INNER-CITY NEWS by INNER-CITY NEWS

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 2020 - -August December 2020 INNER-CITY NEWS July 09 27,, 2016 02, 15, 2016

Will the Black Community Shut at out2016 FromNAACP COVID Vaccination? Financial Justice a KeyGet Focus Convention New Haven, Bridgeport

INNER-CITYNEWS Volume 28 . No. 2418 Volume 21 No. 2194

The Challenges “DMC” Black America Face

Malloy Malloy To To Dems: Dems:

Ignore Ignore“Tough “ToughOn OnCrime” Crime”

With Distant and Virtual Learning During COVID-19

Color Struck? Holiday Miracle

Snow in July?

ComesFOLLOW To The Hill US102-Year ONOld WWII Veteran Checks Skydiving Off Her Bucket List 1

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Van Stop Reminds Fair Haven: Fight The Flu, Too by MAYA MCFADDEN

New Haven I ndependent

During a time when vaccines are a national hot topic, a community-based initiativer eminded Fair Haveners of the importance of getting their flu shots. Eleven Fair Haveners stopped by Yale’s community health care van Wednesday parked at the corner of Grand Avenue and Ferry Street to get their flu vaccinations to proactively protect the community and minimize the need for medical treatment during the Covid pandemic. The team on hand invited Fair Haveners coming from McDonalds, C-Town, the bus stop, and other nearby locations to get their shots. The Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) launched the vaccine-education campaign — called Fight the Flu, New Haven! — with the New Haven Health Department, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, and Yale Medicine. Now is a peak time in the flu season. The initiative is letting residents know it’s not too late to get a flu vaccine. According to the state Department of Public Health, the state has a small number of laboratory confirmed influenza cases. The team is working to bring the vaccine to the community during the pandemic with a particular target on Black and brown New Haveners who have been significantly affected by Covid or the flu in the past, said Sarah Gordon-Brilla.

The Fight the Flu! team spent Wednesday’s four hour pop-up providing residents with information about the flu vaccine. Gordon-Brilla noted that the flu vaccine has been around for decades. Fair Havener Terry McCarthy-Rosa stopped by the van in hopes of getting a Covid test. When McCarthy-Rosa learned the team was offering a flu vaccine, she decided to get it. “I don’t have symptoms of either of them, but there’s no shame in playing it safe,” she said. This was McCarthy-Rosa’s first flu vaccine in five years. she said. The Fight the Flu, New Haven! initiative has three more events this week for National Influenza Vaccination Week. New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond and Mayor Justin Elicker visited the van Wednesday to show their support. DJ Herman Ham drew in visitors with his music tent set up in the parking lot. The initiative is being funded by the Centers for federal Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CARE outreach intern Celina Fernández-Ayala was raised in Fair Haven and has seen linguistic and physical barriers for Fair Haveners looking for health care. Fernández-Ayala recalled the history of forced sterilizations on Puerto Rican women in particular as among community-wide reasons for distrust in the medical field. “For good reasons, its hard for people of color to trust health care,” they

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTO said. Fernández-Ayala pushed to bring the van to the “hub of activity” in Fair Haven. Before Covid ,the community health care van spent much time in Fair Haven providing free and confidential primary care, harm reduction, drug treatment, and mental health care services. Many residents recognized the van and stopped by for a needle exchange. Some needle exachange clients stopped for a flu shot while there. On Wednesday 4,000 needles were ex-

changed. Due to the pandemic the community health care van has been remissioned care to newborns and mothers. Residents looking to get in contact with the needle exchange program can contact research assistant Rodolfo Lopez Jr. at (203) 8230743. Getting the flu vaccine at the mobile clinic takes less than five minutes, said Lopez Jr.

Upcoming flu vaccine clinics for the initiativee: • Dec. 11 from 8:30 a.m to 12 p.m at Betsy Ross School (150 Kimberly Ave) • Dec. 11 from 8:30 a.m to 12 p.m. at Valley Street Housing Community (98/100 Ramsdell St) • Dec. 18 from 8:30 a.m to 12 p.m at Betsy Ross School (150 Kimberly Ave) Health insurance or an ID are not required, and walk ups are welcomed.

Health Insurance Enrollment Deadline Is Approaching by Christine Stuart Ct. News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — With the economy still struggling, the need to purchase health insurance is increasing as the Dec. 15 deadline to purchase a plan through Access Health CT looms. Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism! An estimated 5,632 Connecticut residents, who previously haven’t purchased plans through the exchange, signed up for plans through the Access Health CT, which opened on Nov. 1. As of Nov. 16, more than 12,000 of the approximately 100,000 customers with plans in 2020 have renewed their plans for 2021. That leaves more than 80,000 customers needing to renew or shop for a new plan by Dec. 15. Access Health CEO James Michel said they are seeing a modest increase in enrollment based on last year’s numbers at this time. “This year is like any other year, so it’s hard to predict how things are going to end up,” Michel said Monday during a Zoom press conference with Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. He said some employers have furloughed

or laid off employees but have given them the option to stay on the employer-sponsored insurance plan through the end of the year. “We have no idea what impact that’s going to have,” Michel said. Losing a job would be considered a quali-

fying event that would allow a person to purchase health insurance on the exchange outside of the typical enrollment period. Victoria Veltri, a member of the Access Health CT board and the head of the Office of Health Strategy, said Monday that “coverage is really critical to be able to ac-

cess care. It’s almost a prerequisite in most cases to getting good, solid health care.” But for the past two years there has been no penalty for people who decide to go without health insurance. In 2017, after attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which al-

lows states like Connecticut to set up their own insurance exchange, Congress reduced the individual mandate penalty to $0 effective in 2019 as part of tax reform legislation. However, even though there is no penalty, Veltri said anyone can face an unexpected health care need even those who are young. Veltri said the state is experiencing an “unprecedented crisis” and now is the time to take advantage of the enrollment period, which ends Dec. 15 for plans that will cover you in 2021. “Having coverage offers people peace of mind so that you don’t face unnecessary medical bills when you do need access to health care,” Veltri said. There are federal subsidies and about 75% of the people who enroll with one of two private carriers on the exchange will receive financial help. And the overall increase to plans is less than in previous years so 50% of returning customers are expected to have no increase or lower monthly net premium in 2021. An estimated 55% of customers are purchasing silver plans. There are several ways to purchase a plan. Either through the website, the call center, a broker, or through an appointment at one of the six in-person enrollment locations.

10th Inmate Dies From COVID-19 THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

by Lisa Backus Ct. News Junkie

The state Department of Correction will step up COVID-10 testing after a 10th inmate died of the virus Sunday. Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism! The inmate who died was a 67-yearold man who was serving a 24-year and three-month sentence for larceny and other charges, DOC officials said. He was transferred from the medical isolation unit at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution to an outside hospital on Nov. 26. He would not have been eligible for parole until 2031, officials said. He is the second inmate to die from complications brought on by COVID-19 in a week. A 44-year-old inmate died Friday. A total of ten inmates have died from COVID-19 including a 45-year-old man who passed

away in mid-November. DOC officials said they are now trying to step up weekly mass testing for staff and biweekly testing for inmates as part of the agency’s “efforts to minimize the spread of the virus.” Like the rest of the country, the state’s prisons are experiencing a spike in COVID-19 infections, DOC officials said. As of Monday there were 101 symptomatic inmates and 216 asymptomatic inmates including 26 women at York Correctional Institution. Approximately 2,000 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the coronavirus pandemic began impacting the state in midMarch. The DOC had touted a low percentage of inmates testing positive for COVID-19 during a mass round of testing that ended on Nov. 13. But less than a week after announcing that there were only 44 asymptomatic inmates, COVID-19 cases exploded in the prisons with nearly 300

inmates testing positive for the disease. As of Monday the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut was still waiting for a report from a monitoring panel tasked with visiting prisons to determine if the DOC is following an agreement with state officials to provide better healthcare, cleaning and social distancing during the pandemic. The report is several months late. The agreement is the result of a lawsuit filed by the CT ACLU against former DOC Commissioner Rollin Cook and Gov. Ned Lamont. The lawsuit contended that the DOC wasn’t doing enough to protect inmates as COVID-19 was spreading through the prisons. Advocates including the CT ACLU are calling on state officials to state make vaccinating inmates a top priority on par with residents of nursing homes and other congregate settings early next year. According to the state, the prisons will fall into Phase 1b of the vaccination schedule

which falls between mid-January and late May. “We recognize that correctional institutions, nationally, have been high-risk areas,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford said last week. “The Department of Correction has done an excellent job of keeping both our offenders

and staff safe. And we’re all continuing to work very hard with testing, quarantine and isolation.” “We understand the nature of the risk there and we’ll continue to work on further prioritization within those categories,” Gifford said.

Columbus-Free Wooster Square Takes Shape Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper www.newhavenarts.org

Four panels tracing the history of Italians in Wooster Square are slated to replace the recently removed Christopher Columbus statue at the southern end of the park. A garden with those panels, a fence-less lowered pedestal, landscaping and sculptural elements will replace the statue of Columbus that came down earlier this year. Thursday night, members of the Wooster Square Monument Committee voted unanimously to approve the concept, for which an artist has not yet been named. The project will be funded entirely by individual grants and donations, rather than public dollars. It is still pending approval from the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees, Historic District Commission, and Board of Alders. “I think it’s fair to say that this committee was formed to manage a crisis,” said Rev. Harlon Dalton, who has chaired biweekly subcommittee meetings for months. “But we’ve evolved to focus on the long term. These days, we’re focused on a public space in Wooster Square Park, where people can come together, relax and learn. The opposite of monumental.” Getting there has taken weeks of debate and discussion. Mayor Justin Elicker initially announced the committee in June, just days after Columbus came down. Its 24 members began meeting in late August, and opened calls for community input in September. Dozens came in, from enormous pizza pies to Italian garment workers. Multiple proposals suggested

returning Columbus to the park; others favored a figural representation of an immigrant family. Committee members ultimately did not weigh in on public calls for the monument to reflect Black and Indigenous narratives, as a nod to Americans that may share a history of the neighborhood, but do not share a history of willing immigration to the United States. Committee cochair Bill Iovanne Jr. maintained that was not part of the group’s mission. In the approved concept, a new garden will bloom around a now-empty stone pedestal, the fence surrounding which committee members hope to take down. For historic preservation purposes, the original pedestal must remain in place; it was built by local stonemasons over a century ago. Committee members have voted to lower it to eye level, a decision that the New Haven Historic District Commission must approve. Multiple historic panels will also stand in the garden at eye level, telling the story of the Italian-American experience in New Haven and the United States more broadly. The committee plans to start with the migration of Italians to the U.S. in the nineteenth century, when abject poverty and civil war threaded itself through Italy’s struggle for unification. At that time, Italians were fleeing not just hunger and penury; many in the North were also refugees in what would now be considered their own country. Panels, of which there are at least four planned, will then trace the history of Italians settling into Wooster Square, finding work in New Haven, establishing Italian-

