THE INNER-CITY NEWS

“The Obamas” Visit Obama School

by Maya McFadden

Black History Month ended with a bang at Barack H. Obama Magnet University School (BOMUS) Friday as students, families, and staff welcomed special guests “Barack and Michelle Obama” — in the form of first-graders Jacob Bell and Imani Winfield.

That was the scene Friday as Jacob and Imani dressed up as the United States’ 44th President and First Lady to honor their legacies and help shed light on dozens of historic African American leaders whom the young students spent all February learning about.

The Obamas weren’t the only special visitors to stop by the Farnham Avenue school Friday. Also in attendance were jazz singer Billie Holiday, chemist Alice Ball, blues legend B.B. King, and engineer Mary Jackson.

For the first half hour of Friday’s event, students shared facts about the individuals they researched as part of what they called a “wax museum.” After two very serious Secret Service members gave clearance for Jacob, dressed as Obama, to take the microphone, Jacob told the audience, “I came here to wish you all a happy Black History Month.”

BOMUS staff entered Friday’s event “changing the culture of learning” by dancing to Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us.” Click here to watch.

During the two-hour celebration Friday morning, families clapped and danced along to several student and staff performances of such songs as “Lift Every Voice” by Michael Cooper, “Rise Up” by Andra Day, and “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. Hillhouse High School’s band also kicked off and closed out the event with multiple performances.

BOMUS Principal Jamie Baker emphasized the importance of family and community support for students to develop their talents and succeed in learning. She spoke about the need to recognize all that New Haven youth and families have to offer the world. She encouraged the community to donate to Hillhouse’s ongoing fundraiser to send its marching band to the 2025 Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. to represent the city and school district.

In addition to celebrating Black success from the past, the celebration also highlighted fourth-grader Malia Moore and her mom, who co-wrote and released a children’s book titled “Becoming Malia” last year.

Baker reminded Malia’s peers that if she can make history in elementary school, so can they. She also addressed parents and staff with a reminder: “If you see a talent in your child, encourage them.”

She thanked parents on Friday for

instilling confidence in their children.

“Everybody is busy, but you have to pour into the youth and show them that they are worthy of your time,” she said.

Cheyenne Leigh captured the moment her daughter Kayci Hoff entered Friday’s cafeteria in a polka-dotted dress and cat-eye-shaped glasses to resemble NASA mathematician and aerospace technologist Katherine Johnson.

First-grader Kayci said her favorite thing to learn about Johnson was that she started high school at just 10 years old. Leigh said she loves that her daughter was able to research Johnson because Kayci loves math and science and now hopes to one day work for NASA. In the weeks leading up to Friday’s event, Leigh helped her daughter to find the perfect outfit and rehearse her facts at home.

First-grader Jaiden Singleton also took turns with her classmate Kayci to stand in a cardboard box that read “Katherine Johnson,” as they had both researched the same person. Her favorite part of Friday was feeling like a Barbie while standing in the box.

Jaiden’s mom Nikia Mewborn is a long-term substitute teacher at BOMUS. She said she loved seeing the final outcome of Friday’s celebration, as she had witnessed all the work it required in advance. Mewborn has been a substitute teacher since 2011 and previously supported Hillhouse High School before transferring to BOMUS this school year.

Several parents took the day off from work to celebrate their students.

Before Friday’s celebration concluded, BOMUS support staffer Lensley Gay presented guest speakers Anthony McDonald, the executive director of the Shubert Theatre, and Jeffrey A. Fletcher, the owner/collector of the Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum, to share a few words. While impersonating the voice of Obama, McDonald reminded the crowd of a time when students could look to the U.S president as a “positive leader worth emulating” when they grow up. He said that representation is key, and that he looks forward to continuing to offer “content on [Shubert’s] stage that represent you.” as the first Black director of the nonprofit.

Fletcher invited the families to his museum at 952 East Broadway in Stratford to encourage the development of Black history in young people’s lives. He shared about his mother’s history working as a sharecropper and collecting over 500 historic artifacts throughout her life. He also announced that he plans to open a second bigger museum and cultural venue in Stratford that will include artifacts representing Latino history, as well.

“You all are priorities to me,” he said. “I don’t turn anyone away at the door, especially those who want to know our history.”

During Friday’s final performance by Hillhouse’s band, first-grader Maxwell-Carter Amamoo, who played the role of Obama’s secret service, clocked out early to dance the morning away with his mom Asia Coley.

Coley said this month has been special because her son would come home daily with new facts he learned about Black history during school. He learned about everyone from Gladys West, an African American mathematician who helped develop GPS, to the NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. She celebrated that her son is learning about history’s change makers while young because “I just learned about Hidden Figures as an adult,” citing the story of the three NASA mathematicians. She said celebrations like Friday’s are important because they inspire all children. She has now added visiting Fletcher’s museum to her summer bucket list.

When asked how Friday’s event made him feel, Maxwell-Carter said, “It was like a bright star shining above the world and I was the the only one to see it.”

In addition to noting that dressing as secret service made him feel good, he concluded that “Black History Month is about no matter what kind of skin color you have, it’s perfect.”

The New Haven independent

Maya McFadden Photos "Barack and Michelle Obama" mark Black History Month at BOMUS.

First-grader Maxwell-Carter Amamoo and mom Asia Coley.

Fletcher gives thanks to BOMUS' leaders and staff for supporting students' learning of all history.

Nikia Mewborn, Jaiden Singleton, Kayci Hoff, and Cheyenne Leigh.

29th annual cultural event celebrates West Haven’s vibrant Black heritage

By MICHAEL P. WALSH Public Relations Information Coordinator

WEST HAVEN

The city paid homage to the nation’s African American pioneers and the immeasurable contributions they have made to shaping the most improbable, the most hopeful and the most enduring story on Earth — the American story — at the 29th annual Black Heritage Celebration on Feb. 26.

During the City Hall cultural event marking Black History Month, the West Haven Black Heritage Committee cited longtime youth advocate Levi Jordan Sr. as its second recipient of the Ernestine Jackson Citizen of Distinction Award, formerly known as the African American Citizen of the Year.

The award honors the life and memory of Jackson, who was a charter member of the Black Heritage Committee in 1996 and served as its president for many years. She died in April 2023 at age 96. The committee recognized West Haven High School senior Caleb Awuah, Notre Dame High School senior Delvin Donniri and Hill Regional Career High School senior Awurabena Ofori-Amo, all of West Haven, for “academic and leadership success.”

Chairman Steven R. Mullins also recognized and presented a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the committee to West Haven Black Coalition founder and President Carroll E. Brown, a former Board of Education member, for her years of service to the city’s Black community, along with certificates of appreciation to former committee members Shirley Anderson, Martha Bell, Carolyn Brangman, Sandra Burns, Lionel T. Dunlap Sr., Harold L. Grey, Vicky Mariconde, Jon E. Purmont and city police Commissioner Deborah Wright.

Jordan, a city native who graduated from West Haven High in 2004 and attended Southern Connecticut State University, received a mayoral citation from Borer for his mentorship and service to the city’s young people.

Jordan is an outreach specialist at West Haven High, where he checks grades, attendance, and “the hearts and minds of students.”

He is also the founder and CEO of The Best of the West LLC, which orga-

nizes basketball and football events that focus on youth character building and life skills.

“I’ve witnessed Levi volunteering his time to make sure that young people have a place in our community,” Borer told the largest-ever crowd to attend the event.

Reading the citation, the mayor said, “Thanks to your foundation, you have empowered countless student-athletes to be the best version of themselves by giving them guidance and support through character building and positive reinforcement.”

Borer lauded her friend Brown for fighting for inequity and women’s rights.

The mayor also commended the student honorees and wished them — and the rest of the students in attendance — success in their future.

Jordan was a member of the Blue Devils’ 2002 CIAC Class LL football cham-

pionship team, playing running back on offense and safety on defense. He also played basketball and captained the school’s track and field team.

Jordan now coaches boys basketball at Bailey Middle School and freshman football for the Blue Devils. He has also coached in the West Haven Seahawks football and Youth Basketball organizations.

Just over 10 years ago, Jordan, a barber by trade, teamed up with Transformerz Barbershop to hold back-to-school “bonanzas” that provided backpacks, school supplies and haircuts to hundreds of children.

When it was time for him to speak after giving a shoutout to West Haven’s young people, Jordan was gracious in thanking those who have had a positive influence on his life, including his wife of seven years, Shayna, who accompanied him

onstage, and his six children, who sat just offstage, as well as his coaches and mentors.

“They dare to be great; they are the biggest inspiration to this day,” Jordan said of the city’s youth. “I lead them where they need to be in their lives.”

He ended his remarks by urging the all-ages crowd, “Let’s build this bright future together!”

Jordan also received an embroidered “West Haven Black Heritage Ernestine Jackson Citizen of Distinction Award 2025” jacket from last year’s inaugural recipient, former 5th District Councilwoman Robbin Watt Hamilton, a committee member.

The 90-minute program, held in the Harriet C. North Community Room, included an awards presentation by Borer and Mullins.

The invocation was given by Elder

Renford Whynes of the New Haven Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mullins, and a powerful rendition of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” was sung by Zoe Powell of the West Haven High Concert Choir.

The ceremony featured performances by the choir, directed by Jason Thomas, including a vibrant rendition of “Hear My Prayer.”

