INNER-CITY NEWS by INNER-CITY NEWS

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

New Walking City NAACP In 5,000 Steps Financial JusticeTour a KeyReveals Focus at 2016 Convention INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

New Haven, Bridgeport

INNER-CITYNEWS

Volume 27 . No. 2258 Volume 21 No. 2194

McKinney

On WNHH FM’s “Tom Ficklin Show.”

Malloy To Malloy To Dems: Dems: New Campaign:

“DMC” Shop Local

Ignore Ignore“Tough “ToughOn OnCrime” Crime”

Pick Declines Chamber Post In Race Flap

Color Struck?

Snow in July?

New WalkingFOLLOW Tour Reveals City In 5,000 US ONSteps 1

Why We Need More Black Men in Early Childhood Education

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Alt-Transiteers Map Attack On “Anarchy” by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

More people biking in protected lanes, paying tolls, surviving crosswalks and running, for office. Advocates promoted that vision for safer streets and, with the running suggestion, how to realize it, at a strategy session Monday night. The occasion was the latest edition of Transportation on Tap, a semi-regular conversation series organized by the local alternative transportation advocacy group GoNewHavenGo. The series, started in 2015, connects transportation experts with community members every few months to talk about how to achieve improved pedestrian, cyclist and public transit infrastructure and access throughout the city. Monday night’s conversation, which took place in the back room at BAR on Crown Street, focused on civic engagement and political processes. That is: Which policy proposals would encourage a safe, sustainable transportation system in New Haven? Which local and state laws are currently standing in the way of that vision? And how can regular citizens best pressure lawmakers to respond to their transportationrelated concerns? Amidst trays of sausage pizza and halfemptied pitchers of beer, around 30 at-

tendees spread throughout the room to discuss three topics: stop (not yield) pedestrian crosswalk legislation, improved bike infrastructure in New Haven, and automated red light cameras. Brianne Mullen from Yale’s Office of Sustainability led the breakout group on crosswalks. A fact sheet she passed around about the state’s current crosswalk laws indicated that vehicles must yield the rightof-way when a pedestrian has stepped “off the curb or into the crosswalk” (CGS § 14-300(c)). Mullen explained that, from 1994 to 2007, state law required vehicles to grant the right-of-way to pedestrians even before they had entered the crosswalk, once they had stepped to an adjacent curb. But the legislature changed that rule in 2007, meaning that now pedestrians are protected only once they have already stepped off of the curb and into the crosswalk. “And even then, cars only have to yield,” Mullen said, “and not necessarily stop.” She asked attendees about their experiences at pedestrian crosswalks in New Haven, and if they feel safe crossing city streets. “The streets of New Haven are anarchy, and are just waiting for people to be killed,” replied Martin Simon, who

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Rob Rocke, Nadine Horton lead infrastructure session.

grew up in Westville and now lives downtown on Chapel Street. He said that he felt much safer crossing the street as a teenager several decades ago. Now, he said, the streets are more congested, and drivers simply do not respect the rights or safety of most pedestrians. The members of Mullen’s group suggested curb extensions, flashing lights at crosswalks (like those at the inter-

section of Temple and Wall Streets), elevated crosswalks, stricter enforcement, more frequent driver’s tests for license renewal, and public service announcements about pedestrian laws as potential policy solutions for forging a safer walking culture in the city. Mullen’s handout also identified two proposed Connecticut General Assembly bills that were co-sponsored by Hamden State Rep. Joshua Elliott

in 2017, H.B. No. 5390 and H.B. No. 6274, which would require drivers to grant the right-of-way to pedestrians “who step to the curb rather than require pedestrians to step off of the curb.” In the middle of the room, Elm City Cycling advocate Rob Rocke and WEB (Whalley-Edgewood-Beaver Hills) Community Management Team chair Nadine Horton led a session on how Con’t on page 12

City Keeps Moving During First Snowfall by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

A few inches of snow didn’t stop people from being out and about enjoying the sights of the holiday season Saturday. The first snowstorm of the season hit the Elm City hard enough to necessitate a parking ban for Saturday night and street plowing throughout the day but not hard enough to stop people from shopping and taking in some singing and ice carving. New Haven Emergency Operations Deputy Director Rick Fontana said the city’s public safety officials, mayor and alders started the day with a morning conference call to make sure that everyone was “on the same page.” “We wanted to make sure that we had enough resources on the road for a December storm,” he said. “We’ve got about 50 personnel on the roadways and sidewalks.” Fontana said that the Department of

Public Works pretreated the tops of hills, intersections, and overpasses on Friday ahead of the storm which was expected to drop up to six inches. And before the storm started the streets were streaked white with the familiar cast of the salty brine mixture that is used to help keep the roads ice-free at just above freezing. He said the city also has on hand a stronger solution that can melt ice when the temperatures fall below freezing. By Saturday afternoon, the projection for snow had been revised down to about four inches but plows and trucks of sand could be seen crisscrossing the city as the slushy wet snow fell rapidly. But people out and about in the Broadway district seemed unbothered by the fast falling snow as they watched professional ice carvers transform huge blocks of ice into works of art, or just stood watching the oldest collegiate a cappella group sing. Mayoral spokesman Laurence Grotheer said though the forecast

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Yale University’s Whiffenpoofs brought the holiday cheer with songs …

changed, the city’s plan for response plan was essentially the same because it is “easier to scale back than ramp up.” Public works had 28 city trucks out working to maintain city streets, ac-

cording to Grotheer. There also were eight trucks being operated by private contractors. The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Trees had 14 vehicles working to help maintain walkways like those across the New Haven

Green but also clearing out bus stops, the city’s libraries, and fire stations. A tree crew also was on duty to deal with any fallen limbs that might block city streets he, said. Both Fontana and Grotheer cautioned people to be mindful of the citywide parking ban that is scheduled to go into effect at 11 p.m. Saturday. In residential areas parking is only allowed on the even side of the street. No parking is allowed downtown, along posted snow emergency routes, or within 25 feet of any intersection, bus stop, or fire hydrant. Grotheer said school parking lots are open for parking but all vehicles must be removed by 9 a.m. Sunday morning so that schools can remove any snow before school starts Monday. The parking ban officially lifts at 7 a.m. Sunday. Residents are encouraged to call the snow line 203-946-SNOW (7669) to report any problems, or to report them to SeeClickFix. .

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Fair Haven Branch Library Marks 100 Years by ALLAN APPEL

New Haven Independent

Young Marty Looney remembers being so absorbed in biographies of Babe Ruth, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Lou Gehrig that he forgot the time and his mother had to come and haul him home to Wolcott Street for dinner. David Caron remembers doing a school paper, oh, about 60 years ago on Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Sarah Miller and Eliezer Cruz’s 6-year-old son Pablo is making his own discoveries, especially among the science books. Those older and newly-forged memories emerged Saturday morning as two dozen lovers and users of the Fair Haven Branch library braved the snow to help celebrate the branch’s 100th anniversary. The branch was officially dedicated in its current location on Dec. 7, 1917, one of libraries created through the initiative of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. City Librarian Martha Brogan caught birthday celebrants up on the history: 2,600 public libraries funded by Carnegie between 1881 and 1919, with 1700 in the United states, 11 in Connecticut, and three in New Haven, with Fair Haven being the only Carnegie library extant in town. Carnegie gave $60,000 to New Haven, with $20,000 for branches in Fair

Haven, the Dixwell area, and the Hill. Fair Haven’s was the first erected and dedicated by Mayor Samuel Campner. Looney, who today is the president of the Connecticut State Senate, recalled that Campner was New Haven’s first and so far only Jewish mayor. In 1917 the Fair Haven location was likely chosen because the area had already long been a magnet for immigrants and first-generation Americans in need of precisely the services a library offers: newspapers, periodicals, books, and public ilnformation. The Carnegie gifts required city buyin, which was $8,000, making the building of the branch cost a total of $28,000. When Brogan asked rhetorically what that amounts to in today’s money, without hesitation Looney suggested half a million. That’s why you’re a state senator, Brogan riposted. NHFPL Foundation Board member and longtime library booster Michael Morand delivered a mini-sermon, pointing out that the the branch shares this day of its birth with John Milton, the great English poet whose Aereopagitica is one of the most impassioned defenses of freedom of expression. “It’s important today [on the branch’s birthday], when free speech and information and with net neutrality under threat,” to recall the significance of public libraries, he said. Music Haven’s talented teenage chamber players — Sofia Galvan,

ALLAN APPEL PHOTO

NHFPL Director Martha Brogan with Eliezer and son Pablo Cruz.

Isabel Melchinger, Noel Mitchell, and Justin Zlabys — performed happy birthday to the branch with a medley of seasonal tunes and a rousing shortened version of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. With one of the smallest square footage areas to serve in the system, the branch tallied 53,382 user visits and circulated about 30,000 items, and offered 47 programs drawing 3,600 attendees, according to the library’s 2016-2017 stats. What are the chances that the historic

Carnegie facade might be restored as part of a larger branch expansion and renovation? That’s included in a ten-year-capital facilities plan that Brogan’s department has submitted to the Board of Alders. She was careful not to raise expectations about that happening in the very near future. “I hope some day we’ll be able to restore it,” she said. Of much greater certainty is the planting of fruit tree in the upcoming early spring, said Branch Librarian Kirk Morrison. There’s been so much inter-

est in the community garden planted adjacent to the library that beds have expanded. The New Haven Land Trust, which manages the garden, has committed to adding the tree. Morrison was clear about the future tree: It’s going to be a pear. Cake was served and wishes made all around echoing Looney’s toast: “Lets all look forward to the next one hundred years for a place that stimulates children and offers comfort for adults.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Mini-Apartment Boulevard Battle Brews by MARKESHIA RICKS

Publisher / CEO

Babz Rawls Ivy

Editor-in-Chief Liaison, Corporate Affairs

New Haven Independent

The president has his war room. Boulevard neighbors have Doris and Edward Zelinsky’s dining room table. The Zelinskys and 14 of their neighbors gathered there this past week to strategize about how to stop a national bank from selling out an iconic piece of their neighborhood to a Long Island developer known for building micro-apartments. They argue that it will crowd too many apartments into the building and reverse a positive family trend in their area. They plan to bring their case next week to a public hearing of the Board of Zoning Appeals, which will consider whether to grant developer Eyal Preis a special exception to create seven apartments in an existing residence at 1377 Ella T. Grasso Blvd. The dispute raises the question of how best to preserve homes and build up the Edgewood area. It also touches on a citywide debate over where to promote dense development in New Haven, how to preserve affordable housing, and what role if any micro-units tiny apartments should play. The home is zoned RM-1, or low-middle density, district. Preis plans to create one three-bedroom apartment, two two-bedroom apartments, and five onebedroom apartments. The square footage per apartment varies from as little as 575 square feet to as much as 1,890 square feet. At least that’s the latest version of his plans. Previous versions of the plan indicated that he sought to create nine units and needed relief from the BZA for parking, but that has since been taken off the table. To get the exception, Preis must convince the BZA that his plans are “in accord with the public welfare,” according to Section 63(d) of the city’s zoning ordinance. Preis said in an email that his proposed plan takes a “currently vacant ... increasingly in disrepair building, with boarded-up windows” and makes it an asset to the community again. “Our plan will restore the building and bring a vibrant residential community to the neighborhood,” he argued. “We think our project will fit quite well with New Haven which is a growing and changing city. By restoring an old home, which is currently derelict, and bringing back the original residential use of the structure, we see a positive return for the neighborhood and the city.” Preis said based on his reading of the zoning regulations for the RM-1 district, conversions like his proposed one can have one unit per 1,000 square feet of existing gross floor area. The house is