American societies and affinity spaces in the neighborhood, and struggling to assimilate while also holding onto their culture. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro has praised the focus on local history in several meetings, regaling committee members with stories from her childhood. In a meeting last month, she recalled her dad Ted’s quest to have Italian language classes in the New Haven public schools. She remembered getting dressed up for a parade that the St. Andrew’s Society led through the neighborhood each year. Several committee members have suggested concluding with a panel that includes current immigrant history in New Haven, to bring the narra-

tive full circle. “You know, we romanticize the immigrant experience in this country,” DeLauro said. “They created their pathway. They held onto their traditions … [the societies were created] so someone could grab their hands and say they were here to help. That history has not been told.” “This committee can play a really strong role in really preserving this ItalianAmericans history and really working with others to preserve their history for today and tomorrow,” she later added. At the time of the vote, committee members remained split on whether the panels would be stone or metal. Committee member Frank Carrano has suggested the

inclusion of archival photographs on the panels, which may factor into the choice of material. David Belowski, president of the New Haven Board of Park Commissioners, cautioned the committee to also think about the possibility of vandalism when choosing a material. “These are gathering spaces,” Iovanne responded. “These are community grounds. I would just hope, in the future, people learn respect. I would hate to put dampers on this project because of fears of vandalism.” Landscaped components including shrubbery, flowers, and benches have yet to be determined, as does a sculptural element for the top of the pedestal. Dalton said that the more abstract concept for the monument was in part inspired by the DeLauro Family Table, a privately-funded monument to the DeLauro family that was installed during Mayor John DeStefano’s final term in office in 2011. The table, which was designed by architect Barry Svigals, sits on the far side of the park beside Greene Street. “What the subcommittee realized was focusing on a single person was a fool’s errand,” Dalton said. “We instead began to ask ourselves: what kind of experience do we want to create for visitors to this site?” Going forward, committee members are focused on securing approvals and funding for the project. Carrano mentioned possible funding from the Mellon Foundation, which recently announced a $250 million initiative to reimagine monuments across the country.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

2020 Arts Awards Lift Every Voice by BRIAN SLATTERY

Penfield Communications Inc

New Haven I ndependent

Host Babz Rawls-Ivy beamed from the offices of the Arts Council at the over 100 people gathered virtually Wednesday evening to celebrate the Arts Council of Greater New Haven’s 40th annual arts awards. She noted that it was an historic occasion — but not because pandemic restrictions had prevented the audience from gathering in person at the New Haven Lawn Club, as they have in years past. “Forty years,” she said, “and all the awardees are Black. I love to see it.” The ceremony featured not only this year’s awardees and the Council’s lifetime achievement award, but music performances, discussions, and short films that showed how Black artists are responding to the current moment and leading the way, in words, images, and song. First in the ceremony was the granting of C. Newton Schenck III Award for Lifetime Achievement in and Contribution to the Arts to Liz and John Fisher. Liz began her artistic career as a circus performer and then manager. For more than 20 years she has worked at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, most recently as managing director. John is stepping down this year as executive director of the Shubert Theater, having joined the theater in 1997 as managing director. During his tenure the theater recovered from financial hardship, got renovated, and created relationships with New Haven schools and libraries. The couple estimated that together they’d been working in the arts for more than 90 years. “We started young — very young,” John said. They set the tone for the evening by acknowledging that, though they worked very hard, they also benefited from their privilege as educated White people to be able to find constant employment in a difficult field. “The arts are the first things cut from any budget” and “one of the only universal consumables, like air and water,” John said. Art, he continued, “speaks to us when we are unable to hear, and for us when we are unable to speak.” “How proud we are to have used these many years of our lives in this work,” Liz said. Painter, illustrator, cartoonist, teacher, and activist Amira Brown was recognized for her fusing of artistic and political work, delving into her own personal narratives while also exploring immigrant and refugee rights, critiques of inequality, and voter mobilization. In June 2020 she created the Bailout Gallery, using the arts to raise legal funds for people arrested and jailed for protesting the killing of George Floyd. To attend to pandemic restrictions, each recipient of an award could gather a very small group together as witness in the Arts Council’s offices, and the awarding itself was pre-recorded. This made the ceremo-

John P. Thomas Publisher / CEO

Babz Rawls Ivy

Editor-in-Chief Liaison, Corporate Affairs Babz@penﬁeldcomm.com

Advertising/Sales Team Keith Jackson 10 Delores Alleyne John Thomas, III

Editorial Team

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

Contributing Writers nies a family affair, as siblings were likely to give out the award, and the awardees themselves spoke as much to the family in the actual room as the audience gathered virtually later. Brown thanked “everyone who has helped me through this creative cha cha” — especially her family, who she thanked for always encouraging her to “make my own door.” Lynn Waters, a.k.a. Bubbles or Bubblicious, was noted as an artist, founding member of New Haven’s drag community, and a tireless worker for social justice for Black artists in New Haven. She is a mentor and activist, and a pillar at the New Haven Pride Center and of New Haven’s LGBTQ+ community. Waters took time at her awards ceremony to thank her mother. “When you think of resilience and strength, she’s where I get it from,” Waters said. To the artists in the room with her, she said, “what’s here is my family, whether it’s blood or not. If I didn’t have a community of people — I wouldn’t be able to do it by myself…. I don’t know what more to say, so I’ll just say thank you.” Musician and organizer Paul Bryant Hudson works at Co-Op High as the director of its after school program. PreCovid, he also organized and hosted The Jam at the State House, a monthly night for musicians to gather and play R&B, soul, funk, and jazz. He also opened The Kitchen, a coworking space by and for people of color, and participated in Artspace’s summer-long exhibit about the Black Panther trials. Hudson talked about his upbringing in New Haven, attending the Helene Grant School as a child, where he felt nurtured by Black students and staff alike. He said it was there he learned “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthem; the

last four lines of that song, he reminded the audience, are “shadowed beneath Thy hand / may we forever stand / true to our God / true to our native land.” “It’s the song that repeats most throughout my life,” he said, from his childhood to his wedding to the present day. “I think of myself as a person who’s been shadowed beneath the hand of God” for his entire life, he said. But the hands that “shaped and cared for me and molded me,” he said, were the women in his life, from great-grandmothers “who are ancestors now” to his grandmothers, mother, aunts, and wife. “I think about what it’s meant over the years to grow up in the care of such deeply loving Black women, and what it means to grow up with such tangible support — and because of that care and support, to be recognized…. This award is for me. My name is on it, and there’s a picture of me, and it’s only possible because of these beautiful Black women who held and covered me under the shadow of their hand.” Painter, printmaker, curator, and writer Shaunda Sekai Holloway started taking art classes as an adult at Creative Arts Workshop and is now an exhibiting artist around the world and a frequently published writer. Holloway told a story of driving across the Grand Avenue Bridge with family as a young person. She recalled an uncle telling her, “nO matter what you do, just don’t ever give up.” She did not — but she didn’t do it alone. “I want to thank people who know true sisterhood,” she said. She thanked a cousin who, she said, answered whenever she called by asking “what do you need me to do?” She also thanked Creative Arts Workshop; “when my grandmother gave me

the money to enter that class, little did I know I was entering a community,” she said. She concluded by recalling the words of a friend that guided her: “This is not a wait-for-it world,” the friend told her. “This is a go-get-it world.” “The arts in New Haven has come a long way,” she said in conclusion, “and I’m grateful to be a part of it.” I feMichelle Gardin, founder of the Elm City LIT Fest, was recognized for decades of arts organization work, from outdoor festivals to youth services to programming at Long Wharf Theatre to collaborations with the Yale School of Drama, Arts Council, and Shubert Theatre. In 2009, she created Arts@Work to teach youth about job opportunities in the theater. “I’ve never won an award and I didn’t think about it until this happened,” Gardin said. “I just thought about doing what I do…. I always loved writing and reading from my family.” She also learned about political activism, watching the Black Panther rallies on the Green and having family involved in community work. She revealed that she found the name Ife while looking for a name for her daughter. She named her daughter Raven; she gave herself the name Ife. It “means ‘love of art, love of culture,’” she said, and when she came across it, she recalled thinking, “that’s how I want to live.” It continues to be the word she lives by. In her parting words, she exhorted the audience to “go forward in culture.” The ceremony also featured collaborations among previous awardees. Dancing Through Pregnancy Founder and Director Ann Cowlin (1983) and former Artspace Executive Director Helen Kauder (2012) teamed up to create “Fountain of ResilCon’t on page 06

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 www.newhavenindependent.org

Memberships National Association of Black Journalist National Newspapers Publishers Association Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Greater New Haven Business & Professional Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. The Inner-City Newspaper is published weekly by Penfield Communications, Inc. from offices located at 50 Fitch Street, 2nd Floor, New Haven, CT 06515. 203-387-0354 phone; 203-3872684 fax. Subscriptions:$260 per year (does not include sales tax for the in State subscriptions). Send name, address, zip code with payment. Postmaster, send address changes to 50 Fitch Street, New Haven, CT 06515. Display ad deadline Friday prior to insertion date at 5:00pm Advertisers are responsible for checking ads for error in publication. Penfield Communications, Inc d.b.a., “The Inner-City Newspaper” , shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad or for typographical errors or errors in publication, except to the extent of the cost of the space in which actual error appeared in the first insertion. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The entire contents of The Inner-City Newspaper are copyright 2012, Penfield Communications, Inc. and no portion may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Holiday Miracle Comes To The Hill THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

by COURTNEY LUCIANA New Haven I ndependent

Claribel Espino struggled to hold back tears when Christmas came early Sunday to her family’s door on Plymouth Street. “These gifts are helping out a lot. Times are tough because of the pandemic,” she said. “People aren’t working, the kids are home all of the time, and it’s been stressful.” Espino’s family (pictured) was one of 95 visited by neighbors who came up with a pandemic-safe alternative to an annual outdoor Hill Christmas party: Going door to door to deliver to presents. Espino’s son, Angel, 13, said that this cheered him up after being stuck at home everyday with school being closed for Covid-19. Nephew Aiden Goodwin, 3, held up his toy while smiling from ear to ear. Yale New Haven Hospital’s Staff Morale Committee and nurses from the women’s services department joined the Hill South Community Management Team to deliver the gift bags. Midwife Pam Delerme, a Hill resident, said that this is technically the team’s fifth year of distributing donations but this time straight to the family’s doors instead of at an event. “Typically, there’s a tree lighting in this community in the ‘Kimberly triangle’; where we’ll give out gifts for the kids but it was canceled because of Covid-19,”

Delerme said. “That’s when I decided to present the idea of collaborating with Yale and the Hill Committee to carry out the tradition.” Gift recipients ranged from newborns to 17-year olds. Each child received a mask, hat and gloves, toys, books, handicrafts and a $10 Walmart gift card. Every family was also given a bag of toiletries, hand sanitizer, and a $10 fast food gift card. “Our initial request to families was 1 to 13 years old, but since this year there was a greater need for assistance people asked for gifts for their babies and older children,” Delerme said. “The Hill community team is committed to use their funding for the holiday season to provide gifts for families.” “We know that a lot of kids are home this year doing school from home and don’t have as many opportunities to do holiday celebrations,” said labor nurse Taylor Balisciano said. “This event feels good for everybody because we get to see some of the same people that we’ve taken care of before in the hospital out in the community.” “I like to think about how it’s some of the babies that we’ve maybe delivered years ago that are growing up right outside of the hospital,” said fellow labor nurse Lauren Mazzariello. RN Maddalena Perrone has been a part of staff morale’s team for the past two

COURTNEY LUCIANA PHOTO Aiden

Goodwin, 3, ecstatic to receive his toy.

Hill “Santas” arrive at the Espinos’ house.