The student honorees were grateful in receiving a Black Heritage Committee certificate of achievement and a $250 academic scholarship from Mullins on behalf of the committee. They were also thankful in receiving a citation from state Treasurer Erick Russell and a General Assembly citation from state Rep. Treneé McGee, D-West Haven, on behalf of the city’s delegation.

In addition to excelling in academics, Awuah is a member of the varsity soccer, indoor track and outdoor track teams; Donniri is a youth track and field coach at The Edge Fitness Club; and Ofori-Amo is a member of the debate club and the National Business Honor Society.

The ceremony included remarks by Russell, the keynote speaker. It also included words of praise by Borer, Mullins and 5th District Councilman Mackie McMillian, the master of ceremonies and a committee member.

After a spirited introduction by McGee calling Russell an advocate for freedom, equality and justice, Connecticut’s treasurer, a 2006 graduate of West Haven High who went to school with Jordan, congratulated all the awardees and “local heroes that have had an impact on our communities,” including barrier-breakers Jackson and Jordan.

“Ernestine Jackson reminds us of where we’ve been, and Levi reminds us where we are today — and our progress,” Russell told the standing room-only assembly of committee members, family, friends, residents and dignitaries, including former Mayor Nancy R. Rossi.

The Black Heritage Committee has worked since 1996 to promote racial harmony across West Haven, transforming City Hall into an exhibition of African American art and literature during Black History Month to educate residents about Black culture.

Notre Dame High School senior Delvin Donniri, West Haven High School senior Caleb Awuah and Hill Career Regional High School senior Awurabena

Amo, holding certificates from left, receive a West Haven Black Heritage Committee award

mittee Chairman Steven R. Mullins, West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer, state Treasurer Erick Russell, state Rep. Treneé McGee, D-West Haven, and Elder Renford Whynes of the New Haven Seventh-day Adventist Church. The students also received

the committee. (City Photo/ Michael P. Walsh)

Fourth-graders practice math on the i-Ready program.

by Maya McFadden

After a full day of learning new vocabulary and all about fractions, taking “brain breaks,” and studying the American Revolution, Conte West Hills K 8 students and staff concluded that strong relationships, engaging work, and one-on-one instruction are the keys to a successful school day.

That was the scene last Tuesday, as this reporter spent a full day at the 511 Chapel St. magnet school to observe four classroom lessons for first, fourth, and eighth graders.

The teachers in each classroom worked hard to find innovative ways to engage students in the academic material at hand. That ranged from allowing a fourth-grader to define the word “exaggeration” by engaging in a NBA-style “flop” to encouraging first-graders to sound out the syllables of new vocabulary words slowly “like a turtle” to calling out eighth-grade students for praise for their attentiveness and consideration for others.

“Exaggeration" = Flopping; "Legendary" = Messi

The day began on the second floor, with fourth-grade teacher Amanda Gonzalez’s 9:45 a.m. class.

Gonzalez’s students’ morning began with a literacy lesson, as they worked in small groups or individually to learn their newest vocabulary words, like “legendary” and “exaggeration.”

One small group worked while sitting on the classroom rug with Gonzalez, while others worked on their Chromebooks and in their workbooks to practice their vocabulary and learn how to identify the central idea of a text.

As Gonzalez wrote the group’s responses on the room’s smart board, students also wrote the answers on their own worksheets.

Gonzalez walked the classroom, checking in with the student groups, reminding one table of four, “Don’t forget that text evidence.”

While working together on a workbook assignment, fourth grader June helped her classmate Leonel spell out words like “story.”

When fourth grader Xavier was asked to explain what “exaggeration” means, he gave examples like when athletes fall dramatically during games to draw a foul. He even went on to show a dramatic fall for his peers and Gonzalez.

When it came to the word “legendary,” a student named Aiden defined the word as, “When a character lives all the way to the dinosaurs.” Another student simply gave the example of “Messi,” the Argentine professional soccer player. Other examples of “legendary” included a gold Pokémon card.

“Why is Messi considered legendary?” Gonzalez asked. The students used words like “famous” and “talented” to describe him and define the word legendary. After the Tuesday literacy lesson, the fourth-graders next shifted to a math les-

son. They practiced their skills by identifying which pairs of fractions are greater, less than, or equal to. They also received a science lesson from Yale student tutors about states of matter.

Meanwhile, in a first-grade classroom on the first floor, Kimberly Parker’s students also worked in small groups practicing reading and phonics skills.

Veteran paraprofessional Claudine Wilkins-Chambers worked with one small group of four. As the students read aloud to Wilkins-Chambers, she asked them to identify “ch” words and sounds. She gave them a minute to find five “ch” words throughout the book. The students read aloud words like “chick” and “chess.”

Parker worked with another group, taking their time to sound out the syllables for words like shock, skin, and dash. “Say it like a turtle,” Parker reminded them.

Other students gathered with partners to read books like “Corduroy” together or play phonics-based word games.

At around 11:40 a.m., over a dozen eighth graders filed into math teacher Eric Widmeyer’s classroom.

The group began Tuesday’s lesson with their daily 90-second log-in task. This involves Widmeyer giving his students a minute and 30 seconds to log into their Chromebooks and the day’s lesson to prepare to learn.

Widmeyer watched from his own computer, noting which students he could see actively logging in to receive extra points for their daily grade.

For Tuesday’s lesson, students worked on exponent rules. Widmeyer also worked with a small group of students to practice finding the areas of squares, rectangles, and triangles.

“We gotta use it to make sure we don’t lose it,” Widmeyer reminded his students.

Before students jumped into their independent practice for 13 minutes, they took a brief “brain break” to get some energy out before getting into the lesson. While some used the bathroom in that time or got jackets from their lockers, others played basketball with a hoop hanging on the classroom wall.

Each week Widmeyer gives up a prep period of his to pull each of his students for one-on-one support to meet the curriculum’s recommended 50 minutes of practice a week.

He also keeps a point system for student behavior so his students learn about public accountability.

As students returned from their brain break, Widmeyer called out, “I’m hiring for four jobs!” Which prompted several students’ hands to raise in the air to volunteer to help Widmeyer hand out markers, white boards, notebooks, and erasers.

For each problem Widmeyer posed to the class, students worked quickly on their white boards individually or with their small groups to then display their work and answers to Widmeyer at the front of the classroom.

Students continued to gain extra points for their participation and for helping

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Fourth-graders

Fourth-graders practice math on the i-Ready program.

The New Haven independent

Hoping To Save Lives, Lawmakers Raise Awareness About Coronary Calcium Scans

by Coral Aponte

HARTFORD, CT– In an effort to raise awareness about coronary calcium scans, lawmakers held a news conference Wednesday, in honor of American Heart Month, to ask doctors and patients to advocate for the scans to prevent heart attacks.

The coronary calcium scans looks for calcium deposits in the heart’s arteries. The results can help determine the risk of heart attacks or strokes in patients, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

The scan is about $200 if you pay out of pocket, said Rep. Tammy Exum, D-West Hartford. She said doctors don’t usually mention the scan because, up until recently, insurs didn’t cover it.

Last year, the legislature passed Senate Bill 1, which included language requiring insurance companies to cover the cost of the calcium scans.

“No insurance company that’s answerable to the state of Connecticut can deny a calcium test, and if they do we will make sure they are educated,” said Sen. Saud Anwar, a South Windsor Democrat and medical doctor.

Dr. Edward Schuster, an internist and cardiologist, also spoke about heart disease, which he said kills 700,000 Amer-

icans every year, adding that 800,000 Americans get a heart attack every year, and 20,000 Americans have sudden cardiac death.

“The checkup doesn’t help you. The EKG doesn’t help you. Even a stress test can miss things. So, the question is, what can we do to see if you’re building up

cholesterol in your arteries and your risk for getting a heart attack? That’s called the calcium score,” Schuster said. He said you can’t tell who has heart

disease from external characteristics, which is where the calcium scan comes in. If your score is zero, that means you have no cholesterol in your arteries, if it’s 100 or higher then there would be conversations about diet, exercise, and cholesterol pills, he said.

Exum said she found out about calcium scans 15 months ago when the autopsy reports of her late husband, Earl, showed a blockage in his arteries causing him to have a widow-maker heart attack.

When recalling the story, she said the coroner was shocked considering how healthy Earl looked. She said the scan could have allowed them to put preventative measures in place.

“I am asking doctors to really speak and talk to their patients about it but to build this awareness amongst the community so you can advocate for yourself,” Exum said.

Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said he recently took a calcium scan, not because his doctor recommended it but because he wanted to. Ritter said the scan took six minutes and he got his results the next day.

“It’s not cumbersome, and we have to make it more affordable, and accessible,” Ritter said.

Reproductive Rights Caucus Outlines Its 2025 Legislative Agenda

by Coral Aponte

HARTFORD, CT – The Reproductive Rights Caucus is looking to “fight back” against the Trump administration to further protect Connecticut citizens against attacks on their reproductive health care and rights.

The bi-partisan caucus – now 40 members strong – held a news conference Tuesday highlighting their legislative priorities for this year.

The caucus co-chairs – Reps. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, and Jillian Gilchrest, D-West Hartford – voiced their concerns on reproductive rights under the Trump administration.

“Reproductive rights and reproductive health care are under threat as never before,” Blumenthal said. “The Trump administration and its project 2025 are not only hostile to reproductive health care and reproductive choice but actively seek to attack it through the law and law enforcement.”