John P. Thomas

Babz@penfieldcomm.com

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

Editorial Team Staff Writers

Christian Lewis/Current Affairs Anthony Scott/Sports Arlene Davis-Rudd/Politics

Contributing Writers Neighbors hash out zoning board strategy.

more than 9,000 square feet, but only 7,000 of that counts for gross floor area, he said. He needs a special exception because he wants to build more than three residential units. The neighbors gathered at the Zelinskys said that whether for seven or nine apartments, such an exception would be out of character for an area brimming with single-family homes, and specifically for a historic home that was never a multi-family house, let alone a multiunit apartment building. They’ve circulated a petition that they hope to submit to the BZA in December. They also plan to be out in droves to testify against the proposed exception. Built around 1900, the three-story single-family home was formerly a part of the Old Alms Farm House complex. The house was last owned and occupied by now-deceased attorney William Gallagher. For many years, the once head of the state bar association had his office on the first floor and lived upstairs. When he died in 2013, the house ultimately was thrown into foreclosure when it was discovered that Gallagher owed clients nearly $2 million. For the last four years, the house,

which is now owned by Wells Fargo Bank, has been vacant and left to rot, neighbors said. Then Preis stepped into the picture. “The bank has shown the house several times over the years” but found little interest, Doris Zelinsky said. Neighbor Stephanie Fitzgerald questioned how hard Wells Fargo, which has a reputation in the neighborhood for letting its properties sit, has worked to find a buyer who wanted to live in the house and possibly rent the first floor. She knew a neighbor who was interested in the house and tried to reach out to the bank but could not get a response, she said. That sounded familiar to Zelinsky. Neighbors once had to formally intervene in the foreclosure of another house on the block because Wells Fargo had failed to maintain it. Even now, the house at 1377 Ella T. Grasso Blvd. has been vandalized by graffiti and copper thieves a common problem in New Haven with properties owned by and controlled by liens held by negligent out-of-state banks. Neighbors said that they hope to convince BZA members that an out-of-

touch bank and an out-of-town developer with no ties to the community might not have the city’s best interest in mind. Preis’ proposed plan for parking to accommodate the new units on Boulevard includes paving the side yards around the house and creating an entrance on Maple Street and an exit onto Boulevard. That is another sore point for neighbors, particularly those who live in adjacent properties. “I can’t see how they’re going to fit seven cars in that backyard,” said Michael Hanson, who would be living next to that parking lot. “What happens to the quality of life for neighbors who live there?” At the strategy meeting, neighbors zeroed in on what they don’t like about the proposed development: too many units, out of character with the neighborhood, and subjecting neighbors to the ills of a parking lot. Trina Learned, who serves on the city’s Historic District Commission, challenged her neighbors to be solutionsfocused. She said as a commissioner she often hears concerns, but what she’d Con’t on page 5

David Asbery Tanisha Asbery Jerry Craft/Cartoons Barbara Fair

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

_______________________

Contributors At-Large

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

Memberships

National Association of Black Journalist National Newspapers Publishers Association Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

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New Campaign: Shop Local THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Con’t from page 4

Boulevard Battle Brews rather hear is an alternative. “Do you know someone who will buy the property?” she asked. “Is there someone else who could use it?” The prevailing preference among neighbors is that it either be used as it has been office space on the first floor, living space above or that it be a twofamily home. Learned encouraged neighbors to reach out to organizations like Neighborhood Housing Services that might be interested in taking on such a project. She also volunteered to pull the historic documents on the house and the neighborhood to present to BZA members.7 “Our neighborhood is not obvious,” she said. “A lot of people drive down the Boulevard and don’t see it as a neighborhood but it is.” Neighbors like Learned and the Zelinskys and others at the table have raised their children in the area. They said the kind of density proposed by Preis belongs downtown, not on the Boulevard. Neighbor Michael Hanson said that he has noticed more families families with young children in the area. He said the city should encourage that trend. “Halloween was a blast this year,” he said. “I had like 55 kids come by for candy.” Preis said he would like to market the apartments to “professionals, such as a medical secretary, a doctor, a young couple with a child,” which he called a “net positive for the neighborhood.” Preis said the proposed conversion includes façade improvements and no expansion of the existing building. Seven parking spaces, including one vanaccessible handicapped space, would be provided behind the building. He said his plans now call for closing off the existing paved area and curb cut along Maple Street, returning it to lawn and a walkway. Preis said that modification will add back two additional on-street parking spaces that don’t exist now. He noted that the original zoning exception that allowed the office required 29 parking spaces, so he argued his proposal will limit the number of cars. “We think our project will fit quite well with New Haven which is a growing and changing city. By restoring an old home, which is currently derelict, and bringing back the original residential use of the structure, we see a positive return for the neighborhood and the city.” “Due to the size of the proposed units, we do not expect our tenants to have more than one vehicle and will include a prohibition on more than one vehicle in our leases,” he said. “In short, we believe that we have proposed a plan which will not have any adverse impact on the parking situation in the neighborhood, and in fact will result in additional spaces being available.”

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

You can’t go to 163 Orange St. to talk to Mayor Toni Harp about her reelection campaign—she won. But you could meet her there to talk about her holiday shopping list. Harp’s headquarters for her most recent mayoral campaign race has been transformed into the new home for a Holiday Village pop-up shop that will be open every Thursday and Friday from noon to 6 p.m. until Dec. 22. On Thursday, with the sounds of the Caribbean Vibes Steel Band creating a festive atmosphere, Harp and the small business contingent of her economic development team opened the pop-up shop urging people to shop small and local. They also introduced Shana Schneider of Fitstyle by Shana, a company that provides one-hour walking tours

of downtown New Haven for people who are tight on time but want to get some exercise while seeing the city. Harp said that during this time of year the holiday season isn’t memorable just because of what you buy but also because of the interactions that you have with people you encounter as you shop. “The message we’re sending today is just this: come to New Haven,” she said. “Explore and enjoy New Haven and by all means shop in New Haven. It will make a memorable difference in your holiday preparations.” The shop features local vendors like Tinaliah and Designs by Melba which feature handmade wares such as hats and jewelry. Cathy Graves, city deputy economic development director, said that the vendors at the Holiday Village likely would not have had the foot traffic that they’ll now see because they

APT Pays $883,859 For Double-Billing

The APT Foundation, already under fire for its relationship with the Hill neighborhood surrounding its methadone drug-treatment center, has also been in hot water with the federal government. The not-for-profit agency and its CEO, Lynn Madden, have entered into an agreement to reimburse the state and federal governments $883,859 for alleged double-billing to the fundstrapped Medicaid program, which pays for health care for the poor. The U.S. attorney charged the agency with outsourcing urine tests for Medicaid patients to a Massachusetts lab

and then as a result having the government pay both APT and the lab for the same tests. The state Department of Social Services had warned APT about the practice in a 2015 audit, but the double-billing continued anyway throughout 2016, according to a release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s office. “Providers who bill government health insurance programs must follow the relevant rules and regulations, and the failure to do so will have serious consequences,” said Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham.

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Harp models a Tinaliah Hat original.

don’t have storefronts. “I think it is important that we support our small vendors,” she said. “That’s what we do in the small business de-

partment: we start them and we grow them and we also have to showcase them so come on down and enjoy the shopping today.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Pick Declines Chamber Post In Race Flap by PAUL BASS

New Haven Independent

The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce is resuming its search for a new president after concerns over its top pick’s published views on white supremacy led him to turn down the job. The regional chamber’s search committee had offered the job to Fred McKinney, a longtime regional community leader, business development promoter and economics professor. McKinney would have succeeded Anthony Rescigno, who’s stepping down this month as Chamber president after 17 years at the helm. Before taking the Chamber job, Rescigno, a Republican, had served as first selectman of the town of North Haven. The Chamber of Commerce advocates for business interests in New Haven and 15 suburbs, from Madison to Wallingford to Orange to Milford. McKinney would have been the group’s first black president. In an interview Monday, McKinney said that he had orally accepted an offer to take the job. he said the two sides agreed to salary and benefit terms around Nov. 8.

McKinney on WNHH FM’s “Tom Ficklin Show.”

PAUL BASS PHOTO Fred McKinney: “Do I want to spend the next three or five years of my life in an enviornment like that?”

Then he received a call from the Chamber’s headhunter. “There is a problem,” the headhunter said. The problem: There had apparently been a negative reaction at the Chamber to an opinion article McKinney authored and posted on his LinkedIn page on Sept. 24 entitled, “White Su-

premacy as the Root Cause of the Korean Crisis.” “White supremacy (WS) is not only the root cause for problems like mass incarceration, police murders, slavery, colonialism and poverty,” McKinney’s article began. “WS is also the root cause of the Korean crisis. Until and unless the United States president,

and US policy makers, diplomatic and military, realize this, the Korean people, all Americans, and indeed the entire world is at great risk. The recognition that WS is at the core of the crisis will not be easy for most Americans to accept. WS is so endemic for White Americans that self-awareness of this pathological condition is almost impossible and is quickly rejected as outlandish and possibly even ‘racist’ for anyone to claim that WS is the root cause. But like the fish who most likely cannot conceive wetness until they have felt its opposite, White Americans, and particularly this president may be incapable of recognizing the real problem.” The headhunter did not tell him who or how many people had objected to his article, McKinney said. “Initially I offered to meet with anybody who the board thought would object to or did object to my article, and to talk about white supremacy and business and foreign policy or antyhing they want to talk about it.” Then he thought about it further. He thought about “the prospect of spending an inordinate amount of time trying to convince people that white supremacy and white privilege exist.” Con’t on page 10

He asked himself: “Do I want to spend the next three or five years of my life in an environment like that?” On Nov. 20 he informed the search committee that he was withdrawing from the process. He concluded, he said, that “I can have a bigger impact elsewhere.” Michael Schaffer, head of the Chamber’s 12-person search committee, said a “significant portion” of the group remained in support of hiring McKinney. He declined to comment on who or how many members had objected to the article. “We offered him the position. I respect him for not continuing. He’s a talented individual. He has other opportunities,” Schaffer said. “I thought he was the best candidate. I thought his skill set was unique. He brought a lot of talent, skill and ability to the position first and foremost. I also felt he could help expand the organization and [make it] far more inclusive, bringing organizations that he’s worked with under the fold of the Chamber as well.” McKinney, who lives in Trumbull, earned his Ph.D. in economics from Yale in 1983. He is currently maagin-

Beaver Hills Joins The Neighborhoods Tree-Lighting Roster by MICAELA VALENTIN New Haven Independent

The Beaver Hills community had some early Christmas cheer to spread Sunday as the Friends of Goffe Street Park celebrated its first tree lighting on DeGale Field. Members of the community came together to sing, dance, and be merry. The spirit of Christmas was in full effect with gospel music playing and bright lights beaming. The the first snowfall of the winter, which happened a day earlier, made the festivities even more magical. Jabbar Crawford volunteered to make an appearance as Santa Claus. Crawford said the highlight of this event was seeing the smiles on all of the kids’ faces. Mayor Toni Harp expressed the importance of people coming together. “I am thrilled to be lighting a tree in this neighborhood. It’s symbolic of the light that each and every one of you has in your hearts,” she said. She also acknowledged Beaver Hills Alder Jill Marks for her work in the

2 MICAELA VALENTIN PHOTOS

Ice the Beef performs at Sunday’s tree-lighting.

park, including a community clean-up and now the tree-lighting. “This used to be the most active park. Now it’s the cleanest park, thanks to Jill Marks,” added Harp. “This is what community is all about, people coming together and sharing

love,” added top Dixwell Cop Lt. Ray Tennant. As the countdown for the tree lighting commenced, a group of kids went running towards the snowy field in excitement. Newly elected Ward 20 Alder Steve

Winter and his dog Toly were also present for the festivities. Winter, who played soccer in a game with some of the kids, referred to this event as a celebration of community in a beautiful public place. “It’s inspiring to see all of this creativity and hard

work come together,” he said. Neighbors’ Christmas joy was plentiful, and hard to ignore, as they sang Christmas carols, and clapped and danced along to the music. Alder Marks said her favorite part was seeing all of the kids having fun.