O P P O R T U N I T Y+ E Q U I T Y

years. She said this year stood out. “A lot of people in general just can’t get out and have accessibility to what they normally would,” Perrone said. “I would say that’s what makes this year that much more important.” Hill Alders Kampton Singh and Carmen Rodriguez served as volunteers to transport presents with the other “elves” directly to every family’s front doors. “The hardships are because of the pandemic but it’s also that we are a low income neighborhood,” Singh said. “This gives a sense of hope and community, and letting people know that they’re still cared for. “I’ve spoken to families who are receiving gifts and they’re totally excited,” Rodriguez said. “Spreading joy this year is so important. It’s a team effort. Giving each other a hand is what the message should be for 2020 and moving forward.” The Landry family on Wilson Street made sure to wear their masks when receiving gifts from Delerme. Xavier, 8, and Lelani, 5, said they were excited to open their gifts. “I’m not waiting until Christmas,” Xavier said. “I’m opening it right now!” Natalie Diaz, a single mother of two children and grandmother of two babies on Morris Street, said that the pandemic has made for a rough year for her famCon’t on page 08

Questions about your bill?

For Minority-Owned + Women-Owned Small Businesses

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.

Apply Now to the Partnership Loan Program

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.

Providing relief and recovery resources to small businesses that have suffered disproportionate economic injury due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Date: Monday, December 21 Time: 5 - 7 pm Location: Children’s Hospital, 1 Park St., 1st Floor, Admitting Parking available (handicapped accessible)

Creating opportunity in neighborhoods and among communities that have historically suffered from disinvestment and exclusion.

An appointment is necessary. Please call 203-688-2046. Spanish-speaking counselors available.

Learn more at cfgnh.org/sblp or contact: Jennifer Glover-Keller: 203-777-7063 | jglover@cfgnh.org Arthur Thomas: 203-974-1651 | athomas@cfgnh.org

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

DeLauro To Chair Appropriations Committee by STAFF

New Haven I ndependent

Every Congressionally-approved dollar the federal government spends over the next two years will have to get past a lifelong New Havener first. That New Havener, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, was selected Thursday as the new chair of the House Appropriations Committee for the upcoming two-year Congressional session. DeLauro won the position in a contest decided by a 148-79 phone vote of 270 House Democratic Caucus members. She prevailed over Florida U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Ohio U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur also sought the position; she backed DeLauro after dropping out Wednesday night. It was a career-defining moment for the soon-to-be 16-term Congresswoman, and it places her in one of the most powerful positions at the Capitol. DeLauro issued a statement called the new assignment “one of the greatest honors of my life” and promised “to deliver the boldest progress possible for Connecticut and families across the country in the next Congress.” “It is a unique time. We are in the middle of a health and economic crisis that must be addressed, communities of color face systemic racism, and we welcome a presi-

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

DeLauro at a recent New Haven event.

dent with a mandate for change, yet we may still face gridlock,” she stated. “Each Member of Congress represents vastly different districts which each face unique challenges. We are united by our desire to stop the spread of this pandemic, create economic recovery, deliver results for the hardworking families struggling across the country, and address the systemic racial inequities to make America

more just and equal.” The Appropriations post is traditionally viewed as a boon for constituents of the chair, who has leverage to negotiate for federal dollars for her district; and for people who agree with the chair’s policy priorities. DeLauro won support in her quest for the chair from, among others, organized labor and women’s rights advocates. DeLauro has pushed for in-

creased aid to help families weather the pandemic. This will also be the first time in 40 years that a Connecticut Congressperson chairs a full committee, as noted in this article by CT Mirror reporter Mark Pazniokas. The previous chair, New Haven U.S. Rep. Robert Giaimo, oversaw the House Budget Committee. Voices for Children Executive Director Emily Byrne called DeLauro’s ascension “exciting news.” (See tweet at right.) “With today’s landslide vote for Appropriations Chair, Rosa is going to be one of the most powerful people in Congress,” tweeted State Sen. Matt Lesser. “Wherever you are on the political spectrum this is really good news for Connecticut and working people in general.” In a release after Thursday’s vote, Gov. Ned Lamont proclaimed himself “thrilled” by the news. “Working families across the country will have a true champion ensuring that their voices are heard over the special interests, and that they have a seat at the table as we all work together with President-elect Biden and his administration to build back better from this pandemic,” Lamont stated. DeLauro has been serving as chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

Principals Seek More Counselors, Librarians by EMILY HAYS

New Haven I ndependent

If New Haven principals had their way, they would hire around 100 new school counselors, librarians and other specialty staff. The reality is likely to be far fewer new positions, if any. Principals were invited to offer their wish lists at a budget workshop this week. The workshop included some fiscal reality as well. “If we were to fund all of the requests, it would probably be 100 people. We’re not in a position to put in 100 people,” said New Haven Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Phillip Penn. Budget season is starting again at New Haven Public Schools, a time when administrators, board members and alders weigh what services they can afford to give New Haven students. In past years, the district has laid off teachers, librarians and counselors and closed schools. In the most recent budget cycle, the cuts were less dramatic and largely steered away from impacts to K-12 classrooms. The first step in drafting the budget for the 2021-2022 school year was the conversation this week with every principal about the needs at their school and their vision for the school’s future. Librarians and school counselors were recurring

positions on principal wishlists, Penn reported to the Board of Education’s Finance and Operations Committee on Monday. Other patterns emerged, like several playgrounds in need of repair. Penn said that he won’t know how many employee positions NHPS could realistically create out of the principal wishlist until around Feb. 1, the first public meeting on the draft budget. Board member Matthew Wilcox asked Penn to prepare a list beyond the principal wishlist — a comparison of New Haven’s budget to those of model districts, like the top school districts in the state. “What do their kids get versus what our kids get?” Wilcox asked. “As a taxpayer, I don’t want to hear that we need more money [but rather:] ‘This is what we’re missing out on.’ That’s something you can put in grants and on our legislative agenda.” Administrators and board members have tried to turn the pattern of budget cuts into a conversation about how much money New Haven schools should get. They are investing new energy in lobbying the state and have hired a grant writer to apply for new pots of money for the district. Wilcox brought up the district’s goal of distributing resources more equitably among schools. Penn explained how some schools get more grants than others,

CHRISTOPHER PEAK FILE PHOTO Metro students call for more counselors at pre-pandemic hearing.

and then those grants often run out. “We do not want to create a system of Haves and Have-Nots within the same district. One school has multiple funding streams, which gives it the appearance of being overfunded, where another only has the federal Title I grant and the [district’s] general fund,” Penn said. “We’re in this perpetual state of change with how funding comes into the district.” Wilcox offered a reframing of Penn’s statement. “I would say that some schools are more adequately funded as opposed to schools that are less than adequately funded. [I would be surprised] if any of our schools

actually have everything they need, even the ones people think get everything,” Wilcox said. Board member Larry Conaway looked farther into the future, to a time beyond the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s not too early to start thinking about year-round school. Let’s not close down. We’ve already lost 10 months [of learning],” Conaway said. (Recent assessments indicate that the student learning loss is not as extreme as previously projected. Students nationwide are still learning during remote school, just not as fast as they would have in person.)

Con’t from page 04

Voice

iency: Art that Nurtures,” looking back on four decades of the community built around Cowlin’s program. Kauder herself drew parallels between being an arts organizer and being a parent; both, she said, involved “letting go of your own agenda” and embracing the fluidity that real collaboration and community could provide. Site Projects (2004) and New Haven Promise collaborated on a program called “Emancipation Takes a Knee,” produced by Patricia Melton and Laura Clarke and involving David Sepulveda (2016), Susan Clinard (2015), Jamie Burnett (2005), and Travis Carbonella (2016). Sculptor Clinard and facilitator Salwa Abdussabur brought New Haven high-school students Kaatje Welsh, Alissa Jones, Zoe Eichler, Jermaine Pugh, and Ayo Engel-Halfkenny into Clinard’s studio to discuss and ultimately reshape a model of the Emancipation Monument, one of the problematic statues under scrutiny this year — a statue meant to commemorate Abraham Lincoln that was also denigrating to Black people by portraying them, still, as grateful, subjugated slaves. The students first began reshaping the model to refashion the slave so that he was taking a knee, in the form of Colin Kaepernick’s protest on the football field. After further discussion, it was decided that the statue should stand next to Lincoln, proud and strong. This led one of the participants to a startling conclusion, as she noted that all of their work had been concentrated on reshaping the Black figure in the statue while barely touching Lincoln at all. It was, she said, a “brutal process. I’m just thinking about how we had to undo and bring down and cut up this Black man in order to get him even to a place where he’s standing next to Lincoln, and all Lincoln got was a couple plug-ins here and there, still in the same position he’s at.” “We had to break down everything in order to lift this man up,” she added. “That is so representative of where we’re at right now.” The evening ended with a musical perfomance by New London-based musician Kolton Harris, who performed recent songs that celebrated Black uplift and joy. But before his performance, he sat down for a conversation with Adriane Jefferson, the city’s arts czar, to talk about his project. In the context of that conversation, he had something to say about where the arts could go from here that was both provocation and guidance. “The arts are not doing enough art,” he said. “We’re talking so much to the point that we’re not doing art.” “We love seeing the events, but when are you going to put on a show?” he added. In changing people’s minds and attitudes, he said — and thereby in really changing society — “the art is what leads the way.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

We’re here to help with your bills. Solutions designed to help you better manage your energy now and in the future.

We’re all trying to take care of ourselves and our families. That’s most important. But right now, it can be a little challenging.

Simple, practical answers. That’s what we all need a little more of right now.

We understand. And we also know how important energy is for you and your family.

If you rent, if you own your home, or if you’re a property owner whose tenants are experiencing economic hardship, let us help. These services are free while funding lasts.

If you’ve been financially impacted by the pandemic, talk to us today. We’ve got payment plans to help you take care of today’s bills. We also have programs like Home Energy

And the peace of mind is worth everything.

GetEnergySmart.com 877-WISE USE Paid for by a charge on customer energy bills.

FHIAAP320IC

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Lamont Eyes Regional Approach On Indoor Dining Restrictions by Lisa Backus

New Haven I ndependent

of the virus.” Like the rest of the country, the state’s prisons are experiencing a spike in COVID-19 infections, DOC officials said. As of Monday there were 101 symptomatic inmates and 216 asymptomatic inmates including 26 women at York Correctional Institution. Approximately 2,000 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the coronavirus pandemic began impacting the state in midMarch. The DOC had touted a low percentage of inmates testing positive for COVID-19 during a mass round of testing that ended on Nov. 13. But less than a week after announcing that there were only 44 asymptomatic inmates, COVID-19 cases exploded in the prisons with nearly 300 inmates testing positive for the disease. As of Monday the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut was still waiting for a report from a monitoring panel tasked with visiting prisons to determine if the DOC is following an agreement with state officials to provide better healthcare, cleaning and social distancing during the pandemic. The report is several months late. The

agreement is the result of a lawsuit filed by the CT ACLU against former DOC Commissioner Rollin Cook and Gov. Ned Lamont. The lawsuit contended that the DOC wasn’t doing enough to protect inmates as COVID-19 was spreading through the prisons. Advocates including the CT ACLU are calling on state officials to state make vaccinating inmates a top priority on par with residents of nursing homes and other congregate settings early next year. According to the state, the prisons will fall into Phase 1b of the vaccination schedule which falls between mid-January and late May. “We recognize that correctional institutions, nationally, have been high-risk areas,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford said last week. “The Department of Correction has done an excellent job of keeping both our offenders and staff safe. And we’re all continuing to work very hard with testing, quarantine and isolation.” “We understand the nature of the risk there and we’ll continue to work on further prioritization within those categories,” Gifford said.