One way they say will protect reproductive health care is by strengthening the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, which is the shield law enacted in 2022. It was the first of its kind in the nation and since its enactment, 16 other states have passed similar provisions, Blumenthal said.

The shield law protects from legal action the patients from states where abortion is illegal, as well as the Connecticut doctors who perform the procedures here in Connecticut.

Blumenthal noted the ongoing indict-

ment of a New York doctor by authorities in Louisiana for prescribing an abortion pill to a Louisiana teen. Abortion is completely banned with limited exceptions in Louisiana, and its state constitution explicitly excludes abortion rights, whereas New York has a shield law, making the Louisiana case one of the first challenges to a shield law.

“We have to be cognizant and headstrong and fight back against attacks like this which attempt to intimidate our doctors, our nurses, our providers, our resi-

dents, and our people,” Blumenthal said. He added that he is unaware of anyone being sued in Connecticut for similar charges but he partly believes that is because of the shield law already in place.

The caucus also is looking to add additional privacy protections on healthcare data as well as further protecting healthcare providers regardless of the location of a patient. In addition to passing the nation’s first shield law, Blumenthal said the caucus wants to make it the strongest. Another law the caucus hopes to expand

is House Bill 5197, which allows emergency contraception to be sold and dispensed in vending machines on college campuses. This legislation would give each campus $5,000 to install the machines.

Rep. Kate Farrar, D-West Hartford, spoke in support of the legislation on behalf of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. With only the University of Connecticut campus offering emergency contraception vending machines so far, Farrar said

the funding would hopefully pay for the machines at each institution.

“We see this effort to provide some startup funds to pursue the vending machine as a way of incentivizing more of them to get started on campuses across the state,” Farrar said.

In addition to strengthening the shield law and dedicating funding for access to emergency contraception, caucus members said they also hope to make reproductive health care readily accessible for all.

Rep. Dominique Johnson, D-Norwalk, spoke about the LGBTQ+ community and single individuals who experience barriers when it comes to fertility care. To ensure access to all families, the equitable fertility care insurance coverage needs to “clearly” include LGBTQ+ and single people, Johnson said, adding that the legislation, as it stands, is discriminatory and what they’re trying to do is address the current definition of infertility, “which is an artifact of another time.” In addition to these legislative priorities, the caucus is also looking to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for abortion services as well as the providers working in a private OB/GYN or family clinic. To further protect patients and providers, the caucus is looking to strengthen the Freedom of Access to Clinics law and the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Protections law.

Rep. Tammy Exum, D-West Hartford, speaks to reporters at the coronary calcium scan awareness news conference on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Credit: Screenshot / CT House Dems Youtube

Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, D-West Hartford, co-chair of the General Assembly’s Reproductive Rights Caucus, speaks to reporters during a news conference Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Credit: Coral Aponte / CTNewsJunkie

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When Cancer Rates Drop, But Not For Black Women

Breast cancer is the number one cause of death among Black women in the U.S.

by Andrea King Collier, BlackHealthMatters.com

In January of this year, the American Cancer Society released its annual survey on cancer trends and mortality rates. The good news is that cancer rates in the U.S. declined by 34 percent between 1994 and 2022. The bad news is that cancer survival rates for Black women, including breast cancer and other cancers, have not improved.

Breast cancer is the number one cause of death among Black women in the U.S. In fact, according to the study. Black women under age 75 have a 38 percent higher mortality rate than their white counterparts

Unfortunately, this is consistent with poor health outcomes from Black women in areas such as cardiovascular disease and stroke, diabetes, and maternal mortality.

The report suggests that the same things that have improved overall cancer mortality rates, including better and earlier screening and aggressive treatment and clinical trials, have not been as accessible to Black women in this country. Health equity advocates are sounding the alarm on behalf of Black women.

Ifeoma Udoh, Executive Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Science at the Black Women’s Health Imperative, says that the screening standards set by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF)’s recommendations “often overlook the specific health needs of Black women.”

The official updated guidelines suggest screening every two years beginning at age 40, a change from previous recommendations that recommended starting at age 50. Being screened and diagnosed earlier has marked progress, but Udoh says it isn’t enough. She says, “It insufficiently addresses the unique challenges and earlier risks faced by Black women.” Often, Black women develop more aggressive cancers, and often at younger ages.

Magnolia

Contreras,

Vice President

Here’s what you need to consider doing starting now Take time to know your family health history.

Does cancer run in your family? Talk to family members on both sides of your family.

of Community Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, says many reasons for the disparities in health outcomes must be addressed. Some are about access, and others could be physical. “Often, Black women have denser breasts,” she says, which can make them harder to screen. “We have hope for continued progress in treatment because sci-

ence is moving so fast,” Contreras says. She and Udoh agree that there is a vital role for clinical trials that include Black women. Historically, Black women have not participated in trials and are significantly included in data gathering and analysis.

While advances are being made in cancer treatment, Udoh says, “trials

that don’t have a large enough cohort of Black women won’t have enough data.” She says the data should not be generalized—in other words, there is no one sized fits all. “it will take institutions to double down on behalf of Black, Brown, urban and rural women,” and with the uncertainties in federal funding of research and access to care, within the new admin-

istration things could get worse. “But we must remember that the Feds are not the only sources of funding.”

Contreras says that DFCI works closely with individuals and communities on access and affordability. She also says that DFCI has a valuable confidential tool on its website called Assess Your Risk that can help any woman assess her potential risk for breast and cervical cancer. “Women can print it out and share it with their own providers,” Conteras says. Consider the ways that you can manage your risks on your own.

• Many women make the mistake of only looking into their mother’s side of their families.

• But breast cancer risks can be passed down from the paternal side of your family.

• Find a doctor or provider you feel comfortable with and set regular appointments. It is always best to have that first visit before you need it. While you are there, schedule your annual mammogram.

Financially, it is easier to get screened if you have health care coverage through your employer, Medicaid, or Medicare.

• But if you are currently uninsured, check out your options within the Affordable Care Act or programs in the community that offer low or no-cost mammograms and other cancer screenings. Many areas even have mobile mammogram vans that offer free screenings., Tweak your wellness and lifestyle.

• Clean your diet by reducing salt, sugar, and processed foods, including sodas. Give up smoking, manage stress, and get into a regular exercise routine to reduce your risk for heart disease, cancer, obesity, and other chronic diseases.

• Also, reduce your consumption of alcohol, which can increase your cancer risks.

My name is Tanya Rucker, and this is my story.

Sisters’ Journey March Survivor of the Month- Tanya Rucker

Four years ago in May, I received the devastating news that I had breast cancer. It all started with a lump that I felt in my right breast. It was the size of a pea which I found accidentally. My husband and I were lying in bed one evening and he just happened to roll over onto my right breast. The next day there was discomfort so I did a self-breast exam and that’s when I felt the lump. I thought it was a simple cyst because it was hard, round, and mobile. However, I found myself having an overwhelming fear of the “what if!”

I reached out to my provider to be evaluated. My gynecologist was able to see me the next day. She completed a breast exam and ordered imaging. I was able to get an appointment for a diagnostic mammogram and breast ultrasound immediately. The mammogram was normal. The ultrasound was conducted shortly after. It revealed two suspicious areas which were biopsied the same day. I laid on that table and remembered feeling anxious, nervous, and very scared. I am an ultrasound technologist so I knew immediately what they were looking at.

The lump I felt showed all the characteristics of cancer. It took less than a week for the results to come back, and

just like that, I knew everything was going to be different.

The radiologist who I worked alongside for years informed me that the test results showed invasive ductal carcinoma in the two areas biopsied. The radiologist recommended that I get an MRI of the breast to see if there were any other lesions.

I was devastated, crying, and could not understand what was being said. I could not comprehend what I was hearing. I was blessed to have my girlfriend there when I heard the news. Together, we called my husband and developed a game plan. Once I was able to calm my nerves, clear my eyes and stop the hysterical crying, I went into action. I made appointments with an oncologist, plastic surgeon, breast surgeon and MRI. Once the MRI results came back, the breast surgeon, Dr. Horowitz, explained that I had cancerous lesions in three different areas of the right breast. She was going to bring my case to the tumor board to consult on a surgical plan. She was hoping that she could conduct multiple lumpectomies to save my right breast. I quickly informed her that was not my plan.

I knew I wanted a DIEP flap reconstruction and needed to decide if I wanted

a bilateral or unilateral mastectomy. My husband and I discussed what was best for me and our young family. Thankfully, my surgery was scheduled for July 2, 2020, for a nipple sparing bilateral mas-

tectomy with a DIEP flap reconstruction.

I arrived. I am blessed to have an amazing medical team, two loving children, a husband, family, and friends who provided unwavering support. I leaned on my faith to get through some of my darkest moments and meditation to keep my mind calm. I am blessed to have a voice and a warm embrace for the next person who faces a breast cancer diagnosis. We are not alone at Yale New Haven Hospital. My husband and mom were by my side. This was by far the hardest day of my life. I had to leave my husband and mom behind while I was escorted to the OR prep area. The hospital was still under COVID-19 precautions, so visitors were restricted. I could not believe I was all alone!

Twelve hours and two units of blood later, while recovering in a private room, I was informed that they had gotten clear borders, and I did not have any lymph node involvement. Pathology determined that my cancer was classified as Stage 1. My oncologist ordered an additional test called Oncotype Post-Surgery.