T:9.25”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

A Federal Court has ordered Philip Morris USA, Lorillard, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, and Altria to make this statement about the addictiveness of smoking and nicotine. T:10.5”

• Smoking is highly addictive. Nicotine is the addictive drug in tobacco. • Cigarette companies intentionally designed cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction. • It’s not easy to quit. • When you smoke, the nicotine actually changes the brain — that’s why quitting is so hard.

CRC1-GEN-17-05146-11-StatementB-9_25x10_5.indd 1

11/9/17 5:26 PM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

New Walking Tour Reveals City In 5,000 Steps by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

Shana Schneider wants to help you take the guilt out of having to choose between squeezing in a workout and spending more time enjoying the city. She says you can have both if you take a one-hour walk with her. Schneider is the founder of Fitstyle by Shana, a company that helps people find time for fitness in their everyday life. On Thursday, Schneider took a small group of people on her signature “Fitstyle” walking tour, which is designed to help you get in at least 5,000 steps while checking out the sights around downtown New Haven. The tour stepped off from the city’s Holiday Village pop-up shop at 163 Orange St., making its way first to the Ninth Square neighborhood. Schneider made sure to point out Barcade and the city’s own Path of Stars, which was designed by Yale University’s first woman to achieve tenure in the School of Art, Sheila Levrant de Bretteville. “When did she receive that tenure?” Schneider asked the tour group. One person remarked that sadly it probably wasn’t that long ago and then guessed 2005. Schneider said it wasn’t that recent. Levrant de Bretteville received tenure in 1990. The tour provides little tidbits as part of Schneider’s plan to help people “get to know all the nooks and crannies and interesting facts and things that you just didn’t know about New Haven,” she said. A Southern California native, Schnei-

der moved to the East Coast with her family and ultimately went on to graduate from Yale College. She has worked in the fitness industry as a group fitness instructor for the last decade while simultaneously working in communications, first at Yale and then at local tech company Technolutions. She’d spent some years after graduation working in New York and then Pennsylvania before getting married and returning to New Haven. Schneider said she fell in love with the Elm City by exploring it on foot and realizing that it shares a quality she loved about Manhattan— walkability. “I tell people that New Haven has everything New York has it’s just that it might just be one of everything, which actually makes it really accessible to me,” she said. “To get to know New Haven the way that I do and to kind of love it, you have to walk around, walk into the different shops and talk to people and kind of see what’s here. There’s always something surprising.” Schneider said she was always the friend and colleague who would put together tours for out-of-town visitors. When she thought about the number of out-of-towners who come to the city for a convention or conference who never get a chance to explore the city because of tight schedules, the lightbulb went off for her. She said she decided to combine her love for the Elm City with her passion for fitness full time with the new Fitstyle project. “All of us are thinking about how can we keep moving throughout our day,” she said. “And we have so many people com-

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTOS

Schneider leads a small group on a lunchtime walk around downtown Thursday.

ing in for conventions and meetings and different things you just don’t have time. Or you’re coming to a new place and you’re like ‘When am I going to have time to just see the city and get to know it?’ [The tour] takes an hour of your time and you get a full view of New Haven and I think it’s really great for people who are coming into New Haven but also people who live in the area.” Thursday’s tour wound down Crown Street, where Schneider pointed out Gateway Community College, then back out onto Chapel Street past shops and their holiday directions, and the Yale art museums. The tour cut between Barnes &

Noble and the old home of Thali Too to a pathway that led to Payne Whitney gym and then on to the new residential colleges at Yale. Schneider said at the conclusion of the tour, which culminated in snacks and beer at The Beer Collective, that the tour through Yale was by design. “We want to take people into these different pathways that they may not think to go on their own, or they might think, ‘Is it OK to go there?’” she said. “Yale’s campus is here, and there are pathways, and they’re open to people. But so many times a lot of what we think might be closed off to us might be totally accessible. I want that to be part of these walking tours, too, to kind of show you all of the things you have at your fingertips or

footsteps.” People can schedule private and group walking tours through her website. The next public tour is slated for Dec. 16. Dates for 2018 will be announced soon, she said. “I can’t think of a better thing to spend my time doing,” she said of her business. “It’s still helping people redefine what fitness is and it is all about getting away from that perspective of ‘well it needs to happen in a gym’ [to be fitness]. “It doesn’t,” she said. “It can happen anywhere, anytime, anyplace that fits into your schedule. This is a fun unique experience that I think is great for anyone at all fitness levels.”

be responsible for helping to build relationships and connections among current Promise scholars. The other five ambassadors will focus on community outreach and education for New Haven high school students. Mayor Toni Harp said the new scholarship program will expand educational opportunities for New Haven students and increase access to postsecondary education for the city’s high school students. “Since 2010, New Haven Promise has given students the incentive to achieve and the wherewithal for hundreds of New Haven students to go to college, advance their education and improve their prospects for a productive career and life,” she said.

New Haven Promise scholarships are funded by Yale University. The scholarships help cover the cost of tuition for New Haven students who maintain a 3.0-grade point average, have good attendance and volunteer. But students often still need additional help to defray the other costs of obtaining a higher education. Starting last year, New Haven Promise Scholars attending the University of Connecticut were eligible for a renewable grant to help further defray the costs of attending that university. Iline Tracey, director of instruction for New Haven Public Schools, said it made her especially proud that New Haven students will have further assistance in affording school. A self-described, proud

graduate of SCSU, she called the new scholarship program, and the forthcoming 21st Century Communications Magnet and Lab School being built on the university’s campus, “trailblazing.” “We’ve been in real partnership for a long time,” she said. “And I say thank you for helping to blaze this trail for young people.” “Southern is your public university here in your backyard,” Bertolino said. “We are here to partner with you. We are here to serve. We are here to be in and of the community so we invite you to come visit with us, to see us and more importantly when you are looking for a partner like New Haven Promise, we are here to help in that partnership.”

Promise Gets More Promising At SCSU by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

Ten New Haven Promise “scholars” public school students receiving scholarships to cover their college tuition heading off to Southern Connecticut State University next fall could have their housing expenses for their first year at school covered in addition to their tuition. SCSU President Joe Bertolino joined officials at City Hall Wednesday to announce the Promise Community Ambassador Scholarship program. The program will provide housing scholarships to 10 first-year New Haven Promise Scholars starting with the class of 2018. Students applying for traditional Promise scholar-

ships will be able to apply for the Southern program by writing an essay and providing a letter of recommendation. “It is an honor for me and for Southern to help advance the vital work of the New Promise Scholars program to ensure that a college degree becomes attainable for all the city’s students,” Bertolino said. “Todate Southern has more Promise scholars 339 than any other university in the state. “We take great pride in that and this new leadership development program will build on that success story,” he added. Bertolino said the students the first 10 will be selected in May will be known as “Promise community ambassadors.” In addition to participating in the university’s Freshman Leadership Experience, or FLEX, program, five of the scholars will

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Jones Wins! And No Alabama, We Don’t Forgive You, Or The Republican Party Either By William Spivey, ICN Contributing correspondent, noted blogger and writer

So, Alabama, you walked to the edge of the precipice, and this time didn’t jump off. The state that has given us Bull Connor, George Wallace, and Jeff Sessions, and embraced Steve Bannon and Donald Trump. Was concerned enough about its reputation to not vote for Roy Moore; racist, homophobe… pedophile. The race was close, Moore led most of the time but the urban counties that included Montgomery, Huntsville, ad Mobile, pulled it out for Jones. So before you start celebrating that Alabama did the right thing. Remember, this was a race that shouldn’t have been close. You flirted with sending the worst candidate since Trump to the United States Senate, knowing who he is and not caring. Yes, a few more of you voted for Doug Jones, but enough of you voted for Moore that you don’t get a pass. Let’s not forget the Republican Party either. The Republican National Committee was shocked to hear about

Moore’s past trying to pick up teenage girls at the mall, or in one case at the courthouse. In alleged disgust, they withdrew funding from the race while

still supplying feet on the ground to help Moore until they got caught doing that. As the election drew near and they realized that Alabamians weren’t

repulsed enough to make winning impossible. You quietly slipped Moore $1 million in additional funding which no individual admits deciding to do. Ronna Romney McDaniel, the RNC Chair said, “the entire Alabama delegations from the House and Senate” asked us to restore funding. Just afterward, Sen. Richard Shelby indicated he didn’t vote for Moore and made no such request. Back to you Alabama; former Auburn University and NBA star Charles Barkley said, “At some point, we’ve got to stop looking like idiots to the nation.” Alabama has yet to reach that point. When I was in college, I went to Montgomery to play in a basketball tournament. When it was concluded, I didn’t return to Nashville with my team as it was now spring break but instead took a bus to Atlanta where I then lived. Before leaving, I had a meal in a Picadilly Restaurant where they served buffet style meals. I was surprised when I saw an Alabama State Trooper wheel in the ex-Governor George Wallace. This was a few years after the assassination attempt that left him paralyzed during his run

for President in 1972. Say what you will about George, before the shooting he was energetic, robust, and projected strength. The man I now saw was lethargic and defeated, a shell of his former self. In the abstract, I considered Wallace someone to show contempt for if not outright hate. The man before me only generated pity. The news coverage of the election revealed how extensive voter suppression is in the state. It was a court case in Shelby County that led to the gutting of the enforcement provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Alabama immediately enacted a Voter ID law that did several other things including making it harder to get licenses in the counties with the highest black populations in the state. Alabama is still very much what we thought it was. They are not to be celebrated for refusing to send a man to the Senate that they wouldn’t let near their daughters, that was banned from the mall. They came awfully close to doing just that because their politics were far more important than their morals. I’ve found that same sense of pity I once felt for George Wallace. #Sad!