COURTESY OF CT-N

Dr. Manisha Juthani, an associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine

Beloved Doc Embraced In Life & Death by DAVID SEPULVEDA New Haven I ndependent

A slow-moving parade of cars made its way down West Rock Avenue as gleeful shouts of “We Love you Margi!” were punctuated with handmade placards, balloons and sounds of celebration. This was no ordinary procession. And “Margi” was no ordinary person. The parade unfolded four weeks ago on a picturesque fall Sunday morning before the front-porch reviewing stand of Dr. Marjorie Rosenthal, or “Margi” as she was known to friends and neighbors, as she sat with her two teenaged daughters, Maya and Elina. It was a chance to say good-bye. The beloved New Haven community pediatrician and child and family advocate had been living with colon cancer for seven years. Now she had stopped treatment, signaling painful news to all who were aware of her situation. She would continue to be at home but under hospice care, surrounded by family and a steady stream of Covid-mindful friends negotiating the remaining, bitter-sweet hours of everything hospice implies. Next-door neighbor Alice Rosenthal, who helped organize the parade, explained the impact that Margi has had on the medical community and citizens of Greater New Haven, and why so many turned out to honor her. Margi passed on Dec. 1. A Zoom celebration two days later welcomed more than 500 visitors as many waited a turn to

DAVID SEPULVEDA PHOTO Maya, Margi and Elina Rosenthal “front porching.”

enter; family and friends from all periods of her life presented photos, shared stories and special moments that highlighted Margi’s sense of humor, commitment to the meaning of friendship, family, and community. Some stories drew laughter as old friends recalled a few mischievous, riteof-passage adventures over which friends had bonded and lasting memories cre-

ated. Margot Kushel, a longtime friend of Margi, recounted her philosopy of “frontporching”: “Margi thought it was a verb. It was her belief that everyone should live their lives closer to the sidewalk.” A day before the Nov. 8 “We Love Margi” parade of cars. Margi could be seen sitting by the tree belt outside her home with friends as they sat to enjoy a

porch-side solo concert by Tim Kane. A neighborhood friend, trumpet player and soul-soother, Kane has often used his therapeutic melodies to lift spirits and encourage healing and celebration throughout the community. On this day, Kane’s notes had a special resonance as he sat under three Halloween ghost decorations gently fluttering above the porch. His audience sat yards away — on the sidewalk. Soulful notes that pierced the autumn air soon gave way to a spontaneous, celebratory shift when this neighbor delivered a Public Service Announcement: Joe Biden’s bid to become the 46th president of the United States (not withstanding the legal machinations and challenges that would follow) had finally succeeded (with Pennsylvania and its crucial electoral votes called for the Democrat). Kane immediately launched into a spirited rendition of “Hail to the Chief.” Margi, even in her frail state, rose to dance and celebrate the historic moment. Though Margi would never have been one to boast about her achievements, she was nevertheless flush with an array of awards that demonstrated the recognition and respect she had earned from the medical community. A Yale School of Medicine profile entitled “100 years of Women at YSM” noted Margi’s exemplary record of service: ‘Dr. Rosenthal is being recognized for her tireless commitment to community engagement and community-based participatory research Con’t on page 12

Con’t from page 05

Comes To The Hill

ily. Without work, she said, her family has barely gotten by. The presents were a blessing. “A friend referred us because she knew what we were going through,” Diaz said. “My daughter still believes in Santa, and I just didn’t want her to lose that this year. My children are happy with a bag of cheese doodles so they’re going to love whatever.” Diaz took a moment to decide if she would give her children the gifts for Christmas or as a surprise for when they arrived home later that night. “Actually, I will have them open the presents up today,” Diaz decided. “I’ll tell them that guardian angels dropped off some presents for them.” Maria Gutierrez, a single mother of four children, said that the donated gifts will be the only gifts her children receive on Christmas. Diaz said she has been caught up in the middle of a divorce from her ex-husband because of his drug abuse, which left her no choice but to rely on self-employment and food and clothing giveaways to support her family. “Our family has had a hard time for the past six years. Right now I need to save what money we do have for the rent and bills,” Diaz said. “Sometimes kids grow up with the idea that they need expensive gifts under the tree to be happy. I’ve talked to my children and told them that it’s most important that we have a roof over our head and a plate of food. They understand our situation.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Stream the moment without skipping a beat. Now everyone under your roof can stream playlists to presentations, videos to video games; upload and download, all at the same time. Xfinity delivers the best in-home WiFi experience with the speed, coverage, control, and security you need. Plus, with the Xfinity xFi Gateway, your devices and home network are protected. With Xfinity, streaming is simple, easy, awesome.

Xfinity Internet

/ month

For 12 months

Paperless Billing and Auto Pay Required | No Term Contract

Get the xFi Gateway for speed, coverage and security

xFi Advantage Security FREE with the xFi Gateway

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

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

Offer requires enrollment in both automatic payments and paperless billing. Must enroll within 30 days of placing the order. Without enrollment, the monthly service charge automatically increases by $10. The automatic payment and paperless billing discount is for a period of 24 months and will appear on the bill within 30 days of enrolling. If either automatic payments or paperless billing are subsequently cancelled during the 24-month term, or services are reduced to Xfinity TV Limited Basic service only, the $10 monthly discount will be removed automatically. Offer ends 3/21/21. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to Performance Internet. Equipment, installation, taxes and fees extra, and subject to change. After promo. period, regular rates apply. Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. For factors affecting speed, visit xfinity.com/networkmanagement. Xfinity xFi and xFi Advanced Security are available to Xfinity Internet customers with a compatible Xfinity Gateway. Call for restrictions and complete details. NPA232170-0007 NED Q4 AAPI2 V3

139189_NPA232170-0007 Perf ad 9.25x10.5 V3.indd 1

11/23/20 6:38 PM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Cedar Hill Rallies To Reclaim Streets by MAYA MCFADDEN

Marya Woodhouse heard the gunshots that killed her nephew — and now wants to see her neighbors join her in making Cedar Hill a safer neighborhood. Woodhouse recounted that tragedy and issued that call at a neighborhood rally held Sunday afternoon at Cedar Hill Avenue and Grace Street. Woodhouse, 41, lives on Grace Street. She has lived in the neighborhood since she was 16. I-91 cuts off the compact Cedar Hill neighborhood in the shadow of East Rock near the Hamden line, bordered by Warren Place, View Street, Rock, Grace and State streets. Woodhouse was in the house on Nov. 17 around 8 p.m. when she heard gunshots. She didn’t leave the house, but she and family members looked outside and saw her 24-year-old nephew Tylee Bellamy on the ground. She called 911, as did other adults in the house. And they waited for police to arrive. Now she’s picking up the pieces, she said at the rally, where she stepped up to the microphone in a mask picturing Bellamy’s

face. Woodhouse is raising five kids, she said, and her family now must also care for Bellamy’s four kids stripped of a father. Bellamy’s murder was one of numerous shootings to plague the neighborhood in recent weeks. Neighbors called Sunday’s rally to demand action from each other and from the police. They demanded the community “love your neighbor as yourself,” in the words organizer Pastor Esau Greene. Woodhouse noted that the closure of English Drive limits how quickly law enforcement was able to respond during the time Bellamy was shot. She felt it took too long for police to arrive, in far fewer numbers than she saw respond to a shooting on Thanksgiving Day. She also criticized the safety of the neighborhood and its disconnect with the police. City officials joined neighbors at the Sunday rally to pray for the community and discuss the spike in violence and drug activity, the closure of one of two exit roads out the neighborhood, and the desire for more officers on the street. “Today we’re not just plagued with Covid. We’re plagued with a lack of love for one

another,” said Greene. After the rally Mayor Justin Elicker reached out to Woodhouse to discuss further her concerns about the neighborhood’s policing. The two agreed to reconnect later this week. Elicker also said he will talk with the 911 call center and chief of police to determine if the incident’s response time was inadequate. At the end of April, English Drive and Farnam Drive were closed to cars by the city along East Rock Park with the goal of giving pedestrians and cyclists in the park more room to socially distance. This closure limited drivers’ exit from Cedar Hill and its one-way roads to one route. Neighbors Sunday suggested that has limited police and ambulance response times. After hearing Cedar Hill’s concerns, Elicker said he is open to exploring the issue. “It’s important to weigh all voices,” he said. Since April, however, Elicker said he has received overwhelmingly positive comments about the road closure. Neighbors listened in to the rally from their front porches. The neighborhood has three ways in and one way out. “It’s not safe or realistic,”

Greene said. Cedar Hill resident Megan Ifill said when the neighborhood got together years ago to clean up an abandoned home on Grace Street, Woodhouse was the first to offer a helping hand. “That’s the part that you’re not seeing because of that pain,” she said. Greene, who grew up in Cedar Hill and still has family in the community, said the neighborhood has been “infiltrated.” Neighbors vowed to hold landlords like Mandy Management accountable for drugs and violence associated with their tenants, Greene said. “They let anybody rent in this neighborhood. They don’t care if they deal drugs. They’re not thinking about how they are a part of letting our kids see paraphernalia.” (Click here for a previous story about Mandy’s relationship with the neighborhood, including the landlord’s side. Also discussed Sunday was a planned mentoring program for young boys in the neighborhood to be started by neighbor Alfred Chow-Yen. Chow-Yen is known in Cedar Hill for teaching young kids how to fix up and ride bikes and taking them on fishing trips. And neighbors hope to encourage the local businesses to invest in the

neighborhood youth by offering them jobs to serve in their community. At the rally, Greene called on neighbors to provide information about Bellamy’s murder. “It’s not snitching. It’s being a responsible citizen,” Greene shouted down the streets. “Someone’s life was taken. It’s time for the neighborhood to love itself.” Rev. Wayne McCrea joined Greene in leading the rally. McCrea said the neighborhood’s next steps will include reviving its block watch. “This is a loving demand for three permanent police out here,” said Cedar Hill advocate Camille Ansley. Ansley said the neighborhood should have an officer on foot, on bike, and in a patrol car regularly. For years solutions for Cedar Hill residents’ concerns have come at a “snail’s pace,” said Ansley. Issues like the need for speed bumps on Grace Street have still yet to be heard. In the coming weeks the community plans to plant a tree by Woodhouse’s home as a memorial for Bellamy. “This is a small beginning. We’re bringing .