The cons are about to get conned in this

outrageously anarchic comedy of errors.

I am blessed to have an amazing medical team, two loving children, a husband, family, and friends who provided unwavering support. I leaned on my faith to get through some of my darkest moments and meditation to keep my mind calm. I am blessed to have a voice and a warm embrace for the next person who faces a breast cancer diagnosis.

We are not alone. Contact Us: sistersjourney@sbcglobal.net

The Oncotype test determines if it would be beneficial to receive chemotherapy. My Oncotype score was low. Therefore, chemo was not recommended. My treatment plan was 10-15 years of tamoxifen. I was given tamoxifen because I was premenopausal and HR +. A cancer diagnosis brings a flood of complex emotions. I remember I was so angry – angry that this was my second cancer in my lifetime. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age 29, now breast cancer at 43. I questioned, “Why now? Why could I not have been a lot older?” I was 43, with two young children. My youngest was three years old and my oldest was four years old at the time. I was angry that 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their life. I was angry that I knew five other women in my inner circle who were also diagnosed with breast cancer that same year. The anger eventually lessened and was replaced with acceptance.

Top Row (L To R): Malik James, Edoardo Benzoni, John Evans Reese, Grayson Richmond, Brandon E. Burton, Darius Sakui, Whitney Andrews; Bottom Row (L To R): Chinna Palmer, Elizabeth Stahlmann, Samuel Douglas, Nomè SiDone, and Annelise Lawson.

Photo By Thomas Mundell, 2025. Design by Paul Evan Jeffrey | Passage Design

What We Owe The Dogs We “Own”

by Laura Glesby

When Reginald Dwayne Betts walks his dog at dawn, he knows that she’s “doing the guiding,” even though he’s the one holding the leash.

Some believe that humans are “masters” of their animals, he writes, “But I know I barely control/My wonder these days.”

That confession appears in one of my favorite poems, “What We Know,” from Betts’ new collection Doggerel, a book full of wonder that’s hard to resist.

Published by W.W. Norton, Doggerel is Betts’ fifth published poetry collection. Like many of his other works, the book reflects in part on the eight years in prison he served from the age of 16 on a carjacking conviction. Norton is releasing the collection Tuesday on the 20th anniversary of Betts’ release from prison.

In Doggerel, Betts focuses on the work he’s undertaken in those two decades since of remembering, revisiting, and rebuilding.

Betts now resides in Hamden with his family. He has become a leading voice in the country calling for a criminal justice system reshaped around the humanity of incarcerated people. He’s the founder of the prison library organization Freedom Reads, which he stated on Instagram will receive 54 cents for every copy of Doggerel purchased. Betts is also a former MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow, a Yale Law grad (he’s now a student again, pursuing a PhD), a former President Barack Obama-appointed Juvenile Justice council member, and a widely published and award-winning poet.

Doggerel is far from the comically bad

verse implied by its title. The collection is reverent and forgiving, full of awe at the human and animal relationships at its core. Many poems evoke Mary Oliver’s insistence on an inter-species “family of things” and Natasha Trethewey’s imaginative investigation of memory lapses and archival gaps.

Betts listens for languages that often go unnoticed and can’t quite be transcribed: animal language and body language, offkey songs and silence, howls and barks and sighs. He makes the case that the

dogs at the heart of Doggerel are making far more sense than the humans who claim them.

He writes in “What We Know” that dogs “hear others call us & our/Jangle of inconsistencies, owners”— a word he rejects as not only self-serving but inaccurate.

That word “owner” is the subject of an even more pointed interrogation when Betts resurrects the history of the corner of Ashmun and York streets in New Haven a corner marked in an 1806 map

of the city by Thomas Kensett as having belonged to Jethro Luke.

Luke lived much of his life enslaved by the powerful Pierpont family in the early-to-mid eighteenth century, according to historian David Blight. He eventually secured his freedom, worked with his son to help construct some of Yale’s most storied buildings, and became one of the city’s earliest known Black property owners. “Jethro’s Corner,” the title of Betts’ poem about Luke, was once the colloquial name for Luke’s land at inter-

section of Ashmun and York.

In this poem, Betts turns words into prisms, filtering two competing rays of Luke’s “owning” and being “owned.” He writes: “To plot freedom is to leave the words that matter/Written across everything you own that matters.” The words “plot,” “own,” and later “property” take on different meanings depending on whether he’s talking about the white map-maker or the Black landowner.

Over the course of the poem, Betts plays with that word own and its near-echo, owe.

“Jethro owed his name. Left/This world owed his name,” he writes. “Jethro was owed,/Left owning little.”

Betts makes the case that there’s a kind of debt inscribed in the word own, which is maybe only a fiction, or at least a “jangle of inconsistencies.”

He finds refractions of the American sin of owning and owing Black people, whether as slaves or as prisoners, in many of the ordinary human and animal relationships depicted in his poems.

In “Roadkill,” he encounters a “dead black thing in the street” that he presumes to be an animal’s dead body. The line is evocative of too many public murders of Black men. But soon, Betts realizes the “black thing” is just a plastic bag.

“We’ve all been mistaken/For something less alive in this life I know,” he writes. So poem by poem, Betts pays attention to all that’s living.

That’s one lesson, among many, that the dogs in Doggerel already know.

Inna Faliks Brought Music, Storytelling, and Emotion to the Schwarzman Center

By Babz Rawls Ivy

When Ukrainian-born pianist Inna Faliks stepped onto the stage at the Yale Schwarzman Center in New Haven on February 15th, she didn’t just perform music—she wove a rich tapestry of storytelling and emotion, inviting her audience into the depths of her world through both sound and words.

Faliks, whose journey from Odessa to Los Angeles as a child of Soviet Jewish refugees was a story in itself, had always believed in the power of connection. Her performances transcended traditional recitals, offering audiences an opportunity to experience her art in a deeply personal way. With a repertoire that spanned classical titans like Bach, Chopin, and Beethoven, as well as avant-garde compositions written for her by living composers, her concerts bridged the old and the new, the familiar and the unfamiliar.

But what truly set her apart was the intimate relationship she fostered with her listeners. Faliks’ performance at the

Schwarzman Center wasn’t just a recital; it was a dynamic blend of music and memoir. The concert featured selections from her album Manuscripts Don't Burn, named after her favorite novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, along with pieces by composers she had worked closely with, including Maya

Miro Johnson and Veronica Krause. Throughout the performance, she read excerpts from her memoir, Weight in the Fingers, which explored her early years in the Soviet Union, her immigration experience, and the artistic and personal challenges she faced in building a life as an immigrant musician in the United

States.

"I believed that as artists, we needed to connect with our audiences on a deeper level," Faliks shared in a pre-performance interview. "It wasn’t just about the music. It isn’t just about sharing a piece of yourself, creating a space where the audience felt like they were part of the experience, not just spectators."

Throughout the performance, Faliks read excerpts from her book of that gave us a glimpse into her relationship with her Great Grandmother or Babushka, her final few days in Odessa and her childhood relationships.

Faliks’ life has been marked by moments of hardship, resilience, and triumph. Growing up in Odessa in the late '80s and early '90s, she had lived through the collapse of the Soviet Union, the challenges of being a Jewish child in a highly anti-Semitic society, and the complex process of adapting to life in America as a young immigrant. Her book offered readers a window into that world—both the humor and the

hardships—and provided an insightful reflection on what it meant to find a place to call home when your identity was shaped by so many different cultures and histories.

"Music, for me, has always been a way to connect with others, to create a home wherever I go," Faliks had explained. "When I performed, I felt at home. I might have been on stage in New York, or Los Angeles, or anywhere else, but when I shared music, I was sharing a part of myself that allowed me to feel connected, grounded, and alive."

The emotional resonance of her music, paired with the poignant stories in her memoir, created a performance unlike any other. Faliks’ program at the Schwarzman Center was an eclectic mix—ranging from Beethoven’s sonatas to Chopin’s Polonaise Fantasy, to a wild avant-garde piece, Manuscripts Don’t Burn, which challenged the boundaries of traditional performance with extend-

Con’t on page 12

Mamadi Doumbouya photo Reginald Dwayne Betts' new poetry collection, Doggerel.

The New Haven independent

The New Haven independent

Hillhouse Celebrates Black History Every Day

by Allan Appel

She was a classmate of Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court; she was a member of the first Black troop of Girl Scouts in the United States; she became a major promoter of gospel choruses in the New Haven area; and her family founded the venerable Pitts Chapel United Free Will Baptist Church in Newhallville.

That’s why 103-year-old Mary Etta Atkinson Joyner, graduate of the class of 1939, was hailed not only as the embodiment of James Hillhouse High School history, but of New Haven and national history as well.

“We are a site of history ourselves,” declared Principal Antoine Billy.

The loving encomiums flowed Friday afternoon at Hillhouse High School’s Black History Month celebration, where about 900 spirited students, nearly the school’s full student body, filled the auditorium.

They enjoyed performances by the school’s talented musicians and dancers and whooped and hollered in praise of “Mother Joyner” and the event’s other two honorees, Alethia Moore and Aaron Rogers.

These two, a bit younger, were also already impressive in their achievements. Yet if they follow Joyner’s longevity advice no smoking, no drinking, stay involved in your church and in education and don’t forget to get an early jump toward your goal they will have 70 or 80 or so years to accomplish even more:

Alethia Moore was an Academics’ track star from the class of 2015. She still holds the Hillhouse High School record for the 55-meter dash at a blistering 7.14 seconds. She earned a full scholarship to college and when she graduated, at the urging of a mentor, took the exam to join the New Haven Police Department, where she now serves as a school resource officer.