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By Lauren E. Williams Special to the AFRO What do Strom Thurmond, Ben Carson, President Donald Trump, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas have in common? Aside from being some of the nation’s most controversial conservative political figures, they’ve also shared a close conservative confidante, Armstrong Williams, who is stepping into the spotlight once again with his possible purchase of D.C.’s Washington City Paper. In a Dec. 7 e-mail, Williams spokesman Shermichael Singleton confirmed Williams has made a bid for the paper. “Mr. Williams has always been committed to journalism, both print and media,” Singleton wrote. “His interest in WCP is out of respect and admiration for the history of the paper and Con’t from page 6

Pick Declines Chamber Post In Race Flap

director of minority-business enterprise programs for Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. He previously served for 15 years as president and CEO of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council. He has served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Community Advisory Board, Gateway Community College Foundation, and Bridgeport Hospital, among many other boards. Mayor Toni Harp called the episode “unfortunate.” Speaking on her latest appearance on WNHH FM’s “Mayor Monday” program, Harp said “a number of people of color have come to me and expressed a concern” that McKinney’s race prevented him from getting the Chamber job. She also said she has spoken with Schaffer, who told her the group wants to “have a candidate that represent[s] inclusion.” “I don’t know what happened,” Harp said. “I hope the Chamber has a way of demonstrating to this community — which is a majority-minority community, at least in New Haven — that everyone who lives in New Haven who is in business is welcome.”

the role it has played in D.C. As the media landscape changes because of technology, Mr. Williams understands the importance of preserving such institutions as the Washington City Paper, hence his interest in it.” However, it is not Williams’ acquisition of a paper that is causing a “Beltway buzz,”. Instead, it is the type of paper he is eying, and its readership. Known for progressive prose and alternative stories, the publication is viewed by many as an unlikely match for Williams, who gained notoriety for his right-of-center views, his defense of Clarence Thomas during the 1991 Supreme Court confirmations, and as a campaign strategist for 2016 presidential candidate Ben Carson. But Williams said that the unlikelihood of the match is one of the reasons the conservative operative wants to buy the paper. “My goal is to make the City Paper so good people will be saying, ‘Are you sure Armstrong Williams is the owner of this paper?’” he told The Washington Post. “That would be a success.” Unsurprisingly, City Paper employees don’t seem as optimistic about the news of their potential new boss. Mother Jones, who initially broke the

story this November, reported that employees learned of Williams’ interest earlier that month. According to the Post, a number of these same staffers “have discussed the possibility of quitting.” Williams’ acquisition of the City Paper, like many of his previous actions, is wrought with controversy and uncertainty. This is not Williams’ first entrepreneurial encounter with the media world, however. Singleton described him as “the largest minority owner of broadcast television stations in the United States,” and noted that Williams attempted unsuccessfully to purchase Essence Magazine and D.C.’s well-known Capitol Hill publication, The Hill. For more than three decades, The Washington City Paper has been a source of local political news in the DMV. Despite its longevity, readership and revenue have declined in recent years; in 2008, the paper declared bankruptcy. The City Paper’s current owners, Nashville-based SouthComm, announced plans to sell the D.C. publication in October. A timeline for the acceptance or rejection of Williams’ bid has not been made public.

NPR: Simeon Booker, Dean Of Washington’s

Black Press Corps, Dies At 99

Simeon Booker, the Washington bureau chief of Jet and Ebony magazines for five decades, died Dec. 10 at an assisted-living community in Solomons, Md., according to The Washington Post. He was 99 and had recently been hospitalized for pneumonia, his wife, Carol Booker, told the paper. Booker was the first full-time black reporter for The Post. The paper says “few reporters risked more to chronicle the civil rights movement than Mr. Booker.” Booker is credited with helping to deliver the story of Emmitt Till’s murder to a national audience. In 1955, the boy from Chicago was tortured, and shot and killed while visiting relatives in Mississippi. He was accused of having whistled at a white woman. Jet magazine published the photos of Till in the open casket. In 2013, NPR’s Michel Martin asked Booker how difficult a decision it was for the magazine to go forward with those photographs. “That was a very difficult decision for them because I don’t think they were in it, and they didn’t realize the seriousness of it. But going down there and seeing all the turmoil, I knew what was coming up,” Booker said.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Giving kids an outlet for performance and expression, plus a chance to grow. For a child, growing means more than gaining inches. It means gaining confidence, understanding and a sense of selfworth. It means maturing mentally and emotionally as well as physically. The kids of New Haven’s Nation Drill Squad and Drum Corps are doing just that, fostered by the support of Yale New Haven Hospital. Over 1,000 kids have gone through the program during its 30 years in existence and won 16 national and 20 tri-state championships. Its mission is to teach young people the principles of discipline, dedication and determination, which Douglas Bethea, its founder, believes are the three keys to life. At Yale New Haven Hospital, we couldn’t agree more with Mr. Bethea. And we’re proud to support his and many other programs throughout New Haven dedicated to supporting inner-city youth and changing their lives for the better. It’s another example of our commitment to caring beyond the bedside. ynhh.org/community

Members of the drill squad with Douglas Bethea, founder of New Haven’s Nation Drill Squad and Drum Corps.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017 Con’t from page 2

Alt-Transiteers Map Attack On “Anarchy”

best to improve biking infrastructure in the city. Rocke and Horton said that their group advocated for bike lanes on Whalley Avenue, more connectedness across existing bike lanes in the city, and more protected bike lanes that are completely separated from roads with vehicle traffic. “The fact of the matter is that some people will never be comfortable biking unless if they’re in separated bike infrastructure, like the Farmington Canal trail,” Rocke said. Horton also noted that the more that the city’s existing bike lanes and trails are connected, the more that ridership will increase. At the far end of the room, city transportation staffer Ray Willis led a discussion about automated red light cameras. He passed around a slideshow presentation from 2009 that the Connecticut Livable Streets Campaign had put together to advocate for a law that would enable cities and towns throughout the state to implement red light cameras at select intersections at their own discretion. Willis said that these cameras would deter red light violations, prevent unnecessary accidents and improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. “It’s taken us 15 years to get absolutely nowhere on red light cameras,” said city deputy traffic director Michael Pinto, referring to the state legislature’s reluctance to even vote on the issue. “Red light cameras are just not sexy,” Willis agreed. He said that lawmakers have been susceptible to an Orwellian fantasy that the state will use red light cameras to spy on citizens than to the practical reality that these cameras would reduce unnecessary collisions,

Stetson Library: The Next Chapter HELP STETSON LIBRARY MOVE INTO THE NEW Q HOUSE “We don’t just need a place for books—we need a space for people to learn, to be challenged, to come together. A library is not just a home for books, it’s a home for the community.” - Diane Brown, Stetson Branch Manager

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injuries and fatalities. Willis and his group also spoke about how many in the business and technology sectors are anticipating fully automated, driverless cars to become widely adopted in the next 15 years. With driverless cars on the road, is there really any need for red light cameras? Willis suggested that this new technology may soon render red light cameras redundant anyway, and perhaps transportation advocates should focus instead on policy proposals that would ensure pedestrian safety in the world of driverless vehicles. For the first half of the event, city transit chief Doug Hausladen, Hamden State Rep. Joshua Elliott, former Hartford State Rep. Dave McCluskey and Common Cause CT executive director Cheri Quickmire spoke to those present about the channels that citizens must go through in order to influence the direction of transportation legislation. McCluskey and Quickmire stressed that people need to organize broadly and get to know their legislators personally if they want to enact any kind of meaningful change. “It’s important to get to know the folks [in office],” Quickmire said. “And get to know what the committee schedules are, get to know what the bills are that you all want to address, and what the committee deadlines are.” She urged everyone present to reach out directly to the members of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, and to do so en masse and in person. She warned that sending a lone email to a politician you’ve never meet will accomplish absolutely nothing. Elliott, a first-term progressive Democrat from Hamden, told the group that he feels stymied by the sway that conservative-leaning Democrats have in a General Assembly that is split 79-72 in the Democrats’ favor in the House. He said that the only way for progressive Democrats to get votes on issues like tolls, medical marijuana, paid medical leave and a $15 minimum wage is by running more like-minded candidates in 2018. “With only 79 Dems, we’re not going to get a single vote from Republicans,” he said. “They want us to fail, because if we fail, they look good. They can say: look, they’re not governing, and then they have a shot at the next election cycle.” “The best thing that you can do is find somebody that you know and run them [for office],” he continued. “It’s all numbers. The die is cast at election cycle and then you have two years to figure out what’s possible in that framework. We need better numbers and more progressive Dems. Run one race,

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THEINNER-CITY INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS December 13, 2017 -- December THE December19, 19,2017 2017

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Invisible Ink

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December December 13, 13, 2017 2017 -- December December 19, 19, 2017 2017

Navigating Racism in Corporate America by Stephen M. Graham Book Review by Kam Williams “It has always been a struggle for the relatively few African-Americans in corporate America who do exist, and it is made all the more difficult because we tend to operate in isolation. We are nearly always alone, with no one to fall back on... as we deal daily with an unending stream of slights real and imagined. Even those who do care don’t really understand. This is all played out in an environment where we are subjected to a debilitating undercurrent of bias that too many, on both sides of the divide, pretend does not exist... The point of this book is not that the world is an awful place where things never go right but that institutional racism is a virus that is alive and well and needs to be eradicated if fundamental fairness is to be achieved. Black lives matter, and we must take issue and demand change, whether these lives are literally snuffed out in the blink of an eye or figuratively snuffed out in the polite confines of corporate America.” -- Excerpted from the Prologue (page xiii) and Epilogue (page 199) By any measure, Stephen Graham’s would be considered a success story. After earning a B.S. from Iowa State University, he went on to Yale Law School en route to an enviable career as one of the country’s top attorneys in the field of mergers and acquisitions. So, one might expect that when he decided to write a book, it would basically be about how he managed to achieve the American Dream. But he opted to focus more on the impediments he encountered on his rise up the corporate ladder than on the satisfaction of making it to the top of his profession. That’s because he’s black and he doesn’t want any African-American attempting to follow in his footsteps to think that the struggle is over once you receive an Ivy League degree. For, as he points out in Invisible Ink, a pernicious pattern of prejudice persists in the business world from the bottom rung all the way up to the rarefied air of the wood-paneled boardroom. The author makes the persuasive case that there’s no reason for the U.S. to rest on its laurels just because it elected Barack Obama president. He also says that it is shortsighted to worry only about the plight of poverty-strick

Author Stephen Graham’s en blacks stuck in inner-city ghettos. No, Graham argues that insidious forms of institutional racism have continued to frustrate members of minority groups, too, long after the demise of de jure discrimination. What he finds troubling is the fact that the favoring of whites is now very subtle indeed, making bigoted behavior often difficult to identify, let alone challenge. Overall, an intelligent, eye-opening opus relating a riveting combination of touching personal anecdotes and sobering advice about what needs to be done to finally achieve that elusive ideal of a colorblind society. CreateSpace Paperback, $11.95 220 pages ISBN: 978-1-5411-7117-6