New Haven Read Buzzes Into Virtual Bee by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper www.newahvenarts.org The word was botrytis. On phones, laptops, and iPads across New Haven, spellers puzzled over the letters. In front of them, the mobile app Kahoot lit up with four options. Was it b-o-t-r-y-t-i-s, also known as the fuzzy green-gray “noble rot” that grows on strawberries and turns out fruity wines? Or perhaps b-o-t-t-r-i-t-is, a perfect phonetic match. Or B-o-t-t-r-yt-i-s, with a t added just for good measure? The clock ticked down to zero as spellers squirmed. Friday night, a global pandemic noun. an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area, such as multiple countries or continents) was no march for New Haven Reads’ ninth annual spelling bee, moved online for the first time in its history. Over 100 households attended the event, which raised $19,560 for the local literacy nonprofit. The bee took place over Zoom, with three multiple choice rounds run through the app Kahoot. Per tradition, wordmaster Tom Zingarelli presided over the rounds. “We need New Haven Reads more than ever,” said emcee and longtime New Haven Reads parent Veronica Douglas-Givan. ”I want to commend New Haven Reads for continuing to work through Covid. You don’t want for your child to be suffering in silence at all. But New Haven Reads makes you feel like we’re gonna get through it together.” It has been a challenging year for the non-

profit, which currently works with over 300 students who are below or behind reading level for their grade, most of them twice a week. When schools closed in March, New Haven Reads moved its weekly tutoring sessions online, using Zoom’s screen sharing function for online phonics and reading programs. It also expanded its physical book bank, with free book distribution at school meal sites. Douglas-Givan noted that the work could not come at a more critical time for the city, where one in six adults still struggles to read. This year, the nonprofit has donated tens of thousands of books (since last year, that number is 102,376), launched a project collecting books by and for readers of color, and given away 80 refurbished laptops and 10 wifi hotspots. Executive Director Kirsten Levinsohn said that another 10 hotspots are on the way. Despite the pivot to remote learning, 206 students remain on the waitlist. Friday, both Levinsohn and Douglas-Givan made a plea for tutors who can step in and fill that gap by volunteering one hour per week or more for the organization. “This is a party with a purpose,” DouglasGivan said. As a steady drizzle picked up Friday, the virtual bee took a surprisingly intimate turn. The event is typically held on the cusp on Halloween, with a sort of dorky pageantry built in. Teams arrive in full costume—no shortage of tiaras, hive-related puns, and glittery wings—and crowd onto the stage at the Yale School of Management. Friday, Levinsohn and Douglas-Givan greeted attendees from their homes and offices in-

stead, inviting people into the spaces where they live and work. Teams populated a shared screen with names including “Mask It Up!” and “He Who Spelt It.” As Zoom cameras flickered on, smiling faces filled the screen in one-inch boxes. A couple drank a beer and cuddled on the couch in the third row. Families crowded around their computer screens, kids scrutinizing Kahoot as pets popped into view and then disappeared just as quickly. Tutor Jailene Garzon, herself an alum of the program, changed her background to a fantastical landscape, with mossy green grasses and fjords stretching out behind her.

While “swarms” or teams of competitors typically play on dry erase boards, Kahoot gave four options for each word, scrambling spellings for terms such as syzygy, lagniappe, and antediluvian. Just as in years past, Zingarelli introduced words, this time racing to give a definition and example against Kahoot’s internal clock (“I haven’t even had a drink yet!” he joked after stumbling over one pronunciation). Between rounds, participants filled the chat function with supportive shout-outs to the organization. Susan Papa, a former English and Latin teacher who ultimately took first place,

praised the format for its relative ease. Now 60, she caught the spelling bug decades ago in grade school, when her teachers held informal bees in their classrooms. In previous years, she competed and won New Haven Reads’ bee in person, including with fellow typo catchers from the New Haven Independent. This year, she said she didn’t mind doing it from the comfort of her couch. While she began alone, her husband and daughter joined her by the end of the night. “As an introvert, there was an appeal to just staying home and doing it myself,” she said in a phone call Sunday evening. “I didn’t go in expecting to win. I just wanted to have fun and it was.” She added that the organization made its own best argument for support. Between rounds, Douglas-Givan’s 13-year-old son Jayvon joined via Zoom, recounting his own journey to literacy with tutor Ann Hartman Massaro. When he arrived at New Haven Reads, Massaro was Ms. Ann. By the time they had finished working together, she was Auntie Ann. New Haven Reads became family. “It wasn’t just a building where you learned to read,” he said. “Knowledge is power.” New Haven Reads is looking for volunteers who can give one hour per week or more to students in need of tutoring. For full disclosure, this reporter is a New Haven Reads tutor and highly recommends giving up an hour a week for immense literary fun noun. That which provides enjoyment). To get involved or find out more, visit their website.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

The Challenges Black America Face with Distant and Virtual Learning During COVID-19 By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Students, teachers, parents, and administrators face ever-rising challenges as the coronavirus pandemic continues to force changes in how young people receive their education. The challenges are particularly pronounced in the African American community, where access to the internet, working parents, and a haphazard learning model have undermined prepandemic gains. Education experts have agreed that when students of color in underserved schools must go to blended or fully remote learning models, the digital divide gets broader, more profoundly affecting them. Their school attendance plummets, along with their understanding of the curricula, their motivation to learn, and subsequently their grades. “The digital divide again doubly impacts these students, as it completely stops our tutoring with almost all of our school partners,” said Richard Kaplan, the executive director of IvyTutorsNetwork.com, a New York City Department of Education-approved vendor that teaches students in multiple underserved public and charter schools in the Bronx, Harlem, and Bedford Stuyvesant. “Given that the schools are struggling to pay for and provide the most basic teaching during the pandemic and, further, administrators now lack the budget for outside tutors, we have been unable to help. “We are no longer allowed in the classrooms for health reasons, and the students – many of them homeless – lack reliable Internet connections or suitable devices for effective remote sessions,” Kaplan remarked. “For some, fully remote actually means they might as well be in Tahiti or Timbuktu, inaccessible to effective teaching and all but forgotten.” The distance learning scheme or the online classes method of teaching are good strategies in reducing physical contact and helps limit the spread of the virus, asserted Lewis Keegan, owner and operator of SkillScouter. com, which aims to help potential students find their learning paths via online learning platforms. “However, the solution might not be as inclusive, especially for people of color in other parts of the world,” Keegan observed. “This is because not everyone is privileged for such amenities. Some areas across the globe are still not introduced to the concept of the internet,” he said.

Keegan continued: “Aside from this, having devices such as laptops and phones for learning are not cheap and easily accessible. Because of this, more practical options are chosen by parents like spending their money in food and sustenance, rather than education.” As the pandemic shuts most people in for what promises to be a long, cold, and socially distant winter, families are suffering, offered Dr. Karen Aronian of

students to lose as much as 50 percent of their academic growth in math, at least 30 percent of ELA, and perhaps a full school year of academic growth in some cases. “Strain, struggle, and hardship abound in communities of color, which carries over into family life and lack of hope,” Aronian continued. “Children’s education becomes secondary to the basic needs of a home and family. The traditional in-person

including those with special needs, added Lisa Lightner, of A Day in Our Shoes, an organization that advocates on behalf of special education. “I have been chatting with all kinds of families, including Black and Brown families. Here is some of what I’m seeing. The challenges that these families are facing aren’t necessarily due to their skin color – but because their skin color makes them much more likely to be in another category of marginaliza-

Aronian Education Design LLC. “Without a doubt, people of color are our most vulnerable populations. Special-needs education students in isolated rural communities, those who are homeless, and food insecure, are in dire education straits,” Aronian stated. She noted that some reports have revealed that the pandemic has forced

school has been, for many children, a respite from home life, family problems, and dysfunction. Without school, education has fallen off the radar in homes where survival is first, and education is a much lower rung during COVID times.” The pandemic has especially been tough on marginalized communities,

tion,” Lightner proclaimed. “For example, lower socioeconomic status or non-Native English speakers. If assignments and instructions are not being provided in the parents’ native language, then there is much less parent participation and follow up for school and assignments,” she stated. “If a child is in a lower socioeconom-

ic category, then they are less likely to have high-speed internet or a device to use even to access the lessons. I know the Philadelphia School District had to get a grant to purchase tens of thousands of Chromebooks and the like.” According to a recent Duke University panel at the school’s Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, many Black and Brown individuals face challenges that affect their and educators’ ability to resume in-person education safely. The panel concluded that the issue is a double-edged sword because wealth inequity also makes it harder for these communities to learn remotely. The average Black household in North Carolina, where the panel convened, is about $800,000 less in net worth than the average white home. According to the Public School Forum of North Carolina, 72 percent of Black and Brown students in the state’s public schools have parents who lack secure employment, compared with 21 percent of white students. That equates to lower-wealth households having had less access to opportunities for higher-quality education and access to post-secondary studies, education officials said. Further, Education Week reported that in-person learning yields superior educational outcomes for primary and secondary students — and that the pitfalls of virtual instruction are especially pronounced in minority communities and those living in poverty. School districts around the country that are strapped for cash have found it increasingly challenging to tackle the learning barriers minority students disproportionately have experienced during the pandemic. “The reality is in many economically distressed counties, over 60 percent of families don’t have reliable internet access, and that disproportionately affects students of color. In one of my counties, over 70 percent do not,” said Alex Beene, an adult and high school teacher in Tennessee. “And while I try to supplement those households with additional packets and materials, it’s just not the same. It’s impossible to attend daily classes and submit assignments digitally if you can’t even connect to join the conversation,” Beene remarked. “Many families of color also lack adequate nutrition and a culture of learning in the home. When schools are closed down, not having access to school lunches or educators that motivate students to go higher academically can have lasting effects that will stretch on long after the pandemic.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Somewhere, Snoop Dogg, Mike Tyson and JR Smith are Celebrating Federal Bill to Legalize Marijuana By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Somewhere in in the world — California, Nevada, or beyond — Snoop Dogg, Mike Tyson, J.R. Smith, and millions of other Americans are smiling. They might even be enjoying a puff and “passing it around.” On Friday, December 4, 2020, in Washington, DC, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that would decriminalize both the smoking and possession of marijuana. House Members maintain that the bill aims to correct some of the devastating injustices caused by the War on Drugs. While every state has already decriminalized at least some aspect of the drug’s usage at the local level, this marks the first time either chamber has voted to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. However, most Capitol Hill pundits and watchers note that the legislation has little chance of passing the Republican-led Senate. The bill would then have to be signed by the current president in order to become law during the current session of Congress. If it passes both chambers and is signed into law, the legislation will legalize the drug’s distribution and authorize a 5 percent sales tax on marijuana products. Proceeds from the tax will be invested in job training, legal aid, and substance abuse treatment for individuals adversely im-

pacted by the war on drugs. According to the bill, which passed mostly along party lines, the tax revenue would also provide funds for small business loans and allow access to marijuana licensing and employment for economically disadvantaged individuals. Five Republicans and 222 Democrats supported the measure, while 158 members of the GOP and six Democrats opposed the bill. Hip-Hop superstar and Long Beach, Calif. Native, Snoop Dogg, has long championed the legalization of marijuana. On

Twitter, NBA star J.R. Smith, whose passion for the full legalization of marijuana is well-documented, found his name and Twitter handle trending with the news of the legislation. As for boxing legend, Mike Tyson, smiling emojis on his Twitter feed directly conveyed his sentiments on the subject. “I smoked every day, during and while training for the fight,” Tyson said following his comeback bout against Roy Jones Jr. earlier this month in Las Vegas. “I never stopped smoking.”