Aaron Rogers, class of 2006, is a successful music producer and entrepreneur who is the founder and lead organizer of the city’s annual Black Wall Street festival. It’s set to return to the Green, he reported, this Aug. 16.

“Ask yourselves,” Principal Antoine Billy challenged his audience, “‘What am I doing not just today but every day to honor Black History Month?’”

After Joyner, in brief remarks, charged the students to “learn as much as you can,” Assistant Principal Jona-

than Berryman, the chief organizer of the day’s celebration, offered some of rime’s perspective on how to achieve that: “If you were born in 2007,” he said, “and live as long as she has, that year will be 2110!”

Joyner also said that planning and knowing what you want and starting early to achieve it is a rule she’s followed her whole long and productive life in church service and in service to her children and to education. At age 14 she had become the secretary in her church and she became the first Black woman to head the PTA at the Troup School.

For her public contributions along with the behind-the-scenes family-to-family philanthropy over the years, the corner of Newhall and Huntington Street was named in Joyner’s honor two years ago.

Rogers, a graduate of the Berkeley College of Music, struck a similar note in describing the road he’d traveled to become, with his business partner Rashad Johnson, a Grammy Award winner and in creating the music production company Breed Entertainment: “Go for your dreams while you’re young. Believe in yourself, and put in the work.”

Principal Billy reminded his students that James Hillhouse High School, the first public high school in New Haven, was founded before the Civil War, back in 1859, or 166 years ago. (That, for the mystical numerologists among you, is almost exactly the number you get if you add up the total number of years of the three honorees!)

“There was a time,” Billy concluded, “when Black Americans did not have a school like this … and when you couldn’t sit in the front of the bus. Honor Black history by taking your education seriously. Honor the day you turn 18, and register to vote.”

Joyner said she heartily endorses Black History Month. As it was formalized in 1976 by President Gerald Ford, Joyner said there was no such event or anything similar to it when she was a student at Hillhouse, in the late 1930s.

National Black History Month has origins, however, that go to 1915, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He initiated something called Negro History Week back in 1926, when Mary Etta Atkinson Joyner would have been five years old.

Allan Appel Photo The honoree (center) with family members Sean Hardy, Deana Mallory, and Byron Breeland.

Aaron Rogers, class of 2006.

Alethia Moore, class of 2015

The New Haven independent

Sights Set On Washington, Hillhouse Band Asks Community For Help

Lucy Gellman |

Joshua Smith can already hear the James Hillhouse High School Marching Band tearing it up on Constitution Avenue. In his vision, the drums hammer out a steady, danceable beat, their sound traveling up from the pavement. The trumpets glint in the sunlight, weaving brass into the mix. When he cues them in, the woodwinds have it on lock.

Of course they do: this is Hillhouse High School. He just needs some help from the community—to the tune of $45,000—to get them there.

Smith is the director of the James Hillhouse High School Marching Band, which he's worked to rebuild several times over since the fall of 2021. This spring, he is trying to raise $45,000 to send the band to Washington, D.C., where they've been selected to represent Connecticut in the National Memorial Day Parade. The parade takes place annually on Memorial Day, which this year falls on May 26.

Those funds would cover a full four days and three nights, with an educational tour to several national museums and monuments folded in. Donate to a GoFundMe here.

The parade, which travels 10 blocks of Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Avenue, is an initiative of the American Veterans Center. Every Memorial Day weekend, it honors soldiers who have died in U.S. military conflicts abroad. For Smith, himself a Hillhouse alum who had the chance to travel during high school, it's an opportunity too exciting to pass up.

"I said to myself, 'This could be a great opportunity for our school and our program,' and we're just gonna do whatever we have to do to present us," he said Thursday, as band members prepared to play "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" for the fifth time that afternoon. "I had my moment [at Hillhouse]. So I want them to have a chance to tell their own story."

The offer first came last month, when Smith got a call from the Arizona-based travel agency Music Celebrations International (MCI). Each year, MCI helps contact and choose marching bands from across the country that will represent their respective states in the parade.

While he had "no idea" how they discovered Hillhouse, it felt like an easy and immediate yes. The band, which has for the past years marched in both the Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade and the New Haven St. Patrick's Day Parade, has been working to build itself back from the Covid-19 pandemic for years. Students sounded ready to him. And then there was the chance to show people what the best of Connecticut could look like.

"Not only are we representing the school, the city, and the state through the performing arts—we're representing academics as well," Smith said. "I have honors students. I have 4.0 students. I'm hoping that it will help recruit band members too."

For Smith, who at 36 still has a baby

face and infectious laugh, there's also a sense of paying it forward. When he was in high school at Hillhouse, the marching band traveled much more than it does now (at the time, the school also had a drill team that performed alongside them). When he was a freshman at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), he joined the Hillhouse band to play at Walt Disney World as an alum.

Two decades later, that love for the band has come full-circle: he’s both a beloved mentor and a rigorous educator, with students who get excited to walk through the door of his classroom after school.

“I feel it’s special because Smith took the band from nothing to this,” said sophomore Sebastian Gonzalez, who is part of the drumline. While he started playing the drums at Barnard Environmental Science & Technology School (B.E.S.T), Smith has helped him grow as a student in the past two years. “It feels very exciting but nerve wracking at the same time.”

Currently, the band has around 20 members, who range from longtime musicians to underclassmen who just started playing last year. The $45,000 will cover travel, transportation, lodging, food, and costs associated with the parade. Smith plans to have at least five pieces of music ready to go for the mile-long route, as well as works and cadences that specifically show off the drumline.

At band practice Thursday, several students said they are excited by the opportunity and hope to see it come to fruition.

Between feedback (“y’all got it?” Smith asked of “Let’s Dance” at one point, and the room burst into a resounding “yes!”), many of them described an experience in marching band that has been transformative for them.

Sophomore Luis Baez, who plays the trumpet, burst into a smile when asked what a chance to play in D.C. would mean for him. For years, music—first the flute, and now horn—has helped him navigate academics and relieve stress. At Hillhouse, he said, that's largely credit to Smith's dedication as a teacher.

"It's a really big opportunity and I'm so happy to be going!" he said before scurrying back to his seat. "If we don't go, it's gonna crush my dreams. I want everyone to know the Hillhouse Band."

"When I play, all my stress goes away because I'm doing something that I love,” he added just a moment later.

As she struck up an arrangement of David Bowie's "Let's Dance," junior Brenda Zecua perked up in the front row, her flute suddenly light and nimble between her fingers. Born and raised in New Haven, Zecua doesn't get many chances to travel beyond New Haven, she said. Visiting the nation's capital would be huge. "I feel excited," she said, adding that she’s only been playing the flute for a year, and soaking up information like a sponge. "I really enjoy seeing the smiles on everyone's faces when they hear the music."

Band director Joshua Smith: "I want them to have a chance to tell their own story."

Zariah Dumas and the woodwinds.

Zariah Dumas and the woodwinds.

Luis Baez.

Senior Brandon Fullerton, who joined his freshman year.

Arts Council of greater New Haven

The Hillhouse Band has accepted the invitation to represent the state of Connecticut in the official 2025 Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. The trip features a tour of the memorials (MLK, Vietnam, WWII, etc.) and more, which would take place over the Memorial Day weekend. This trip will not only be for performing arts, but this trip will be educational for our students.

We are looking for sponsors and donors to help us reach our financial goal to cover the cost of transportation, lodging, food, the tour, and uniforms & equipment (including repairs), which totals about $45,000. We have hosted a few fundraisers since the start of the school year, but it is not enough to cover the cost of trip. We are calling out to the community for support.

Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy: A Powerful Creative Partnership Built on Collaboration and Emotional Storytelling

The line spanned several blocks of College Street, as fans of all ages—some in Wolverine or Deadpool costume— waited to see Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy ’89 at Woolsey Hall in a conversation hosted by Yale Schwarzman Center and moderated by film critic Kevin McCarthy. The duo, who began a creative partnership in 2019, have produced three films which have not only grossed $1.6 billion worldwide but have also resonated deeply with audiences, blending humor, heart, and relatable experiences. The duo walked onstage to thunderous applause—Reynolds, dripping in charisma, deadpan humor and impish mischief, and Levy, who remarked that being back in New Haven was like coming home. For the next two hours, they pulled back the curtain on their creative partnership, showcasing the relentless drive, emotional storytelling and adaptability that have defined their acclaimed body of work, punctuated by video clips from The Adam Project, Deadpool vs Wolverine and Free Guy.

Central to Reynolds and Levy’s body of work is the shared philosophy of offering a counterpoint to the cynical nature of modern times. Drawing from their personal experiences—some of which include childhood trauma—they have created stories that are ultimately about positivity, human connection, and hope. "We’re trying to put a feeling into the world," said Levy, emphasizing evok-

Paul Tazewell

ing strong emotional connections reigns supreme, no matter the genre. Reynolds agreed, recalling their early days working together on the Acela train between New York City and Boston, where they would brainstorm ideas and constantly refine them into something meaningful. “Was it pretentious to buy all four seats on the train so we could work? Absolutely!” he joked.