How To Take The First Step In Seeking Mental Health Treatment by Colleen O’Day, BDO

Mental illness affects more than 43 million American adults. But barriers to accessing treatment continue to leave those struggling at risk. More than 100 million Americans, for example, are reported to live in areas without enough mental health workers to address the needs of their population. Aside from accessibility, common barriers to care also include skepticism, cost and stigma. While getting adequate mental health care is a challenge for many Americans, it poses unique difficulties for members of the Black community. In addition to issues like cost and stigma, Black Americans also face provider discrimination and inequality of care. With the small number of Black mental health care professionals, many Black Americans know even if they do manage to overcome stigmas surrounding mental illness and identify a need for therapy and seek help, they can end up with a practitioner who is racist, who does not understand their experiences and needs, or is otherwise unable to address their needs. The National Alliance on Mental Illness posits that these very real barriers can lead many Black people to turn to family, faith and social communities for emotional support more often than mental health care professionals. Unfortunately, though interpersonal relationships are vital sources of support, they can prove inadequate for those struggling with serious mental health concerns. Black Americans are 20 percent more likely to have mental illness than the general population, with common diagnoses including major depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, suicide and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Psychologists continue to study the immense psychological trauma of racism and to look into the way oppression leads to increased exposure to mental illness risk factors like homelessness and witnessing or experiencing violence. Though the stigmas, financial burdens and challenges to effective practitioners can seem overwhelming, know that if you are a black American dealing with mental health issues, you are not alone. According to… …an infographic from the online MSW from the University of Southern California, about 15 percent of Black Americans experience mental illness, and there are resources available to help you find care that appropriately addresses your needs. Mental Health America offers a guide

you can find others out there who can understand and help you make sense of what you’re experiencing and work with you toward a more emotionally manageable future. Infographic from MSW@USC the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work’s online Master of Social Work program.”

to help discern which symptoms indicate potential mental health issues and outlines myriad ways to take the leap and start the process of finding a mental health care provider. Symptoms to look out for include confused thinking, highs and lows, strong feelings of anger, and prolonged depression or irritability. Taking the First Step Suggestions of ways to begin seeking care include getting a referral from a primary care doctor, or, if you have health insurance, accessing a list of in-network therapy providers. There are also lists of participating doctors available online for those using Medicare and often Medicaid. Other options include care for veterans through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and affordable offerings through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or your local health department or community mental health center. (Head over to the Mental Health America website to see their full list of resources and find the right match for you.) While there is no replacement for professional help, there are steps you can try on your own that could aid the recovery process as you seek or get started with the right therapist or social worker. Increasing joy and relaxation in your life can be an non-intimidating way to begin. Take care of yourself by listening to your body’s need for sleep, for example, or by spending time each day doing an activity you love. According to Mental Health America, cultivating connections both to yourself and those around you is beneficial to recovery and can help develop resiliency that will assist you as you work to get better. Mental illness can feel extremely isolating. But remember you are not alone. If you seek professional care,

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Dental Services are now available at our Dixwell Health Center

Questions about your bill? Yale New Haven Hospital is pleased to offer patients and their families financial counseling regarding their hospital bills or the availability of financial assistance, including free care funds. By appointment, patients can speak one-on-one with a financial counselor during regular business hours. For your convenience, extended hours are available once a month. Date: Monday, December 18 Time: 5 - 7 pm Location: Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital, 1 Park St., 1st Floor, Admitting Parking available (handicapped accessible) An appointment is necessary. Please call 203-688-2046. Spanish-speaking counselors available.

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226 Dixwell Avenue, New Haven â&#x20AC;˘ cornellscott.org 15

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

OP-ED: If Black Lives Really Matter to Black People, Then It’s Time to Stop Watching the NFL. By Chris B. Bennett, The Seattle Medium/NNPA Member For years, the African American community has been asking and insisting that our professional athletes do more for our community. We ask them to give money towards initiatives and good causes, we ask them to be role models, and we ask them to stand up, speak up and speak out on issues affecting our community. And yet, as you read this article today, there are pro football players that have taken a stance against oppression, police brutality and the killing of Black people by law enforcement officers all across this country. Yet, these athletes are under attack by the media, by “fans” who claim that they have ruined the game of football, because they will not stand during the national anthem…and yes, the players have even come under attack by the 45th occupant of the White House. The Black Lives Matter movement and the many of the NFL players are standing up (or kneeling) for justice and “just us.” We are demanding justice for things that happen to just us. We demand justice for the racial profiling that happens to just us. We demand justice for the excessive force that is used against just us. And we are demanding justice, on behalf of millions of voiceless African Americans all across the country, for the lives that have been lost as a result of law enforcement officers shooting us (unarmed, Black Americans) at alarming rates. Numbers don’t lie, and videos don’t lie either. Black men are killed by police officers in extrajudicial shootings at much higher rates that far outweigh the rate of that White men are shot and killed by police officers, which indicates to me that these killings repeatedly happen to just us; and think about the number of videos that we have seen that show Black people gunned down, choked out, manhandled and beaten; while at the same time we see videos of Whites blatantly disrespecting police officers and daring them to do something to them, and those suspects are able to walk away unharmed. In protesting these atrocities, Colin Kaepernick chose to take a knee during the national anthem, because he didn’t want to stand up for the flag of a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. In fact, Kaepernick was quoted as saying, “To me, this is bigger than football and it

would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” For taking such a stance, Kaepernick is no longer employed as an NFL player. We hear all the excuses about why he does not have a job as a quarterback in the NFL. You can believe the excuses if you want, but I would challenge you to answer this question: Do you honestly want to see Colin Kaepernick playing quarterback against your favorite team on Sunday? Your honest answer would probably be “No,” because despite any flaws or inconsistencies that he may have in his game, Colin Kaepernick is a game changer. He is a legitimate dual threat quarterback, who can find his way to the end zone anytime he touches the ball. So, why is he unemployed? You can answer that question for yourself. As a result of what many believe was the blackballing of Kaepernick by the NFL, many people across this country, many of them Black women, decided to boycott the NFL this season; and the boycott is and was successful, so much so that the NFL, mainstream media and the 45th occupant led people to believe that the low ratings of NFL games this season were a result of White men not watching the NFL, because Black players were protesting that national anthem. Then, the 45th occupant of the White House, in his puppeteering ways, stepped forward and said that the NFL should fire anyone, who refuses to stand for the national anthem, and accused those who chose to kneel during the national anthem of disrespecting the flag and being unpatriotic. Black folks took offense and I believe that they decided to watch the games in protest to “45”; I bet the ratings increased, too. Now, fast forward to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stating that players on his team, who do not stand for the national anthem will not play, and “45” praises him for doing so. Ironic? I don’t think so. Don’t let them fool you, “45” and NFL owners have been joined at the hip in the process from the very beginning. The 45th occupant of the White House carried the water of the NFL owners, helped sway some sort of public opinion against the players and now the owners feel empowered to bring down their oppressive hammers on the players. The 45th occupant of the White House will take credit for

bringing “law and order” to the plantation, and the NFL owners will walk away with little or no blood on their hands. The real story is that a handful of players have stood up for what they feel is right. Now the question is, what is the African American community going to do to support them? Do you have the courage to turn the channel when your favorite team(s) play on Sunday? Do you have the courage to publicly tell people that you support the players who choose to take a knee for justice and not just us? Do you have the courage to proudly wear the jersey of Colin Kaepernick, Michael Bennett or any other player who chooses to kneel or sit during the national anthem? Do you have the courage to start your own personal social media campaign supporting those players who take a knee to say that Black lives matter just as much as any other lives in this country? Are you willing to show your unwavering support for those who are standing tall by taking a knee during the national anthem? Will you write a letter, email or tweet to the NFL, the 45th occupant of the White House and your congressional delegation expressing your concerns about this issue? Do you have the backbone to stand up and advocate for freedom, justice and equality for those who are no longer here to speak for themselves? Don’t let the smoke screens fool you. The players have taken a very simple stance based on their principled beliefs. The NFL is taking a stance based on money, profits and

financial interest. Until recently, NFL teams were not required to be on the field during the national anthem, but they changed their policy after receiving money from the government to do so. Those who know me, know that I am a big fan of football and a lifelong fan of the Seattle Seahawks. However, while I support my favorite team, I also realize that there are things in life that are bigger than sports. I firmly believe that the value of a Black life is worth more than a victory by my team on Sunday, and more valuable than winning a playoff game or a championship. The message that the players are sending is about the most valuable commodity that we have—the value of life. We have the attention of the country, whether or not we leverage the sacrifices of the players to bring about true dialogue and solutions to the problem is up to us. The issue before us is not about disrespecting the flag, its about the senseless bloodshed that lies densely on the streets of communities across this country and the lack of justice that relates to issues that affect just us. Like the song says, “Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.” If you believe that Black lives matter you should not be ashamed to show it. It’s up to our community to bring that narrative back to its original state. It’s not about the flag, its not about the NFL, its not about the 45th occupant of the White House. It’s about the disparate treatment of Black folks in this country, and why everybody, but us wants to turn a blind eye to it. There are those oppressive souls that will continue to

dilute the narrative, muddy the waters and try to silence the calls for justice. It is up to us, not the players, to pick up this torch, wave it as high as we can in the air, and refuse to lose our focus on the prize, because at the end of the day it’s not just about us, its about all of us! For those of you who choose to protest, here is the best way (I believe) to do so: • Turn the channel during the NFL’s big three nights—Monday night, Thursday night and Sunday night football. It’s not enough to just turn your TV off and do some other activity. Turn to a channel owned by African Americans during the games like TV One (Cathy Hughes), Aspire (Magic Johnson) or OWN (Oprah Winfrey). This will send a clear message that African Americans are turning away from football and will not allow anyone to spin that narrative. This not only shows that we are united in this fight, but it will also help these channels leverage our eyeballs into more advertising dollars and be able to bring additional culturally relevant programming to our community. It’s time to change the narrative from just us to justice, and you have the power to do it! Through the eyes of an ink barrel, may peace be unto you. Chris B. Bennett is an award-winning journalist and co-publisher of The Seattle Medium newspaper. You can follow him on Twitter @The_inkbarrel. The Seattle Medium is a member publication of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

Mudbound

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Why We Need More Black Men in Early Childhood Education