Con’t from page 08

Beloved Doc Embraced

at Yale and in New Haven. As a co-director of Yale’s National Clinician Scholars Program, Dr. Rosenthal has served as an exceptional mentor to countless postgraduate learners in research who have worked toward advancing health equity in the region. Her humanism, empathy, and infectious enthusiasm are widely appreciated. She is the recent recipient of both teaching and humanism awards from the School of Medicine.” On Margi’s Facebook home page, a long list of friends, colleagues and former students weighed in on her importance to their lives and to the community at large. Neonatologist and friend Emily Gritz, who had trained under Margi at Yale, expressed the impact of her tutelage: “What Margi did see, and what I learned to see through her gentle, persistent coaching over my 3 years with her was the beautiful and often messy complexity of the child-family-community unit and how it affects the health and well-being of all who are part of it. And something began to change in me.” Another friend, Josh David, provided a description of Margi that was echoed by many on Facebook and elsewhere: “Kindness meets fierce intelligence, integrity, dignity, and grace …” Margi’s generosity as a teacher continued throughout her long journey as a cancer patient, often through her poignant essays and articles, some of which appeared in The New York Times. In her

essay, “How to Give Bad News,” Margi wrote about her advancing cancer, taking the reader with her through the most private of moments as she interpreted both spoken and unspoken cues as her doctor delivered the news. During the packed Zoom celebration of Margi’s life, Margi’s significant other, Brian McCabe, introduced himself as “The one who refused the offer to break up.” McCabe was refering to the powerful love story Margi had penned for a Modern Love column in the New York times entitled, “You Should Break Up With Me.” The article, like others before it, demonstrated Margi’s brilliance as a storyteller, blending tragic elements with hopeful ones. She had proffered the idea of a break up given her worsening condition. “Brian,” she wrote, “taught me that love is a long elliptical story.” The Zoom celebration presented a tapestry of Margi’s life woven together by immediate family, camping chums, college roommates, professional colleagues, and a long list of friends. Margi’s two daughters, whom she always referred to as the “princesses of the second floor,” had the last words. “After Covid,” they said, “we want to have a memorial gathering because mom always said that funerals were for the living, and so we want to celebrate our mom’s life with everyone she (and we) loved — in person.”

G R E ATE R N E W H AV E N

C O V I D -1 9 COMMUNITY FUND A COM MUNIT Y-WIDE E FFORT

Make a gift at cfgnh.org /covid19 fund See the top 5 needs identified by CT Nonprofits. The Greater New Haven COVID -19 Community Fund was established on March 20, 2020 by a par tnership between The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and United Way of Greater New Haven.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Congressional Black Caucus Elects Executive Committee for the 117th Congress By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

U.S. rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) will chair the Congressional Black Caucus for the 117th Congress. The announcement came as the CBC embarks on its 50th anniversary as the voice of Black America in Congress. Along with Congresswoman Beatty, the CBC announced a new executive committee that begins in January. Rep. Steven Horsford, who represents Nevada’s 4th district and currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, Budget Committee, and Natural Resources Committee, will serve as 1st Vice-Chair of the CBC. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, who represents Michigan’s 14th district and currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the Oversight and Reform Committee, was tapped as 2nd ViceChair. Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida’s 24th district, who currently serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the House Education and Labor Committee, where she chairs the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee, was elected as Secretary of the CBC. Rep. Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s 4th district and currently serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the House Judi-

ciary Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, will take over as Whip. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Texas’s 18th district and currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and the Budget Committee, will serve as Parliamentarian. Next year marks 50 years for the CBC, which outgoing Chair Rep. Karen Bass of California called 50 years as a champion for bold, progressive ideas in Congress. “Fifty years of making a seat at the table and building a pipeline for those to come, and 50 years as the ‘Conscience of the Congress,’” said Congresswoman Bass, adding, “On behalf of the entire Congressional Black Caucus, congratulations to the members of the Executive Committee for the 117th Congress.” In 1971, thirteen Black Members of Congress organized their efforts to help improve Black people’s conditions in America and around the world. Though small in numbers, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) founders understood their responsibility for the millions of voices they represented, Congresswoman Bass noted. “That responsibility drove them to speak up and speak out against injustice wherever they found it – from Apartheid in South Africa to voter suppression, economic oppression, racial violence across

FREE FLU VACCINE CLINICS

Founding members CBC 1971 the country,” she said. Under the leadership of Chair-elect Beatty, the Caucus will enjoy its largest membership in history, with a record 57 Members forming a body as diverse as the nation.

Fight The Flu, New Haven!

The Honorable Shawn T. Wooden Treasurer of the State of Connecticut

Protect your loved ones this season by getting the f lu vaccine.

December 11

Intersection of Grand Ave. & Ferry St., New Haven

Valley Street Housing Community 98/100 Ramsdell St., New Haven

8:00am-12:00pm Betsy Ross School 150 Kimberly Ave., New Haven

“We look forward to the work ahead on behalf of Black America.”

We’re building the future

December 9

December 18

and show Black Americans the power of their vote,” Bass said.

INVEST IN CONNECTICUT

State of Connecticut

$800,000,000* General Obligation Bonds (2021 Series A)

National Influenza Week is December 6th-12th Take action today and get your flu vaccine!

8:00am-12:00pm

“After four years under one of the most racist and repressive regimes in modern history, the CBC has an enormous opportunity under the Biden-Harris Administration to restore faith in our democracy

Preliminary Pricing Information: Retail Order Period*: Monday, December 14, 2020

Institutional Pricing*: Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Expected Tax Status: Interest is exempt from federal income tax, and for Connecticut residents is also state tax-exempt.**

8:00am-12:00pm

Delivery Date*: Wednesday, January 6, 2021

For more information on these Bonds: www.BuyCTBonds.com

Jefferies 800-567-8567

Co-hosted by NAACP & CT Black Nurses Association! and Betsy Ross School 150 Kimberly Ave., New Haven

BofA Securities, Inc. 888-768-6999

Janney Montgomery Scott 800-822-2014

Academy Securities Inc. 646-205-0249

AmeriVet Securities, Inc. 646-809-6937

Barclays 212-528-1115

Citigroup 855-644-7252

Drexel Hamilton, LLC 212-632-0406

Fidelity Capital Markets 800-544-5372

J.P. Morgan 855-231-8873

Mesirow Financial, Inc. 800-558-7290

PNC Capital Markets LLC 800-622-7086

Ramirez & Co., Inc. 800-888-4086

Mischler Financial Group, Inc. 800-820-0640 Roberts & Ryan 646-542-0017

Learn more & find out where to get your flu vaccine in New Haven: www.fighttheflunewhaven.com

Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC 800-334-6800

Rice Financial Products Company 888-740-7423

Stern Brothers & Co. 800-466-5519

Stifel 800-679-5446

UBS 860-727-1527

Raymond James 877-295-9116 UMB Bank, N.A. 888-718-1556

Preliminary Subject to Change

Before purchasing any Bonds, contact your tax advisor to determine any applicable federal, state and local tax consequences.

These Bonds may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time an Official Statement is delivered in final form. Under no circumstances shall this announcement constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Bonds in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities law of any such jurisdiction. The Bonds will only be sold by means of an Official Statement.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Biden-Harris Administration Commits to Ensure Government Spending with Black and Minority-Owned Media Businesses By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

President-Elect Joe Biden’s administration plans to support legislation offered by District of Columbia Democratic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton that would ensure federal agencies advertise with minority-owned businesses, including the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). “From the racial equity plan – at the direction of the President-Elect, the Director of Minority Business Development Agency will coordinate all federal offices to reduce barriers to procurement for underrepresented groups, including all types of minority-owned businesses,” a Biden transition spokesperson told Black Press USA. “This is good news for the Black Press of America in 2021,” declared Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO of the NNPA. “The incoming Biden-Harris Administration has gone on the public record to keep their commitments to ensure equitable federal advertising dollars to be spent over the next four years with Black owned newspapers, and other minority owned media companies across the nation.” In 2019, after reviewing a General Accounting Office audit that revealed federal agencies only spend a pittance of its allotted $5 billion advertising budget with Black and minority-owned entities, Norton introduced H.R. 2576. The legislation requires each of the 12 federal Appropriations Committees to adopt language mandating that all agencies include in their annual budget request

to Congress the amount of money they spend to advertise with the Black Press, Hispanic Press, and women-owned publications. Norton’s bill, which remains under consideration in the House, requires all budgetary requests include a line item detailing what they are spending with Black and other minority-owned businesses, including media companies. “This is important not just for the publications but because those publications reach minorities and women in a way that mainstream publications may not,” Norton said when introducing the measure. “We did this because the federal government is the largest advertising agency in the United States and this gives it a special obligation to make sure that it is using advertising dollars fairly and to reach all people in the United States,” said Norton, who has served in the U.S. House since 1991. The incoming Biden administration plans to see this legislation through. “The President-elect is committed to implementing the plans that he laid out during the campaign that focuses on building the economy back better and creating opportunities for minority-owned businesses to advance and prosper,” the transition spokesperson relayed. “Biden’s Lift Every Voice plan largely addresses the President-elect’s plans to address building Black wealth, which means investing in Black communities.” The former vice president’s Build Back Better Racial Economic Equity plan also relays how Biden plans to hold federal offices accountable for adequately maintaining their relationships with minorityowned businesses.

It includes increasing the funding and stature of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Latino and Black Americans are roughly 30 percent of the U.S. population, yet they currently own just 7.5 percent of small businesses with employees. For almost four years, the only federal agency charged with addressing racial disparities in small business ownership has been on the Trump administration’s chopping block. MBDA provides business consulting services and connects minority-owned businesses with capital and contracting

opportunities. “These services are critical. Instead of trying to reduce or eliminate funding for MBDA, Biden will protect the agency and call on Congress to increase its funding dramatically,” the transition spokesperson said. The plan includes the Biden administration elevating the Director of the MBDA to the Assistant Secretary level and instruct the MBDA to coordinate all federal offices charged with reducing barriers to procurement for underrepresented groups. With additional resources and author-

ity, MBDA will also create new business development grants and other programs that will address the economic challenges facing Black and Brown communities, expand small business ownership, and shrink the racial wealth gap. Additionally, Biden plans to provide MBDA with $5 billion in annual lending and investment authority “to ensure capital flows directly to minority-owned businesses and investments in critical infrastructure in Black, Latino, AAPI, and Native American communities,” the spokesperson said.

102-Year Old WWII Veteran Checks Skydiving Off Her Bucket List

was about to jump. She even thought of doing it without the skydive instructor’s help. The joyous moment was witnessed by Bailey’s close family and friends, as well as other officials and residents. They consider Bailey as an inspiration. “It was wonderful, a real thrill!” Millie said. “I was scared for one minute, it felt like I was tumbling and then I thought, somebody is holding onto me.” During her younger years, Bailey joined the Army and quickly climbed up the ranks until she retired in 1946. For years, she did not stop trying to serve the community by sending out care packages for soldiers deployed overseas. “I estimate she has sent over 14 tons of care packages for soldiers overseas,” said her nephew, Martin Johnson. “Two weeks ago, I took six boxes that were shipped to Afghanistan which were donated from Aunt Millie.”