When it comes to filmmaking, Reynolds and Levy have gone to great lengths to create a culture of creativity, flexibility and spontaneity. Nowhere is this more evident than in Reynolds’ iconic Deadpool dance scene set to *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye,” which was conceived during post-production, or the late-breaking idea of having Jody Comer sing a rearranged version of Mariah Carey's "Never Born”

in Free Guy. For Levy, this willingness to pivot is essential to the filmmaking process, allowing them to respond to the evolving voice of the movie.

"If you build a culture of ‘the best idea wins,’ then you make it clear that you want everyone to give you the good sh*t,” Reynolds explained, highlighting their commitment to listening to the "voice" of the movie and following where it leads.

The duo ended the evening with questions from the audience, and in a show of spectacular spontaneity, suggested that one eager fan had even submitted a question by video. The audience was shocked and let out an audible gasp as Hugh Jackman came on the screen with a question about why Reynolds and Levy didn't include him in this event! Fans quickly thrusted up their phones to catch this hilarious moment, and Reynolds even brought waters to two passionate fans dressed in full Deadpool and Wolverine costumes. “It’s gotta be hot in there – you’re working way too hard,” he quipped to the delight of the laughing audience.

Through their body of work, Reynolds and Levy have spun stories to make people laugh, to inspire, and to offer an escape from the heartbreak of the world. Together, they create narratives filled with joy, humor, and heart, leaving audiences with stories that uplift and resonate long after the credits roll.

Makes History as First Black Man to Win Oscar for Best Costume Design

By BlackNews.com

Paul Tazewell made history as the first African American man to win an Oscar award for Best Costume Design, earning the award for his work on Wicked. His latest achievement adds to his Emmy, Tony, BAFTA, Critics Choice, and Costume Designers Guild wins.

Tazewell previously received an Oscar nomination for the 2021 film West Side Story. He won an Emmy for The Wiz Live and a Tony for Hamilton. This award season alone, he secured major wins for his work in Wicked across multiple industry awards, according to Variety.

At the Oscars, Tazewell beat out other nominees including Arianne Phillips for

A Complete Unknown, Linda Muir for Nosferatu, Lisy Christl for Conclave, and Janty Yates and David Crossman for Gladiator II.

Tazewell is only the second Black person to win in the category, following Ruth E. Carter, who won for Black Panther and its sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

In his acceptance speech, Tazewell acknowledged the historic moment, expressing pride and gratitude to the Wicked cast and crew, especially Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

For Wicked, Tazewell designed over 1,000 costumes, with standout pieces including Glinda’s bubble dress and Elphaba’s iconic black dress.

ed techniques like string scratching and Russian poetry recitations. Faliks' ability to seamlessly weave together the diverse elements of her artistry was a testament to her passion for both new and classical music.

Her connection to the composers she collaborated with further reflected her belief in the power of music to transcend time and place. "I loved playing new music. I loved the challenge and the conversation between the past and present," she had said. "It’s about breaking down the walls between performers and audiences, and showing them that the music is a living, breathing thing."

For Faliks, the act of storytelling through music had taken on new significance, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, she hosted a series of livestreamed performances, Corona Fridays, in which she connected with her audience through poetry, music, and even pajama-clad family moments. "During the pandemic, we all realized how crucial art and connection are for our survival," she reflected. "It wasn’t just about the performance—it was about sharing, listening, and being together, even when we were physically apart."

Balancing her demanding performance schedule with her teaching role as a professor at UCLA, and her family life as a mother of two, Faliks knew the importance of staying grounded. "Being a teacher allowed me to give back and helped me grow as an artist," she had said. "It was a joy to share what I’d learned, to mentor young musicians, and to learn from them in return."

Her program at the Schwarzman Center was an unforgettable journey, not just through music, but through the story of a life lived with passion, perseverance, and a deep desire to connect with others. Whether you were a classical music aficionado or someone unfamiliar with the intricacies of piano performance, the concert offered an invitation to share in the journey of an artist whose music spoke the language of connection.

Questions about your bill?

Yale New Haven Hospital is pleased to offer patients and their families financial counseling regarding their hospital bills or the availability of financial assistance, including free care funds. By appointment, patients can speak one-on-one with a financial counselor during regular business hours. For your convenience, extended hours are available in-person at Yale New Haven Hospital once a month.

Date: Monday, March 17, 2025

Time: 5 - 7 pm

Location: Children’s Hospital, 1 Park St., 1st Floor, Admitting

Parking available (handicapped accessible)

An appointment is necessary. Please call 855-547-4584

Spanish-speaking counselors available.

• Cremation (Choose to be cremated at Evergreen.)

• Columbarium in the Most Beautiful Cremation Garden

• Reserve your Niche in a secure location pre-need.

• Reserve a Niche for family and friends or purchase at-need to safely place your Loved One in the Columbarium.

• Burial Lots (infant, single, two-grave, or four-grave)

• Monuments & Markers (black, gray, or pink granite)

• Flower placement (single or multiple placement)

• All orders can be placed at the Evergreen office or the website.

HYPERLOCAL

WARNING: Cancer-Causing Toxins Found in Popular Hair Braids by Dr. Phillip Gould,

By BlackDoctor.org

For many people, braided hairstyles are more than just fashion,- they’re a time-tested tradition that makes hair care easier. Sometimes, it’s a t’s a pre-vacation ritual, a protective hairstyle during the summer months, or just a artistic way to express one’s creativity.

But now, a new investigation by Consumer Reports is raising alarming questions about how braiding can be harmful to your health.

Ten popular synthetic braiding hair products were tested. The results are troubling. Among the ten brands Consumer Reports sent to a lab for analysis, which included popular brands like Sensationnel, Magic Fingers, and Shake-NGo, it found something common with all the brands: every single one of the samples contained potentially harmful carcinogens–chemicals that could be linked to cancer.

Three of the samples tested positive for benzene, a carcinogen that is highly regulated and discouraged for use in laboratories because of the potential to cause cancer.

Synthetic hair has long been a staple in protective hairstyles for Black women — like braids, locs and twists. These styles can be worn for weeks at a time, protecting the hair from breakage, exposure to the elements or day-to-day heat styling. This translates to longer exposure to the chemicals, Consumer Reports said.

Black consumers represent over 70 percent of the hair extension market, spending approximately six times more on hair care than other ethnic groups. Synthetic hair is commonly found at neighborhood beauty supply stores and online. Consumer Reports researchers assessed braiding hair from 10 companies, many of which use synthetic hair made from Kanekalon, a material produced by the Kaneka brand, according to Consumer Reports.

Kanekalon, which is a modacrylic fiber, is commonly recommended by professional braiders due to its resemblance to Afro-textured hair and resistance to unraveling. Modacrylic fiber is composed of acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride, both of which are toxic to humans. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies acrylonitrile as a probable human carcinogen. The National Cancer Institute directly links vinyl chloride with leukemia, lymphoma, and rare forms of liver, brain, and lung cancers.

James Rogers, Director of Product Safety at Consumer Reports, led CR’s synthetic hair testing, says testing found lead in 90 percent of the products. While Rogers says there is no safe level of lead, one company exceeded the U.S. governments allotment. One package of braiding hair exceeded the maximum allowed dose of lead by more than 600%, according to the investigative study. Consumer Reports used California’s maximum allowable dosage level, describing it as the “most protective available in the U.S.,” because there are no federal limits on

lead in synthetic braiding hair.

According to Rogers, most synthetic braiding hair lacks ingredient disclosure, and is often worn for weeks at a time which increases potential exposure to unsafe chemicals.

In a statement associated with the report, when Dr. Rogers and his team began the research in 2024, he had three goals: to determine whether the chemicals were present, whether you could measure them and how much of each one was present, and to find out if there was a

way to determine the possible risk to consumers who use these products. He also has two daughters who use extensions to get their hair braided. “I know firsthand that getting braids is part of the culture, and alternatives to synthetic hair aren’t always accessible or affordable,” he said.

CR’s risk assessments and exposure models indicate that users of these nine products could be exposed to concerning levels of lead over time.

The risks don’t stop there. When the hair is dipped in hot water during instal-

the wearer’s natural hair through braiding techniques.

Key steps in the manufacturing process:

Polymer mixing:

The raw synthetic polymer material is melted and mixed with additives to achieve the desired qualities like texture, sheen, and heat resistance.

Extrusion:

The molten polymer is forced through tiny holes in a spinneret, creating thin filaments that solidify into strands.

Texturizing:

The strands are often treated with heat or chemicals to create different textures like curls, waves, or kinks, mimicking natural hair patterns.

Dyeing:

The fibers are dyed to achieve the desired color.

Braiding and styling:

The strands are then braided or twisted together to create the desired braid pattern.

Finishing:

The ends of the braids are often sealed with heat to prevent unraveling, and the braids may be further styled with additional techniques like curling or crimping.

Other Black Women Products Found to Cause Cancer

This isn’t the first time hair products targeted at Black women or used by predominantly Black women have been found to contain harmful chemicals. Hair relaxers have been linked to health issues, including cancers.

A study show a possible link between frequent use of chemical straighteners and breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers. This could be due to chemicals commonly found in these products, such as formaldehyde, formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, oxidized para-phenylenediamine, and 4-aminobiphenyl, which could potentially lead to cancer.

lation, a standard practice, it releases volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that can irritate eyes, throat, and lungs.

How are Synthetic Braids Made?