By Royston Maxwell Lyttle, Principal, Eagle Academy Public Charter School/Grades 1-3 As educators, we have an obligation to give our students every opportunity to succeed. Parents rely on us to ensure their children are armed with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive, once they leave our classrooms. Over my more than 15 years in education, I have learned that to fulfill this responsibility, schools must give children the opportunity to learn from men of color. The profound impact Black male educators can have on the trajectory of a child’s life cannot be overstated and it’s time that we acknowledge it. Promoting Diversity According to the U.S. Department of Education, less than two percent of our nation’s teachers are Black males. At a time when non-White students outnumber White students in U.S. public schools, the need for a diverse teaching force has never been greater. At Eagle Academy Public Charter School, diversity is something we not only celebrate, but aggressively pursue. We constantly look for ways to expose our students to different experiences, perspectives and methods for coping with challenges. And this starts with diverse educators. It should come as no surprise that men and women bring different perspectives to the classroom, and the same is true for individuals of varying backgrounds and ethnicities. It is crucial that schools cultivate a diverse and stable environment to

facilitate this development, especially in early education, where children develop the foundation for the rest of their lives. I have seen firsthand that when children learn and grow in a diverse community, they begin to challenge stereotypes that have, for far too long, prevented children from reaching their full potential. Shattering Stereotypes Today, early childhood education is still widely viewed as a woman’s profession. With men representing only 2.5 percent of preschool and kindergarten teachers and 21.5 percent of elementary and middle school teachers, the chances of having a male educator (let alone a Black male educator) before reaching high school are slim. The environment children are exposed to in their first years of education has a profound impact on how they view the world. Therefore, there should be a sense of urgency among early educators to combat stereotypes. When children see a diverse teaching staff working together in the same profession, they not only learn the importance of equality, but are also encouraged to ignore gender and racial stereotypes associated with certain careers. As a Black man working in early education, I have seen how these societal constructs negatively affect children and I have dedicated my life to breaking them down. Offering a Role Model Role models play a critical role in a child’s development. Young boys who come from disadvantaged backgrounds may not have a strong father figure at home, and often come to school hoping to fill that void. As a leader of a 98 percent African American student body, I feel it is important for students to find someone they can see themselves in, look up to, and aspire to be. Con’t on page 21

Film Review by Kam Williams

Returning WWII Vets Forge Unlikely Friendship across Color Line in Searing Southern Saga Dateline: Mississippi, 1946, which means many of the Magnolia State’s soldier native sons are making the adjustment back to civilian life after serving overseas during World War II.. But the fighting isn’t over for Sergeant Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), a black man reluctantly returning to the repressive Jim Crow system of segregation. After all, since he had been willing to die for his country, Ronsel figures it’s reasonable to expect equality and all the rights of citizenship, racist traditions notwithstanding. So, when he arrives home, he boldly enters the local general store through an entrance reserved for whites. But despite still wearing his Army dress uniform, the proud veteran is greeted with a hateful warning snarled by a seething customer. “You’re in Mississippi now, [N-word]! Use the back door, if you don’t want any trouble.” Ronsel grudgingly obliges, ostensibly less fearful of direct harm from the elderly white man than of the veiled threat leveled should he have the temerity to cross the color line again. Ronsel can’t afford to take any chanc-

For more information on ACES schools, programs and services, please visit our website.

(203) 498-6800 | www.aces.org 17

es, because the intimidating bigot is Pappy McAllan (Jonathan Banks), the patriarch of the family which owns the farm where his parents (Mary J. Blige and Rob Morgan) presently reside as sharecroppers. Pappy’s elder son, Henry (Jason Clarke), subsequently pays the Jacksons a visit, demanding an apology for the transgression. The plot thickens when Pappy’s younger son, Jamie (Garrett Hedlund), a decorated Air Force pilot, comes back to the plantation with some new notions about race relations. He’s suddenly pro-integration after having fought alongside some brave Tuskegee Airmen. Thus unfolds Mudbound, a searing Southern saga based on Hillary Jordan’s best-selling, first novel of the

same name. The movie marks the sophomore offering from director Dee Rees who made her own impressive debut with Pariah in 2011. Here, she coaxes a career performance out of Mary J. Blige, who might very well be remembered come awards season. How did Nina Simone put it? ‘Mississippi Goddam!’ Excellent (4 stars) Rated R for nudity, ethnic slurs, brief profanity and disturbing violence Running time: 134 minutes Production Studios: Elevate Films / MMC Joule Films / Armory Films / Zeal Media Distributor: Netflix

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

ANSONIA HOUSING AUTHORITY 36 MAIN STREET ANSONIA, CT 06401

FIREFIGHTER / EMT / PARAMEDIC Firefi ghter - Paramedic 63,759.27 EMT-D 60,809.27 Annual Salary The West Haven Fire Department will be conducting an Entry Exam on Saturday December 16, 2017 at West Haven High School 9:00am. This exam will be for entry level Firefighter-Paramedic/EMT. This is a Fire Police Selection Inc. (FPSI) exam. The fee for this exam is $65.00 and shall be submitted on line with the application and certification documents. Application documents and fee must be submitted through www.FireﬁghterApp.com.

Application deadline is December 1, 2017. Qualifi cations to sit for the exam: 18 years of age (by date of the exam) United States Citizen or legally authorized to work in the U.S The West Haven Fire Department is a progressive Class II Department providing fire suppression, fire rescue, hazardous materials intervention/protection, emergency medical care and mutual aid, responding to more than 6500 calls per year. The WHFD/ Center District has four twelve-person platoons, which rotate four 24/72 hour shifts. The department offers a competitive salary/benefit package. Health and dental benefits, annual health and fitness program and a retirement plan. Applications can be submitted on www.Firefi ghterApp.com after November 4, 2017

The West Haven Fire Department is an equal opportunity employer.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Three Tab Roof Replacements at Various Sites Solicitation Number: 093-PD-17-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed bids for Roof Replacements at Various Sites. A complete set of the plans and technical specifications will be available on October 23, 2017. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A MANDATORY pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on November 8, 2017 @ 10:00 a.m., submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than November 20, 2017 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. All bids must be received by mailed or hand delivered by December 7, 2017 @ 2:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Sr. Contract Specialist, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. No bids will be accepted after the designated time.

KMK Insulation Inc.

PRE-APPLICATION FOR SECTION 8 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER POGRAM Instructions: Please read carefully. Only substantially completed pre-applications will be processed. Pre-applications must be postmarked no later than 12:00AM Midnight, Friday December 15th, 2017. Envelope MUST be addressed as shown below: Ansonia Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher Program Wait List P.O. Box 191, Ansonia, CT 06401 Only pre-applications mailed to: Ansonia Housing Authority, Housing Choice Voucher Program Wait List, P.O. Box 191 Ansonia, CT 06401 will be processed. Faxed, emailed, or hand delivered applications will not be accepted. Applicants who submit more than one pre-application will be disqualified. Envelopes containing more than one pre-application will not be considered for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. Be sure that another individual is not submitting a pre-application on your behalf. The Section 8 list will open on Friday, December 1st, 2017. Random drawing of pre-applications will be, Friday, December 22nd, 2017 in accordance with HUD regulations and the Administrative Plan of AHA. Persons with disabilities who need assistance in completing pre-application may call or come to the Ansonia Housing Authority office, 36 Main Street, Ansonia, CT 06401, (203) 736-8888. Hearing impaired can use the TDD line at 1-800-842-9710. 1. To be qualified for admission to the Section 8 Program an applicant must: a) Be a family as defined in AHA’s Administrative Plan; b) Meet the HUD requirements on citizenship or immigration status; c) Have an Annual Income at the time of admission that does not exceed the income limits established by HUD, which are posted in the AHA office; d) Document Social Security Numbers for all family members, age 6 or older, or certify that they do not have Social Security numbers (Head of Household MUST have a Social Security number to qualify); and e) Pass the criminal history screening. 1. Completed pre-applications will be accepted by mail only until the application period closes on December 15th, 2017. 1. Pre-Applications will be accepted by mail only, sent to the following address, postmarked no later than 12:00AM midnight, Friday, December 15th, 2017. Ansonia Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher Program Wait List P.O. Box 191 Ansonia, CT 06401 1. Be sure to include the name, social security number, date of birth and all income for every family member who will live in the household. 1. Be sure to print legibly your complete address so we may contact you if you are selected for the waiting list. 1. IMPORTANT: Do not submit more than one Pre-Application. Applicants who submit more than one pre-application will be automatically disqualified. 1. In accordance with the Section 8 Administrative Plan, if neither the household head nor spouse had a legal residence in the jurisdiction of Ansonia on the date of their initial application (pre-application), they are required to reside in Ansonia for a period of 12 months before they are eligible for portability. 1. FAMILY INFORMATION: Please Print: Name of Head of Household: _____________________________________________________________________ Current Address, Street, Apt. #: ___________________________________________________________________ Current City, State, Zip Code: ____________________________________________________________________ Current Area Code and Phone #: _________________________________________________________________ Social Security Number: ________________________________________________________________________ First and Last Name of All Family Members Social Security Number

Date of Birth

Sex

Relationship to head of household

Person Disabled

Head of Household

Citizen or Eligible Alien?

Y or N

9 Family Income Information: Please list the source and amount of all income received by all family members, including yourself. Include all earnings and benefits received from AFDC/TANF, VA, Social Security, SSI, SSID, Unemployment, Worker’s Compensation, Child Support, Alimony, etc. Income Source

Amount $

Frequency

1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits. Please mail resume to above address.. MAIL ONLY This company is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

Town of Bloomﬁeld Maintainer II

Salary $26.64 hourly For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org Pre-employment drug testing AA/EOE Deadline to apply 12/28/17

For statistical purposes only: (Please check a box for both Race and Ethnicity) Race of Head of Household:

Ethnicity of Head of Household:

•

Caucasian/White

•

African-American/Black

•

Native American/Alaskan Native

•

Asian/Pacific Islander

•

Hispanic/Latino

•

Non-Hispanic/Latino

I/We certify that the statements in this pre-application are true to the best of your knowledge and belief and understand that they will be verified. I/We understand that any false statement made on this pre-application will cause me/us to be disqualified for admission. Warning: 18 U.S.C. 1001 provides that whoever knowingly or willfully makes or uses a document or writing containing false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry in any matter within the jurisdiction of a department or agency of the United States shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years or both. Head of Household Signature Other Adult

Date

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Date

For AHA use only: Random Application #: Postmark

The Ansonia Housing Authority is an Equal Housing provider and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, disability, religion, familial status or national origin.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Maintainer II -Water Division Performs tasks required in the maintenance, installation, repair and construction of roadways, services, hydrants, and structures relating to facilities, lines and equipment of the water system. Requires at least three (3) years employment as a Maintainer in the Water Division or in construction involving the installation and maintenance of pipe lines and related equipment OR two (2) years training in plumbing plus one (1) year of employment as a Maintainer in the Water System OR an equivalent combination of experience and training. The Town offers a competitive pay rate of $23.12 - $28.06 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Applications or resumes will be accepted until December 26, 2017 (or the date of receipt of the 50th application) at the following address: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main St., Wallingford, CT 06492, (203) 294-2080. Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE The Wallingford Police Department is seeking qualified applicants for Police Officer. $1,206.80 weekly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. The physical performance, written and oral board exams will be administered by the South Central Criminal Justice Administration. Candidates must register at: www.PoliceApp.com/WallingfordCT. Registration/Application deadline is Wednesday, January 17, 2018. The registration requires a fee of $85.00. EOE

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

Public Notice The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) hereby announces its 49 CFR Part 26 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) plans related to FAA-assisted contracts for professional services and construction projects for federal fiscal years 2017-2019 for Bradley International and federal fiscal years 2018-2020 for the five General Aviation Airports. The proposed plan, which includes the 3-year goal and rationale, is available for inspection between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at Bradley International Airport, Administration Office, Terminal A, 3rd Floor, Windsor Locks, CT 06096 or on CAA’s website http://www.ctairports.org, the Bradley International Airport website http://www. bradleyairport.com for 30 days from the date of this publication. Comments on the DBE goal will be accepted for 45 days from the date of availability of this notice and can be sent to the following: Laurie A. Sirois Manager of Grants, Procurement and Insurance Programs Connecticut Airport Authority Bradley International Airport Administration Office Terminal A, 3rd Floor Windsor Locks, CT 06096 lsirois@ctairports.org

Mr. Thomas Knox DBE & ACDBE Compliance Specialist FAA Western-Pacific Regional Office Los Angeles, CA 90009-2007 thomas.knox@faa.gov

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

Field Engineer

BA/BS in Civil Engineering or Construction Management. 2-5 yrs. experience. OSHA Certified. Proficient in reading contract plans and specifications. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; Email resumes to info@redtechllc.com. RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

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

Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Class A CDL Driver

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

Common Ground High School seeks a PART TIME

Special Education Teaching Assistant (TA). The TA is responsible for supporting the Special Education teachers in general education and special education classes. Support will include individual and small group instruction, facilitation of on-task behavior, and implementation of students’ IEPs, including accommodations, goals, etc. Click here for more details and how to apply http://commongroundct. org/2017/10/cghs-seeks-a-part-time-special-educationteaching-assistant/.

