ EmploymentOpportunities.aspx EOE electronic su
Drivers: Company Drivers. $5000 transition bonus. Paid out in the first 4 months - Call us for details! New Home Time policy: 5 days out - 2 days off; 10 days out - 4 days off; 15 days out- 6 days off. We offer: average $1200-$1400 weekly. $1500 quarterly bonus. $5000 referral bonus. Dedicated lanes. Longevity bonus. Dedicated driver advocate team. Health, dental, vision benefits available. Paid layovers & orientation. Requirements: must have CDL-A with tanker & hazmat endorsements. Have or be willing to obtain TWIC card. 1yr. tractor-trailer exp. Call Jessica: 866-983-0855 or apply online at www.Work4QC.com
INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016
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INNER-CITY NEWS February 08, 2016 - February 14, 2016 32