Synthetic braids are made by taking a synthetic fiber, usually made from materials like polypropylene or modacrylic (often called “Kanekalon”), and extruding it into thin strands that are then twisted, braided, and styled to resemble natural hair, often with additional treatments to achieve desired texture and appearance; these strands are then attached to

In a 2020 study in the International Journal of Cancer, researchers found that women who frequently used chemical hair straighteners, defined as more than 6 times a year, had about a 30% higher risk of breast cancer. Similarly, according to a 2021 study in Carcinogenesis and a 2022 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, women who frequently used chemical hair straighteners, defined as more than 4 times a year, were twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer and more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer as women who did not use chemical hair straighteners.

In these same studies, there was some evidence that permanent hair dye was also associated with increased breast cancer risk, particularly among Black women. However, there was no association found between hair dye and ovarian or uterine cancers.

Amid DEI Rollbacks, HBCU Students Need More Than Allies

“We need people who want to get their feet, get their hands dirty,” says Spelman professor Dr. Cynthia Spence. by

Denim Fisher

While former President Donald Trump continues rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion policies meant to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups, a campus group at Spelman College is pressing forward with its mission to confront systemic racism and foster meaningful dialogue and healing on campus.

Indeed, in a moment when DEI initiatives are increasingly under scrutiny, sociology professor Dr. Cynthia Spence, who founded Spelman’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center in 2018, says the college’s commitment to truth-telling and healing is more crucial than ever.

“Truth-telling is uncomfortable,” she says. But “you can’t heal if you don’t acknowledge that you have a problem.” She says the center survived Trump’s first term “because no one really knows about it.” But now, similar initiatives face political headwinds — and she worries about the future.

“The Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation work — I’m wondering now, is it going to be under attack?” Spence says.

From Allies to Co-Conspirators

Spence founded the center — one of 71 such programs recognized by the Ameri-

can Association of Colleges and Universities during Trump’s first term in direct response to a climate that heightened the need for deeper racial dialogue.

“His election did, in fact, exacerbate the

need to have conversations” about race, Spence says.

However, Spence believes this moment calls for more than traditional allyship; it calls for active, risk-taking partners who

will speak out against racism wherever it appears.

“We need co-conspirators,” she says. “We need people who want to get their feet, get their hands dirty. Because when I call the counterparts out, I’m an angry Black woman. But when they call their counterparts out, then that’s different.” Spence underscores that it’s not just Black communities’ responsibility to push for change; all parties must recognize the urgent need for action.

“You want not just Black people to speak up because we’ve been speaking up. We Black women have been speaking up historically. We need somebody else to either join coalitions, help us, and bear the load,” she says.

‘Folks Have to Push Through’

Spelman has long served as an educational refuge for its students, a place to discuss societal challenges and injustices in a supportive environment, but no haven is entirely shielded from the realities of racism — and students need to study the issues before taking action.

“I encourage advocacy,” she says. “You got to do your homework. You got to read. You need to know what the issues are. You need to know how complex they are,” she says. And sustained

pressure is vital: “Change does take time because you are looking at people who’ve been in power for so long, who are controlling the purse strings.”

Spence acknowledges that racial healing — especially the emphasis on “truth-telling” — can sometimes be met with resistance.

But “racial justice is everyone’s issue,” she says. So folks have to push through. She recalls when she first engaged with the Truth Racial Healing and Transformation community, she gave students discussion prompts to respond to. “I did receive some pushback,” she says. “They’d say, ‘We don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable,’ and I say, ‘Yes, we do.”

In the meantime, she’ll continue to do the work at Spelman — no matter the political climate.

Denim Fisher is one of Word In Black’s four Racial Healing Youth Ambassadors. She reports on and amplifies African American student experiences with her campus Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation groups. Launched by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the TRHT effort promotes inclusive and community-based healing activities and policy designs that seek to change community narratives and broaden the understanding of diverse experiences among people.

BLACK STUDENT PARENTS FACE BARRIERS TO CHILD CARE AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES, JOINT CENTER REPORT FINDS

From 2017 to 2022, between five and seven percent of community college CCAMPIS recipients had at least 40 percent Black enrollment, far below the 13 percent of community colleges that meet this threshold nationally.

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Correspondent

@StacyBrownMedia

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, widely known as America’s Black think tank, released an issue brief titled “Black Student Parents’ Access to Affordable Child Care Support at Community Colleges.” The 13-page brief examines the limited access to the federal Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program among community colleges with at least 40 percent Black enrollment. It offers legislative recommendations to strengthen the program, particularly as Congress considers reauthorizing the Higher Education Act.

Black college students are disproportionately parents. According to the report, 36 percent of Black community college students and 40 percent of Black women in college are raising children. Black single mothers make up 30 percent of all undergraduate single mothers, with nearly 70 percent being first-generation college students. Despite these numbers, community colleges with substantial Black student populations are underrepresented in the CCAMPIS program.

From 2017 to 2022, between five and seven percent of community college CCAMPIS recipients had at least 40 per-

cent Black enrollment, far below the 13 percent of community colleges that meet this threshold nationally. “Receiving access to higher education can significantly increase income, skill development, and employment opportunities,” said Justin Nalley, co-author and senior policy analyst at the Joint Center. “But the costs of pursuing a degree and securing childcare remain particularly burdensome for Black student parents.”

The CCAMPIS program provides funding to colleges to subsidize childcare costs for Pell Grant-eligible students, support campus or community-based childcare, and offer student support services such as financial and career counseling. While federal appropriations for the program have grown from $15 million in 2017-18 to $75 million in 2023-24, the Joint Center recommends increasing that funding. The Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed an $80 million budget for the 2025–26 academic year, but some experts suggest that $250 million annually is necessary to meet demand fully.

Dr. Gabrielle Smith Finnie, co-author and workforce policy analyst at the Joint Center, said the program can improve educational outcomes. “Black student parents account for 30 percent of undergraduate student parents, yet they represent only 15 percent of CCAMPIS

participants,” she said. “Strengthening CCAMPIS can enhance retention and completion rates for Black student parents and contribute to overall economic growth.”

The report’s policy recommendations include increasing CCAMPIS appropri-

ations to cover out-of-pocket childcare costs fully, collecting comprehensive data on students’ parenting status, and publicly releasing racially disaggregated performance reports. Another proposal calls for an equity analysis of CCAMPIS awardees to ensure fair distribution

of grants to community colleges serving significant Black student populations. Financial hurdles remain steep. Black student parents borrow an average of $18,100 for college, compared to $13,500 among all students. With median household incomes for Black community college students at $29,021—less than half that of white students—many parents are forced to choose between education and supporting their families. “On average, a student parent must work 30 to 90 hours a week to cover tuition and childcare costs at public colleges,” Nalley noted. The issue brief also highlights declining access to on-campus childcare, which dropped from 58 percent of public community colleges in 2004 to 41 percent in 2019. Without affordable options, Black student parents—particularly fathers, 67 percent of whom attend schools without on-campus childcare—face added challenges.

As Congress considers reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, advocates stress that now is the time to act. “Improving CCAMPIS is essential for ensuring Black student parents are not left behind,” Finnie said. “These investments in education and childcare are investments in our economy and our future.”

For more information, visit the Joint Center’s website at jointcenter.org.

‘Are You Stupid?’: Eric Adams Calls Supporters Of His Resignation ‘Negroes’

By Black Information Network

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is defending comments he made about “negroes” calling for his resignation, per The Hill.

During a Black History Month reception on Tuesday (February 25), Adams, who is facing allegations of corruption, campaign bribery, and fraud, sought to highlight his administration’s efforts amid calls for his resignation.

“We have opened this place to all,” Adams said during his speech.

The mayor also acknowledged the contributions of historical Black leaders and pioneers, including Nat Turner, Marcus Garvey, Rosa Parks, and Barack Obama. Adams then aimed at those calling for his

resignation, calling them “negroes” and suggesting that they were “stupid.”

“All these Negroes who were asking me to step down, God, forgive them,” he said. “Are you stupid? I’m running my race right now.”

When pressed by reporter Curt Menefee, Adams later stood by the comments he made at Gracie Mansion despite the backlash he received.

“Are you implying that if you’re Black, you have to support you?” Menefee asked.

Adams responded that he was asking all New Yorkers for their support, and he was addressing critics who called for him to step down.

Menefee then asked, “So anybody who’s Black who calls for you to step down, they need help from God?”

“I didn’t say they needed help from God,

but that ‘we’ should pray for them,” Adams shot back.

Calls for Adams’ resignation have grown after the mayor was hit with a criminal indictment last year over alleged campaign bribery and fraud. His charges were dropped by the Trump administration, leading to allegations of Adams and the White House engaging in a deal to drop the indictment in exchange with the mayor cooperating with the president’s agenda.

During his recent interview with Menefee, Adams questioned the motives behind those calling for his resignation. “Isn’t our democracy based on who the people of the city elect?” he said. “Why are we trying to disrupt that and take away the power from the people who elected me as mayor?”

Black America Braces for Impact as Trump’s Tariffs Land

By Stacy M. Brown

BlackPressUSA.com Correspondent

Tariffs set to take effect Tuesday will impose a 25% levy on imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% on Chinese goods. The Trump administration insists the move will protect American industries, but economists and civil rights leaders warn the fallout will be devastating for African Americans and other marginalized communities. Prices on everyday essentials are expected to rise sharply. The U.S. imports 63% of its vegetables and nearly half of its fruits and nuts from Mexico, making grocery costs an immediate concern. Gas prices are also likely to surge as Canada, the country’s largest crude oil supplier, is hit with tariffs. Low-income families, already struggling with inflation, will bear

alyst, said. “This isn’t just about trade policy—it’s about survival for communities already fighting economic disparity.”