Wait list Coventry Housing Authority is accepting applications for its Section 8 Elderly/Disabled housing until November 30, 2017. To qualify, you must be either 62 years of age or disabled. Annual income limit is $19,250 (one person) & $22,000 (two people). Interested parties may pick up an application at the Coventry Housing Authority, 1630 Main St., Coventry, CT, or have one mailed. Completed applications must be returned no later than 3 p.m. on November 30, 2017. For more information call 860-742-5518.

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

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits. Please mail resume to above address.. MAIL ONLY This company is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

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

Proposal documents can be viewed and printed at www.

norwalkha.org<http://www.norwalkha.org> under the Business section RFP’s/RFQ’s Norwalk Housing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Curtis O. Law, Executive Director.

School Security Greeter- Seeking qualified individuals to perform a variety of duties associated with monitoring access to the building or assigned station, implementing security protocols as provided by district and building level administrative staff. Requires graduation from high school, plus a minimum of one year experience working with the public. Individual considered for the positions will be required to be fingerprinted and undergo background checks. Hourly Rate: $10.23 - $10.56 plus benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be December 20, 2017 or the date the 50th application is received, whichever occurs first. EOE.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - Portland Knowledge of Haz. Waste Regs., Manifests, AP & Billing. Send resumes to RED Technologies, LLC Fax 860-218-2433; Email to HR@redtechllc.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

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

Wait list Coventry Housing Authority is accepting applications for its State Elderly/Disabled housing until November 30, 2017. To qualify, you must be either 62 years of age or disabled. Annual income limit is $47,600 (one person) & $54,400 (two people). Interested parties may pick up an application at the Coventry Housing Authority, 1630 Main St., Coventry, CT, or have one mailed. Completed applications must be returned no later than 3 p.m. on November 30, 2017. For more information call 860-742-5518.

Please send resume to Mpicard@atlasoutdoor.com

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids

Snow Removal Services- Valley and Waverly Townhouses The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Bids for Snow Removal Services-Valley and Waverly Townhouses. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 3:00PM

Listing: Receptionist/Office Assistant

Petroleum Company has an immediate full time opening. Previous experience in a very busy office handling multiple telephone lines and dealing with customers required. Excellent customer service skills a must. Previous petroleum experience a plus. Applicant to also perform administrative/clerical tasks as assigned. Please send resume to: H.R. Manager, Confidential, P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

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

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

The State Of Black Children Living With HIV by Aldwin Soumare, BlackDoctor.org

Since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s, close to 15,000 children have been infected with HIV, and approximately 3,000 children have died in the United States from it. Nearly 95 percent of the children younger than the age of 15 acquired the virus from their mothers – either prior to birth, during birth or while breastfeeding. Fortunately, due to medical advances, the number of children acquiring HIV/ AIDS has significantly decreased. In 1995, 483 African-American children were diagnosed with AIDS, and by 2013, there were less than 100 cases. Although the rates are trending downward, Dr. Bande Virgil, a pediatrician in Columbus, Georgia says the United States could be doing better. “We are making some headway as far as HIV/AIDS transmission from mother to child on an international level, but our country is falling behind other developed nations when it comes

to this regard – even in 2017.” Despite the improvements, an HIV/ AIDS diagnosis for a child can still cause stigmatization within many social domains. Miseducation and fear within families and other support systems can cause children to keep their status to themselves. Over time, such isolation can cause a child to behave erratically and distance themselves from others. More than half of children infected during pregnancy have some form of psychiatric disorder, including ADHD and anxiety disorders. Children may not only have psychiatric difficulties, but may also have difficulty adjusting to the school setting. “If the child experiences significant complications and missed days of school, this can make learning at an appropriate pace very difficult,” explains Virgil. “It may be hard for these children to bond with their classmates due to absences.” Fear of stigma may also prevent parents from seeking help or obtaining other forms of academic assistance for

their child. In some cases, the child is not even aware that he or she has HIV. A recent study illustrated that only 7 out of 50 children were informed about their own HIV status. In some instances, parents delay disclosing their child’s HIV/AIDS status due to… …the fact that they will have to face

how their own behaviors led to their child’s status. HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a virus which can cause AIDS once it becomes more advanced. A person may be diagnosed with HIV, but not yet have AIDS. AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is a set of symptoms that develop after HIV has destroyed the immune sys-

tem. Some individuals do not develop AIDS for years. Individuals who have HIV can pass it to others through blood, seminal or vaginal fluid, especially when those fluids come into contact with broken skin. For a pregnant woman, certain factors can increase the likelihood of her child contracting HIV/AIDS from the mom. This includes smoking, malnutrition, breastfeeding and other sexually-transmitted infections. It is recommended that all women who are pregnant or have intentions of becoming pregnant be tested for HIV. Women who have not been tested during pregnancy can be screened during labor and delivery. In most instances, HIV will not cross the placental barrier. If the mother has not received treatment, close to 25 percent of children will be infected by the virus. With treatment, the percentage is decreased to less than 2 percent. Of the 1,955 children in the United States living with HIV transmitted from Con’t on page 21

TV One Cancels Roland Martin’s NewsOne Now By Stacy M. Brown,

The Washington Informer/NNPA Member

The only Black daily newscast on television is no more. TV One is canceling Roland Martin’s morning show “NewsOne Now” due to budget cuts. “They called a meeting on Wednesday and told the staff they were canceling the show. They’re having significant financial problems and they have to scale back,” a source told The New York Post. “After four years of award-winning programming and distinguished service to our viewers as the only Black daily newscast on television, the network has made the difficult decision to suspend the production of NewsOne Now as a daily morning news show. The last live show is scheduled Thursday, December 21, 2017,” TV One’s Interim General Manager Michelle Rice wrote in a memo. The news shocked staffers—including Martin—as the network had just expanded the morning show to two hours in September, according to Page Six. “There were lots of tears…The staff was completely caught off guard,” Page Six reported a source as saying.

Roland Martin’s Neither Martin nor his producers returned calls on Wednesday seeking comment. TV One management did not return messages on Wednesday. According to Page Six, the memo added: “While we will continue our long-standing partnership with Roland Martin to ensure his important voice can be heard across all Urban One platforms examining issues of importance to the Black community, we regret this decision adversely affects several of our valued colleagues whose positions

will be eliminated with the suspension of the show.” The news caught viewers off guard and many, including high-profile journalists, took to social media. “Maybe if the viewers make enough noise, TV One will reconsider canceling Roland Martin’s NewsOne Now,” said journalist Jawn Murray. “The only news show geared toward African Americans—and ditch the dozen or so Black crime shows they air.” Author and media personality Tariq

Nasheed tweeted: “Damn…TV One just canceled Roland Martin’s NewsOne show.” Gregory H. Lee, Jr., the editorial director at NBA.com and the past president of the National Association of Black Journalists called the cancelation of NewsOne Now “crazy.” Lee wrote: “Roland Martin’s morning show had real substance and covered the issues of our community. On Thursday morning, Martin read more from the memo that was sent out to employees of the Urban One com-

pany. “We are committed to providing quality news content to our viewers, but now realize a daily news program is not sustainable in this current financial climate,” Martin read from the memo. “Our plan is to take a moment to regroup and restructure NewsOne Now in 2018 under a new format that will serve the needs of our diverse audience and the business.” Martin noted that, during the show’s run, there were a number of stories that were covered on NewsOne Now that weren’t covered anywhere else. “For me, my voice will not be silenced,” said Martin. “You have numerous platforms, numerous opportunities the ability to be able to communicate with folks through social media as well, that voice will always be there, speaking to our issues.” Martin continued: “The most important thing for us to understand is that we move forward…speaking to our issues and our concerns. I understand that a lot of people are hurt and disappointed by this…between now and December 21 we’re going to keep doing our jobs, keep giving folks hell, keep holding folks accountable and doing and saying what is required.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Racism in the Workplace and the Whitewashing of the

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Columnist Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) was the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to leave his job after the “MeToo” hashtag galvanized women to speak up about sexual misconduct, harassment and more. Too bad that impetus did not float up to the top, where an avowed grabber of women’s genitals occupies the White House. It’s also unfortunate, that members of Congress have paid sexual assault accusers out of a taxpayer-funded slush fund have not been unmasked. We know some of the names. Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) arranged to have his former communications director paid $84,000 (a fraction of the $27,000 Conyers is said to have paid). Farenthold has not resigned, nor have Congressional Republicans called for his resignation, including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Farenthold said he will pay the money back. Yeah, right. As a woman, I am cheered by the #MeToo movement, although I am also annoyed by the myopia about women of color and sexual harassment, assault and rape. In 1944, Recy Taylor was viciously raped by seven White men, who never paid a price. Civil rights icon Rosa Parks was an NAACP investigator in this case, as chronicled by Danielle McGuire in her book, “At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance–A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power.” The first case in which the Supreme Court ruled that sexual harassment was a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was brought by Michelle Vinson, an African American woman, in the case Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson (1986). The high-profile, White women who are talking about workplace sexual harassment and assault really need to acknowledge the many ways that African American women have been systematically abused, and systematically ignored (and sometimes conspired against) by their White “sisters.” Perhaps I quibble, but this overwhelming stand against sexual misconduct and beyond (getting nude in front of your staff, forcible kissing,

#MeToo Movement

grabbing women by the you know what, etc.) makes me wonder when there will be a similar groundswell against racism and racial harassment in the workplace. Numerous cases of nooses being displayed in workplaces have been reported in the last decade, so many that a law journal published an article titled, “Does One Noose in the Workplace Constitute a Hostile Work Environment? If Not, How Many?” One isolated incident is not enough, the article opines. What about one unwanted kiss or one abusive grope? Why do nooses get to be seen as “jokes,” while unwanted kissing is seen as an occurrence of zero tolerance? I’m not ever, ever, ever going to excuse sexual perfidy (and more) in the workplace, but I do wonder why we can wink, nod, and grin about racial workplace misbehavior while we stand our ground about gender. I wonder why so many say accept the “just kidding” or “I didn’t know” excuse when people are racially insensitive, but are now willing to hold press conferences and speak out against sexism in the workplace. If you look at the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, the paucity of people of color as senior staffers is amazing, as documented by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Surely, there is no shortage of highly qualified African Americans and Latinos who could work on Capitol Hill. Why aren’t members of Congress calling each other on their racial myopia? Perhaps racism and racial harassment are a little more complicated than sexism and sexual harassment. Half of the population, after all, is female, and while women make the slow climb up the hierarchy in corporate America, politics, the media, and entertainment, the pace has been steady enough that powerful women are now able to call men out on their misbehavior, with women demanding resignations of (some) misbehaving men. However, too few White women and men have been willing to apply the same “zero tolerance” to employment matters regarding race. There should never be another noose laid on a Black employee’s desk or displayed in a workplace. There should never be another intimidating Confederate flag flying in a Black person’s face. There should never be another opportunity for an employee (or fellow student, or faculty member) to talk about picking cotton. There should never be an-

other blackface performance, anywhere. And there should never be another person who talks about zero tolerance around workplace sexism to accept any whisper of workplace racism. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Founder of Economic Education. Her latest book “Are We Better Off: Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available via amazon.com. For booking, wholesale inquiries, or for more info, visit www.juliannemalveaux.com. Follow Dr. Malveaux on Twitter @drjlastword.