BlackNews.com

Nationwide — At the age of 102, Vivian “Millie” Bailey, a World War II veteran from Maryland has finally achieved her dream of skydiving, making her one of the oldest people in the world to do so. Bailey took on the challenge as part of an episode for the series Honor Flight Heroes that features her life story. In the episode that will be aired on Veterans’ Day on American Heroes Channel, she was asked about that one thing she wants to do but wasn’t able to do yet. “You are not going to believe it,” she said, according to WJLA. “The thing I’d like to do is do a parachute jump like President Bush did.” When Bailey said that she will do it if someone takes her skydiving for free, the production team offered to pick up the tab and have it featured on the episode. The excitement was evident on Bailey as she

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Will the Black Community Get Shut out From COVID Vaccination? By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent The first wave of coronavirus vaccines should reach the public this week, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending that all adults receive the vaccination in 2021. While the CDC said there should be enough doses for as many as 20 million people to receive vaccination by the end of December, health officials expect a much larger supply in the coming months. Still, with a justified distrust of unproven vaccines, and a perceived limited participation by African Americans in clinical the trials that lead to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, many question whether African Americans will accept vaccination. Others are also concerned that, even if the Black community generally accepts the vaccine, would doses be available. “I’m guessing white folks will be first in line,” Monica Roderick, a Temple Hills, Maryland mother of four, opined. “One of the reasons I shudder when I hear people talk about how Black people are still suspect because of the Tuskegee Experiment and other vaccines that ended

wrong is because it tends to give other folks the greenlight to leave us out,” Roderick said. She continued:

“This virus is the worst thing the world has seen in 100 years. It’s too important not to consider the vaccine, especially since most people affected by the coronavirus are Black and Brown.” Putting whether the Black community can trust the vaccine aside, the next controversy on the immediate horizon is whether African Americans will have access. The initial supply certainly will overwhelm demand, CDC officials said. The federal government plans to distribute the vaccine in phases. Health care workers and patients in longterm health care facilities are first in line. According to guidelines, senior citizens and those with high-risk comorbidities and essential workers are next. After that, state and local government officials will determine who next receives a vaccination. So far, most states have yet to develop a

concrete plan. The outline reportedly provided suggested no explicit details about reaching marginalized populations like the Black community who have suffered the most. “I’m looking at social media, and I’m seeing [Former President] Barack Obama saying he’ll take the vaccine on television, and I’m shaking my head,” said Tonia Everhart, a Northeast, Washington, D.C., nurse. “First, understand that Obama isn’t necessarily the most trusted voice in the Black community, and he’s not a doctor. “While I understand what he’s trying to do to encourage participation and eliminate fear, our community needs Black medical professionals, trusted voices, to say it’s okay to take the vaccine and then we need to be assured that we are not going to be left behind when the vaccine becomes available,” Everhart demanded. Health officials agreed. “You need that deep community engagement to strategize and inform what needs to be done, community by community,” Eric Toner, a senior scholar with the Johns

Hopkins Center for Health Security, who was the lead author for Johns Hopkins’ Covid-19 vaccine allocation framework, told NBC News. That means engagement of local leaders, from pastors to principals, to reach hesitant individuals, he said, adding that such strategies are particularly key to reaching historically marginalized and disenfranchised communities. “That is a public health priority not only

for ethical and moral reasons but because that’s where a lot of the transmission of the disease is happening,” Toner added. “It’s absolutely true that we can’t reach them solely through public messaging,” Toner continued. “States need to be working now to create the relationships in those communities with trusted leaders to encourage people to seriously think about getting vaccinated.”

Zillow Finds Remote Work Could Help Black Renters Become Homeowners

The rapid rise in pandemic-driven telework could make first-time homeownership most broadly accessible to black renters compared to other renters, based on factors including income, the makeup of local industries, geography and more, a November Zillow analysis suggests. Zillow research found that, of the nearly 2 million U.S. renters who are able to take advantage of heightened telework options and could afford monthly payments on homes in less-expensive areas outside of their current metros, Black renters benefit far more than other renters. In large metro areas where typical starter home values are higher than they are nationally, Black renters are 29% more likely than other renters to be able to buy their first home in a less expensive area because of the opportunity to work from home permanently. Black renters have the most opportunity due to their likelihood of working in more “remotable” industries, like educational services and public administration, combined with having relatively low-income levels, pricing them out of where they currently live, but high enough to potentially afford a home in a less-expensive metro. “Teleworking has opened up more options for my family. We’ve made a life here in Maryland, but with two small children being able to purchase a home back in Louisiana and be closer to my parents and our extended family is just what we need,” says Jonathon Holloway, federal employee and Maryland renter

who recently made an offer on a home in Louisiana. “With everything that has happened this year, it makes you stop and realize what is really important. And for us, that’s family. Without the ability to telework, we might not have been able to make this transition.” That opportunity is highly dependent

on each specific market. In Baltimore, for example, it is more likely for Black households making $30,000 to $40,000 to have primary earners in health care administration and office work, which is highly “remotable”, while in Phoenix it is more common that someone in this bracket would be in travel, hospitality and accommodation, or food service, which is

not. The black and white homeownership gap remains as wide today as it was at the dawn of the 20th century. Nearly 75 percent of white households own their homes, compared with just 44 percent of Black households. While remote work can open up opportunities to buy a home in more affordable locations, it doesn’t address the root of the various affordability issues for people of color. This means, for some people, achieving homeownership in this way will be a tradeoff against living some place they would prefer. For others, though, it could mean the sudden ability to move to an area they would have preferred in the first place. This analysis shows that Black renters are most likely to face this tradeoff decision. “Although it’s well-known that the pandemic has been disproportionately harmful to Black communities, the rapid shift to remote work could make homeownership more broadly accessible,” said Zillow economist Treh Manhertz. “It’s a rare opportunity for those in a position to take advantage of remote work. Unfortunately, this shift will not be a major factor in closing the homeownership gap nationally. The larger-scale solution must be to create options for affordable homeownership locally. Moving away may be a newer option for some, but it shouldn’t be the only option available to achieve homeownership.” Although white and Asian renters are much more likely to work in more “re-

motable” industries, such as finance, insurance and tech, their incomes more often allow them to buy homes in their current metro areas. At the national level, teleworking could open homeownership to 4.5 percent of all renter households, including 9 percent of Asian renters, 3.7 percent of Black renters, 5 percent of Latinx renters, and 4.1 percent of white renters. While the national numbers show the share of households with “remotable” work who could potentially afford a home in another metro area, they don’t paint the entire picture by considering how effects will impact each community differently based on variations in home prices, incomes, and industries geographically. A starter home in the U.S. is around $132,000, which at recent low rates and a 20 percent down payment translates to estimated monthly payments of about $725, about 30 percent of income for a household earning $29,500 per year. Black and LatinX Americans are at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to wages, but for homeownership, the benefits of telework are larger at lower income levels. Job concentration has driven home values especially high in the largest metros and many households have been priced out. Telework has the potential to offer more flexibility and shift the affordability equation just enough for many households to get a foothold in homeownership.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020 INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Listing: Commercial Driver

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Full time Class A driver for petroleum deliveries for nights Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory and weekends. Previous experience required. Competitive training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield CT We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits wage, 401(k) and benefits. Send resume to: HR Manager, VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE Contact: Tom Dunay P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437.

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

NOTICE

Phone: 243-2300 HOME INC, on behalf of860Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer********** is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develEmail: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com opment& located at 108 Frank Street, Haven. Maximum Women Minority Applicants are New encouraged to apply income limitations apply.Affi Pre-applications willEqual be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y State of Connecticut rmative Action/ Opportunity Employer 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have Office of Policy been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed pre- and Management Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Incoffices seeks: applications must be returned to HOME INC’s at 171 Orange Street, Third Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. and clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the NorthThe State of Connecticut, Office of east & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

NOTICIA

Policy and Management is recruiting for a Leadership Associate (target class Budget Analyst).

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES Email: rick.tou-

242 Fairmont Avenue, New Haven Spacious 2 bedroom townhouse $1,225.00. Tenant pays all utilities including gas for heat, hot water, elec.stove, balcony and private entrance, off street parking. Close proximity to restaurants, shopping centers and on bus line. Section 8 welcome. Security Deposit varies. Call Christine 860-985-8258.

APARTMENTS FOR RENT 241 Quinnipiac Avenue, New Haven

Spacious 2 bedroom townhouses with hardwood floors. 1.5 baths. Select with basements and washer/dryer hookups. On-site laundry facility. Off street parking. Close proximity to restaurants, shopping centers and on bus line. No pets. Security deposit varies. $1,425-$1,450 includes heat, hot water and cooking gas. Section 8 welcome. Call Christine 860-985-8258.

Further information regarding the duties, signant@garrityasphalt.com eligibility HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, estárequirements and application Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply instructions for this position is available aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer at: ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos

Union Company seeks:

máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 https://www.jobapscloud.com/ julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= en lasTrailer oficinasDriver de HOME INC. & Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas Tractor for Heavy Highway Construction Equip- por correo a petición 201015&R2=5989VR&R3=001 llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse ment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of . a las oficinas de equipment; HOME INCbe enwilling 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, 06510State operating heavy to travel throughout theNew Haven , CTThe of Connecticut is an equal Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com with disabilities.

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

CITY OF MILFORD

242-258 Fairmont Ave Townhouse, 3BR, 1vacancies level , 1BA Seeking2BR qualifi ed condidates 1.5 to fillBA, numerous to include,

All Health new apartments, new appliances, carpet, I-91informa& I-95 Public Nurse, Mechanic Sewernew Line and close more.toFor nearinstructions, bus stop & shopping center tion and detailedhighways, application visit www.ci.milford.ct.us Pet under 40lbon allowed. Interested parties MariaTITLE. @ 860-985-8258 Click SERVICES, JOBScontact and JOB

Real Estate Controller

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. Fusco Management is seeking a Real Controller. Candidate should have (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, Estate D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster

leadership, communication and supervisory skills. Controller should have 6+ St. New Haven, CT year’s hands on accounting experience and have a BS in Accounting.

Duties and Responsibilities:

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Oversee the activities of the Accounting Department for the accurate and timely dissemination nancial by management reports including andSeymour external Sealed bids of arefiinvited the Housing Authority of theinternal Town of monthly financial statements, and annual budgets. until 3:00 pm on Tuesday,annual Augustaudits 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street,

Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Desired Skills and Experience Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour. Qualiﬁcations: • • • •

Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Timberline and Timberscan, BNA, TValue. A pre-bid conference willand be good held communication at the Housing skills. Authority Office 28 Smith Discretion, good judgment Street general Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, 20, 2016. Strong ledger, accounts payable and accountsJuly receivable. Real Estate experience a plus.

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority OfEducation and Experience Required: fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance. CPA certification a plus. Must have 6+years of hands-on accounting managerial experience. Fusco Management ofThe Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to fers a competitive benefit package. Fusco is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opreduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any portunity Employer

informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the Housing Authority.

Invitation for Bids

Phase 2 – Group 4 – Lead Abatement at Essex Townhouses The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Bids for Phase 2 – Group 4 – Lead Abatement at Essex Townhouses. A complete copy of the requirements may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, October 26, 2020 at 3:00PM

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

NEW HAVEN

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation to Bid: nd Notice

Town of Bloomﬁeld2

Listing: Commercial Driver

need for a full time Class B driver for petroleum deliveries for days and SAYEBROOKEImmediate VILLAGE weekends. Previous experience required. Competitive wage, 401(k) and benefits.

Lead Building Maintainer - Facilities

Old Saybrook, CT Send resume to: Full Time - Beneﬁted (4 $31.26 hourly Buildings, 17 Units)

HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437.

********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer********** Taxdrug Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project Pre-employment testing. For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfiWood eldct.org New Construction, Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Cast-

Town of Bloomﬁeld

in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, ResidentialDeputy Casework,Town Engineer Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. $75,909 to $117,166 Seeking qualified condidates to fill This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.drug testing. AA/EOE. Pre-employment numerous vacancies to include, For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.gov Benefits & Pension Coordinator Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 and more. For information and Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 detailed application instructions, Project documents available via ftp link below:ELM CITY COMMUNITIES visit www.ci.milford.ct.us http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Click on SERVICES, JOBS and Invitation for Bids JOB TITLE. Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com

CITY OF MILFORD

QSR

Plumbing Services Agency-wide

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 STEELHaynes CORPORATION AA/EEO EMPLOYER The Housing Authority

APPLY NOW!

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Top pay for top performers. Health Beneﬁts, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Bids for plumbing services agency-wide. A complete copy of the requirements

may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, October 26, 2020 at 3:00PM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 092016 , 2020 - December 15, 2020 INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, - August 02, 2016

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT)

NOTICE

The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for EMT. Must possess a H.S. diploma or G.E.D., plus one (1) year of recent experience as an EMT. Must be 18 years old and be a Connecticut or National Certifi ed APPLICATIONS EMT with CPR Certifi cation and VALENTINA MACRI RENTALRegistry HOUSING PREAVAILABLE a valid State of Connecticut motor vehicle operator’s license. Starting wage $620.16 (weekly), plus an benefi t package. Apply: Department of Human ReHOME INC, on excellent behalf of fringe Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, sources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this devel(203) 294-2080. closing date will be theHaven. date ofMaximum the 50th application or resume opment locatedThe at 108 Frank Street, New income limitations ap-is received or December 14, 2020, whichever occurs fi rst. ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y

25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Accounting Department has an immediate opening in Accounts Payable for an AP Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

Listing: Accounting

Operations Specialist. This full time position in a fast-paced office environment could be an excellent entry to an Accounting career. Requires good computer and organizational skills, attention to detail, and multi-tasking. Benefits include health, dental & LTD insurance plus 401(k). Send resume to: Human Resource Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437. VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

NOTICIA

********An Affirmative Action/Equal Employer********** HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus HouseOpportunity y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo Construction Ofﬁ ce Position. ubicado en la calleAdministrative 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican FT-Exp limitacionesrequired. de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 Email- Hherbert@ gwfabrication.com julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse State of Connecticut a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 . Office of Policy and Management The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for an Associate Accounts Examiner and a Staff Attorney 2 position. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at:

NEW HAVEN

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 201112&R2=0946AR&R3=001

242-258 Fairmont Ave and 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1=

All new apartments,201117&R2=0088AR&R3=001 new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, bus stop & shopping center The State of Connecticut isnear an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and Pet and under 40lb allowed. persons Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 with disabilities. CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster

Maintenance Shop Manager

Norwalk Transit District is hiring for a Maintenance Shop Manager New Haven, CT inSt.Norwalk. For more information and to apply, please go to:www. norwalktransit.com/employment

SEYMOUR HOUSING MechanicAUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by isthehiring Housing the Town in of Norwalk. Seymour Norwalk Transit District forAuthority a Diesel of Mechanic until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, For more information and to apply, please go to:www.norwalktransit. Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the com/employment Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

of atBloomﬁ A pre-bid conferenceTown will be held the Housing eld Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT atField 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Operations Manager - PW Full Time - Beneﬁted

Bidding documents $75,909 are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Ofto $117,166 fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 888-4579. Pre-employment drug(203) testing. For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

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

DELIVERY PERSON

NEEDED

Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

Must Have your Own Vehicle If Interested call

(203) 387-0354

POLICE OFFICER City of Bristol

$67,170 - $81,648

Required testing, registration info & apply at www.bristolct.gov DEADLINE: 12-13-20 EOE

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Top pay for top performers. Health Beneﬁts, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids

Fire Alarm System, Fire Pump and Vestibule Upgrades at George Crawford Manor

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Bids for fire alarm system, fire pump and vestibule upgrades at George Crawford Manor. A complete copy of the requirements may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, December 14, 2020 at 3:00PM

Construction

Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valid drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Drug Free Workforce

Town of Bloomﬁeld Assistant Building Ofﬁcial Full Time - Benefited $38.03 hourly

Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

Invitation to Bid: Construction Administrative Ofﬁce Position. FT-Exp 2nd Notice

KMK Insulation Inc. required.EmailHherbert@ gwfabrication.com SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE 1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473 Old Saybrook, CT Mechanical Insulator position. (4 Buildings, 17 Units) Insulation company offering good pay Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project and benefits. Please mail resume to above address. MAIL ONLY are an AA/EO Employer NewWe Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Cast-

in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Invitation to Bid LEGAL NOTICE of10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Flooring, Painting, Division The Riverfront Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. TOWN OFMechanical, PORTLAND, CT Franklin Street Town of Portland has amended its Citizen ParticiThis contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. Torrington, CT pation Plan for the purpose of informing the public about its intent to apply for CDBG, Covid-19 funding. For a copy of the amended Plan go to www. portlandct.org.

New Construction of One (1) Passive House Four-story Building, Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 60 Units, Approximately 71,600 sf. Taxable project. No wage rates. Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Project documents available viaExtended ftp link below: Bid Date / Due: Friday, December 11, 2020 @ 5pm http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Link to access plans & speciﬁcations:

DELIVERY PERSON

NEEDED

http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=riverfrontrecapturetorrington This contract is subject to state requirements: Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com CHRO Subcontracting HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE &CT Section 3 Certified Businesses Requirements = 25% SBE and 6.25% MBE All questions and bids Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT must 06483be submitted in written form and directed to the appropriate estimator: Eric Facchini efacchini@haynesct.com for Site, Concrete, Masonry & MEP trades. AA/EEO EMPLOYER

Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

Must Have your Own Vehicle If Interested call

(203) 387-0354 17

John Simmons jsimmons@haynesct.com for all trades in Divisions 6 through 14.

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

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

OP-ED: Stopping the Exploitation of Prisoners and Their Families Requires More Comprehensive Solutions By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

The year 2020 brought renewed global focus to issues of social justice in America. Racial disparities and inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic to the killings of George Floyd and so many other of Black and Brown Americans at the hands of police officers have all contributed to the evolving social justice “reckoning” across the nation. As part of this long overdue redress about institutional and systemic racism, renewed attention should also be focused on the many injustices within the U.S. correctional system. Black and Brown Americans are disproportionately imprisoned in the United States. Much of the public outrage has been directed at the officials who have been unable to prevent the fatal spread of COVID-19 in jails and prisons throughout the country. But in addition, there were too many governors who were unwilling to reduce prison populations by releasing individuals who posed no threat to public safety. As a result, nearly 200,000 incarcerated Americans have been infected as of November 2020 according to the Marshall Project. The criticism of the correctional system does not stop with the prison officials themselves but extends to the full spectrum of private companies that provide services to correctional agencies. Among those that find themselves in the crosshairs of the growing critical scrutiny are a group of specialized telecommunications companies. These companies provide two connected services to the corrections industry: communications tools that people in jails and prisons use to connect with family and people on the outside (telephones, but also modern devices like digital tablets); and security and investigatory tools built into the communications tech, which help correctional agencies monitor for criminal activity. On the surface, these may appear to be both good things. The problem, however, comes in how these products are paid for. See, it’s not the correctional agencies that pay for these services – companies charge for every call made, but it’s the families and friends of the imprisoned making the calls or accepting the calls that end up paying those bills. It obviously costs money to build, install, maintain, and secure this technology. But, not all or even most of this money that is paid for those services goes to the telecoms themselves. What most people do not know is that

Black and Brown Americans are disproportionately imprisoned in the United States. the government takes a cut of the revenue – in many cases, the lion’s share. For example, in 2018 incarcerated individuals in Connecticut paid $13.2 million for phone calls. Nearly 60% of that money went to the state. Because of this model, the cost of making a call or sending an email from a correctional facility can be much higher than on the outside. And these costs can vary widely from state to state. In 2019, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, the average cost of a call from a jail in New Jersey cost $1.26, while that same call in Arkansas cost $14.49. Prison telecom companies have faced strong criticism in recent years from elected and community leaders for their role in these charges. I have expressed concern about the way these contracts put an unreasonable financial burden on families in our communities. In my civil rights career, I have experienced firsthand how prisoners and their families are taken advantage of and financially challenged by jail and prison regulated services. At least one of these companies, Securus Technologies, appears to have taken this criticism to heart. In 2017, Securus was acquired by Platinum Equity, which is headed by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores. At the time, many of us would have reasonably assumed that a private equity firm would simply extract as much value from the company as possible and then sell it at a profit. But that’s not what Gores did. Instead, he appears to have undertaken

an effort to change some of the problematic business practices that have long plagued the correctional telecom industry. At the beginning of this year Gores brought in a new CEO for Securus, who committed to lowering their prices and improving the services they provide to incarcerated Americans. If you approach such a promise with a healthy dose of skepticism, you’re not alone – especially knowing the history of this industry. But for the moment, Securus seems to be making good on its promises. According to company updates, Securus has so far reduced the average cost of calls by 30%. It has renegotiated lower rates with 56 correctional agencies this year. It has been offering free calls and other communications to incarcerated individuals impacted by the pandemic – over 30 million to date. Was that enough? No. Far from it. But it was an important start, and one that no other company in the prison telecom space has so far matched. Yet Gores appears to have been singled out for criticism by a group of advocates for the incarcerated. Sometimes even those with good intentions can find themselves caught up in the systemic problems of the correctional industry. Those attacks came to a head this year when critics demanded that the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) remove Gores from its board. They called him a “prison profiteer,” despite the fact that – as the LA Times notes – Gores had pledged 100% of his personal stake in Securus to helping reform its

operations. LACMA eventually bowed to pressure and, to avoid further friction, Gores resigned his seat. This is exactly an example the consequences of poor judgement in public advocacy that does not actually help bring relief to the families of the mass incarcerated. Did LACMA improve the life of a single incarcerated individual by doing so? It did not. To be clear, the prison telecom industry remains in need of serious reform. We need to hold Securus and other telecoms accountable for changing their harmful business practices. But if we want people to do the right thing then we need to acknowledge when they actually strive to do the right thing. So where do we go from here? The solution is not, as some have suggested, to eliminate these companies altogether. The services they provide are needed, and few believe they could be offered at the same quality or efficiency by the public sector. The security tools offered are necessary as well – among other things, they help prevent attempts to cause harm from within prison walls, from harassing victims to operating criminal activities on the outside. Individuals who have been sentenced to prison for a crime are already paying their debt to society. They should not also be forced to pay to help plug holes in the budget of a local warden or sheriff. State and county officials need to stop collecting “commissions” on these services, and where possible they should contribute public funds to reduce the

costs of these communications tools for incarcerated Americans. Securus also needs to go further. Although they have lowered costs, their products remain far too costly for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. In addition, their competitors need to follow suit – including the biggest operator in this space, Global Tel Link. While our democracy remains politically, socially, and economically divided, we all have just witnessed the transformative power of the vote by millions of people who care about the future of our nation. Ultimately, correctional telecom companies depend on contracts from state and local corrections agencies. The heads of those agencies are appointed by elected officials. Criminal justice reform was on the national ballot. Voters must now hold all elected officials accountable on a wide array of issues including the issue of improving the telecom services offered to prisoners and their families. Stop the exploitation of prisoners and their families. Prison wardens, county sheriffs, and state officials resolutely should stop taking advantage of incarcerated people. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer/Host of The Chavis Chronicles http://www.TheChavisChronicles.com& dr.bchavis@nnpa. org

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Deceber 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 09, 2020 - December 15, 2020

Have a new reason to think about health insurance? We can help. Visit AccessHealthCT.com to compare plans and see if you qualify for financial help, or are eligible for low-cost or free coverage. Open Enrollment ends December 15.

Connecting you to quality health insurance plans. AHCT-38032 Inner City News 925x105_f.indd 1

10/20/20 5:33 PM