Con’t from page 20

The State Of Black Children Living With HIV

their mother, more than half are African-American. “We need to continue to educate communities and youth,” says Virgil. “Not just about HIV and transmission, but the importance of continually seeking healthcare.” “I had an HIV-positive mother ask me if she could breastfeed her baby,” Virgil continues. “I was shocked to hear that question since the data on the high risk of HIV transmission through breast milk to the baby is clear and quite old.” Steps are, however, being taken to

change the narrative. The CDC has partnered with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to create a model to help local health systems figure out missed prevention and treatment opportunities for pregnant woman living with HIV. The CDC has also funded HIV prevention programs for many health departments to assist with promotion of HIV testing. Aldwin Soumare is a second-year medical student at the Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Con’t from page 17

Why We Need More

Boys who grow up with only female teachers and role models don’t have this opportunity. Children tend to mimic influential individuals in their lives. They benefit from strong, Black male teachers who lead by example. This is something I learned from a student while working in Washington, D.C. He was a young boy whose behavioral issues were hindering his ability to learn. Without a father figure in his life, his mother was struggling to get through to him. Upon sitting down with the boy in hopes of identifying the root of these problems, I was surprised to find he had just one request: to spend time together. After our first outing to the movies, his attitude and schoolwork improved dramatically. I didn’t have to employ any complicated learning tactic or psychological theory to help this child—I just had to be there and listen. Over the remainder of the year, I watched him grow into a successful and happy student. That experience left me determined to be someone my students can always rely on and look up to inside and outside of the classroom. Investing in the future As we look to the future of early childhood education, I urge parents, teachers, lawmakers and communities to invest in ways to bring diversity to the classroom. I also challenge my fellow Black men who are passionate about education to buck the norm, ignore the stigma, and put the children first. As a Black male principal, I feel it is my duty to spread this message and be a catalyst for change in order to create a more diversified environment for our children to learn in. I have found there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a student succeed against all odds, due to the lessons you have taught them. I encourage more Black men to join me in this journey. Royston Maxwell Lyttle is the principal for grades 1-3 of the Eagle Academy Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. He strongly believes that all students should be provided a high-quality education and that all students can reach their full academic potential regardless of their social or economic background. Learn more about Eagle Academy Public Charter School at https://www.eagleacademypcs.org/. (This op-ed was originally posted at Education Post. Republished with permission by the NNPA Newswire.)

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

Who Will Become the Next President of South Africa? By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s governing social democratic political party once led by the late Nelson Mandela, faces perhaps its most contentious and controversial election yet. On Dec. 18, the party will vote for its next president, a contest that puts former health minister Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma against Deputy Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa and three others including Lindiwe Sisulu, the nation’s minister of Defense and Military Veterans. “South Africa is governed by the Tripartate Alliance of the ANC, South African Communist Party and Congress of South African Trade Unions and this ANC alliance has fractured into multiple competing groups each headed by a sort of warlord,” said Eric Louw, an associate professor at the University of Queensland in Australia. “Each warlord runs a patronage network which dispenses wealth and jobs within a government system that has become highly corrupt.” Louw has worked at several South African universities; his research includes the role of Pax Americana on South African transformation. The ANC is wrestling with serious fractures in the party and has been for at least a decade, said Nicholas Rush Smith, an assistant professor of Political Science at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York. Smith’s main research focuses particularly on South Africa and he’s working on a book titled, “Resisting Rights: Vigi-

Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma

lantism and the Contradictions of Democratic State Formation in Post-Apartheid South Africa. “The ANC will choose a party president in December who will likely stand for South Africa’s presidency in national elections in 2019,” said Smith. “The two leading candidates for the ANC presidency represent factions of the party that are either support or oppose current President Jacob Zuma.” Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the former chairperson of the African Union Commission and Zuma’s ex-wife, is viewed as supportive of Zuma, while Ramaphosa, the current Deputy President, represents a faction opposed to Zuma. “Regardless of who wins, the factionalism within the ANC will likely continue to deepen, particularly if the party continues to lose vote-share at the 2019 election to opposition parties,” Smith said.

Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa

Meanwhile, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, said South Africa needs leaders who will care about the people they’ll lead. “I endorse, support and salute the effective leadership of H.E. Lindiwe Sisulu to be president of South Africa,” Chavis said. Regardless of who becomes South Africa’s next president, the candidate faces serious challenges, Smith said. “Unemployment is rife and inequality is deepening. The next president will face major questions about how to alleviate these problems; problems that have bedeviled every post-apartheid president, suggesting that there are no easy answers,” he said. An early September poll showed Sisulu emerging as the leading female candidate to lead the ANC and the country. South Africa’s Times Live has Sisulu

Lindiwe Sisulu

with a 29-percentage point lead over her closest rival‚ Dlamini-Zuma. Dlamini-Zuma’s support dropped from 28 percent on July 12 to 23 percent by August 11 while Sisulu‚ whose support had already seen significant gains‚ saw her lead stretch from 45 percent to 52 percent in the same period. “Comrade Lindiwe Sisulu believes now is the time to elect a female president. She is of the view that the more female candidates there are‚ the better,” Sisulu spokesman Makhosini Nkosi said. “As far as we are concerned‚ we are trying to get Lindiwe Sisulu elected president. That is the mandate of the branches that nominated her.” Nkosi added that the campaign was focused solely on getting Sisulu elected ANC president in December. A recent analysis revealed that residents of South Africa remain concerned with

the practice of funneling state expenditure to suit the business agenda of the elite. However, Dlamini-Zuma said in a recent radio interview that it wouldn’t matter if she focused on state capture and that there was nothing she could do about it beyond recommendations already made. “The issue of state capture, you know I’m not in government, I can’t do much about it myself,” Dlamini-Zuma was quoted as saying in the interview published by The Citizen in South Africa. Earlier, she said, “once state capture was dealt with, the country could then focus on the most important things, such as poverty and unemployment.” Roger Southall, a politics and sociology professor at Wits University in South Africa, said he thinks the battle for the succession within the ANC will ultimately be a fight between Dlamini-Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa, the ex-unionist turned businessman and millionaire who has been accused of fomenting the Marikana massacre, a 2012 incident that occurred during a strike at the Marikana mine in South Africa. The strike ended when police opened fire, killing 34 miners. “The odds now seem against Dlamini-Zuma while Ramaphosa seems to be picking up not just his own genuine support, but people bailing out of the Zuma faction,” Southall said. “Whatever the result, it’s war within the ANC and there could be a split. The opposition could pull off the need for a coalition government, as the ANC is so obviously at war with itself. Southall continued: “Many hope this will happen as the ANC is not merely now corrupt, but devoid of ideas.”

You Better Watch Your Mouth: Dental Care in the Black Community

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Columnist From the time I was a little girl, to just a day or so ago, someone has always told me to watch my mouth. Why? My mouth runs and sometimes it runs unplugged. I’ve been known to flim flam folks with flattery or eviscerate them with evil, sometimes moving from one to the other with just a shrug of my shoulders. But my “mouth-watching” is not the kind of mouth-watching I’m writing about in this column. I’m writing about the healthy mouth-watching that is critical to our health.

Nearly a hundred folks gathered at the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) headquarters at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C., to hear two dynamic women talk about dental health. Dr. Diane Earle, the managing dental director at Kool Smiles, in Lancaster, Texas, talked about dental health and its importance. Your mouth, she said, is the gateway to your body, so it is important for you to take care of it by getting regular checkups, taking care of your mouth and, especially, ensuring that children have early dental care as soon as they have even a single tooth. She was joined by healthy living expert Debra Peek Haynes, who is passionate about the way we eat and how what we eat can transform our lives. These two women held an audience for an hour, focusing on the many ways we can improve our lives so that we can better resist these oppressive political times. There was talk of the ways we can eat

better, exercise better, and live better, with both Dr. Earle and Mrs. Haynes presenting as great examples of healthy living. Dr. Earle, for example, said she had never had a cavity in her life. Deb Haynes (whose husband, the Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes, III, has expertly pastored Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas) shared the ways she used healthy eating to turn her health around after a diagnosis of infertility. I was thrilled to bring the women together and to moderate a discussion that had significant meaning for our community. NCNW, under the transformative leadership of Attorney Janice Mathis (who led Rainbow PUSH’s Atlanta office until she came to Washington), is the only space owned by Black people on Pennsylvania Avenue. It is close enough to the “People’s House” at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that one might walk there, which perhaps means that it is close to the devil. That proximity offers an op-

portunity for resistance, and while much of our resistance must be political, some of it hinges on our personal commitment to a physical excellence that prepares us to have resilience for the struggle. Even as we met, the devil was busy. The House of Representative passed the new “tax overhaul” package that they say will create jobs, but we know will create wealth for billionaires; to benefit the top one percent, the bottom 80 percent will be hit hard, but Congress doesn’t seem to care. The Senate has a version of the legislation, and the two houses will have to come up with compromise legislation, but both the House and the Senate agree that corporations should pay less tax. At NCNW, we talked about Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) and her Action for Dental Health Act (HR 2422). The bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored with Republican Indiana dentist and Congressman Mike Simpson, would make dental care more accessible, but

with issues like these having low priority in this ideologically divided Congress, it is not likely to even make it to the floor for a vote. Instead, the new tax law would weaken, not strengthen, healthcare access. Dental care and nutrition issues don’t get as much visibility as Russia, or sexual harassment, or jiving Jeff Sessions. But they are also important issues. So when we “watch our mouth” by watching what we eat and how we manage our dental care, we are strengthening ourselves for the inevitable struggle against the inequality that is part of the status quo. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Founder of Economic Education. Her latest book “Are We Better Off: Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available via amazon.com. For booking, wholesale inquiries, or for more info, visit www.juliannemalveaux.com. Follow Dr. Malveaux on Twitter @drjlastword.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS December 13, 2017 - December 19, 2017

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