The auto industry, a major employer of African Americans, is also bracing for disruption. Tariffs could add up to $3,000 to vehicle costs, potentially leading to declining sales and job losses. “We’re looking at a repeat of what happened in 2018 when Trump’s first tariffs led to layoffs,” said Maurice Richardson, an autoworker in Michigan. “Except this time, it’s going to be worse.”

The NAACP has condemned the tariffs, warning that they will deepen racial economic disparities. Democratic lawmakers have also spoken out, calling the move reckless and out of touch with working-class struggles. “It’s already expensive to eat healthy where I live,” said Alicia Brown, a mother of two from Chicago’s South Side. “A gallon of milk is already $5. If they start charging more for fresh produce, people are going to have to make tough choices between food and rent.”

From Elon, With Love: You’re Fired.

It was Feb. 14. But what nearly 400 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees got that day were not Valentine’s. They were pink slips.

The firings touched critical roles in EPA offices across the country, including dozens of scientists at the agency’s Chicago office.

The American people did not vote for toxic air and poisoned water. But that will be the consequence as Donald Trump and Elon Musk move not only to dismantle the programs that keep our families healthy and safe but to fire, recklessly, the dedicated civil servants who have devoted their careers to doing the same. That same wave of civil servant layoffs ensnared about 3,400 US Forest Service employees and roughly 1,000 employees of the National Park Service (NPS). You might be struggling to make sense of a decision to institute big cuts at an agency tasked with managing forests and preventing and fighting wildfires immediately following some of the most destructive wildfires this country’s ever seen. But an examination of these mass firings also shows that senselessness and sloppiness—and utter inefficiency—are hallmarks of Trump and Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Further illustrating that sloppiness: across agencies, some of the most egregious terminations of vital workers had to be rescinded days later.

Imagine vacationing with your family at one of America’s beloved national parks and getting stuck in a bathroom for hours because something is wrong with the lock but the park doesn’t have a locksmith.

Nate Vince, Yosemite National Park’s locksmith, was also fired on Valentine’s Day. He explained in a post on Instagram that he was just three weeks shy of the end of his one-year probationary period, after apprenticing for four years under the park’s previous locksmith. He also noted Yosemite is the size of Rhode Island with “more locks than a small city,” for everything from a federal court to administrative buildings, gun safes, and

more. “Without a locksmith I’m deeply concerned for the safety and security of the park and people in it,” Vince said. “The people that fired me don’t know who I am, or what I do. They simply don’t understand this park and how big and complex it is.”

Park Ranger Alex Wild, also fired on Valentine’s Day, was the only emergency medical technician at Devils Postpile National Monument, a rock formation and

waterfall along California’s Pacific Crest Trail.

And the layoffs hit other popular sites like Grand Canyon National Park, which prompted the Association of National Park Rangers to warn of slower rescue efforts, as well as reduced programs and more litter. Following layoffs that gutted the team managing rentals within Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, visitors received notice their reservations had been indefinitely canceled.”

The list of examples goes on. And again, this is not what the American people voted for. Three quarters of Americans see the National Park Service in a positive light and 88% of Americans (including 85% of Republicans) want National Park wildlife better protected.

The financial wrongheadedness of the Trump-Musk slash-and-burn project also jumps out. Their supposed efforts to save taxpayers money by laying off thousands of hardworking civil servants and cutting food aid, science, education, medical research and more are going to end up costing Americans more out of their own pockets. In some cases, the programs and agencies being gutted will cost taxpayers far more in economic growth and direct government revenue than the amount of the “cuts.”

For 2025 and the past few years, the National Parks Services budget hovers at just over $3 billion per year. In 2023 alone, that budget (a relatively high $3.75 billion that year) supported 415,000 jobs and $55.6 billion in economic output. To put it another way, for every $1 invested, American taxpayers see a nearly $15 boost to our national economy.

This is part-in-parcel with the sloppiness—and also dishonesty—with which DOGE is operating. The total personnel costs for the federal civilian workforce are only 4.4% of our federal budget. Foreign aid—which has been at the top of the headlines since Trump and Musk decided to decimate USAID—has only ranged between 0.7% and 1.4% of the budget since 2001.

As they gut key agencies and the federal workforce, what are some examples of where this administration is focusing our tax dollars? Well, there is the $200 million international ad campaign by the Homeland Security Department, personally requested by Trump, “thanking” the president for his immigration and border policies. And, of course, there are the massive tax cuts for America’s very wealthiest that are really the crown jewel of the Trump-Musk agenda.

The great John Lewis, who would have turned 85 this past Friday, wrote “When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”

That act of democracy must not happen only in election years. It is up to all of us to hold power accountable, keep sounding the alarm, and keep speaking out for justice for all. Because, as Rep. Lewis also reminded us, “A democracy cannot thrive where power remains unchecked and justice is reserved for a select few.”

SLOTKIN RIPS TRUMP’S ‘RECKLESS’ AGENDA IN FIERY REBUTTAL: HE’LL MAKE YOU PAY’

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Slotkin, the newly elected senator from Illinois—one of the key states Trump flipped in 2024—blasted the former president’s approach to governance, calling his economic promises “a reckless and chaotic gamble” that would “walk us into a recession.”

By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA.com Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Ill.) delivered a sharp and relentless rebuttal to former President Donald Trump’s chaotic address to Congress on Tuesday night, warning that his economic policies and erratic leadership will leave everyday Americans footing the bill for a billionaire-friendly agenda. Slotkin, the newly elected senator from Illinois—one of the key states Trump flipped in 2024—blasted the former president’s approach to governance, calling his economic promises “a reckless and chaotic gamble” that would “walk us into a recession.”

“Trump is on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass on to the wealthiest of Americans, and to do that, he's going to make you pay,” she said, tearing into his trade policies, rising prescription drug costs, and ballooning national debt.

Slotkin also aimed the Trump administration’s sweeping federal layoffs, which she called a “mindless” purge of critical workers. “The firing of people who protect our nuclear weapons, keep our planes from crashing, and conduct life-saving research—only to rehire them two days later? No CEO in America could do that without being summarily fired,” she said.

Speaking from Wyandotte, Michigan, Slotkin positioned herself as a voice for working-class Americans frustrated by rising costs and political dysfunction. She called out Trump’s coziness with billionaires like Elon Musk, warning that their unchecked influence could jeopardize everything from Social Security to private financial data. “Is there anyone comfortable with Musk and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information, and your bank accounts?” she asked.

Slotkin didn’t hold back on foreign

policy either, skewering Trump for his embarrassing Oval Office clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “That wasn’t just a bad episode of reality TV,” she said. “It summed up Trump's whole approach to the world. Cozy up to dictators like Vladimir Putin, kick our allies like the Canadians in the teeth, and call it strategy.” The Illinois senator, a former CIA analyst, framed the stakes as a choice between responsible leadership and reckless upheaval. “America wants change, but there’s a responsible way to make change and a reckless way,” she said. “We can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy.” Closing her remarks with a call to action, Slotkin urged Americans not to disengage. “Hold your elected officials, including me, accountable,” she said. “Go to town halls. Demand action. Doom scrolling doesn’t count—I’m putting that on a pillow.”

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Ill.)

Low Expectations for the Trump Speech

By April Ryan

“He has a lot of explaining to do,” says former Clinton White House Speechwriter Terry Edmonds, when speaking of President Donald Trump hours before his address to the Joint Session of Congress. This reporter asked a few notables about their assumption of Trump’s speech tonight. Jotaka Eaddy, the founder of Win with Black Women says she will not be watching the address. She is opting instead for the 24-hour marathon State of the People Address on YouTube. However, when it comes to the Trump speech, Eaddy says he needs to be a “unifier, to speak to the heart and minds.” That might be hard for Trump as Eaddy believes, “Unfortunately we will get much of the same divisiveness and misinformation.”

Edmonds, the Black presidential scribe who has also consulted with the Obama and Biden administrations, expects the Trump speech to be “a victory lap” of sorts on his perceived wins over the last month and a half. “I don’t know why he [President Trump] is going to take a victory lap,” questions Cornell Belcher, Democratic strategist and NBC Analyst. The pollster also highlights that “presidents tend to get a honeymoon period. It looks like he [Trump] has had the shortest honeymoon period in history.” Belcher says Trump’s approval ratings are “underwater in most polls. “Gallup’s rating on economic confidence stands at -19% Gallup News | Nonpartisan Analysis of Critical Global Issues Belcher details the country’s economic negatives just weeks into Trump’s second term. He reiterates “Voter economic confidence is going in the wrong direction; the markets are go-

ing in the wrong direction and there’s talk of a recession and the Fed [Federal Reserve] is not expected to cut interest rates. ““They are going to tank the economy,” Belcher exclaims! That is a complete contrast to Trump’s campaign for the Oval Office largely focused on reducing the price of eggs. Those prices have gone in the opposite direction with a 61% increase since December 2024. Florida’s egg shortage is a US problem, prices likely to go higher. Edmonds says the 47th president is breaking from norms “domestically and in foreign policy.” “All they have done is attack immigrants and brown people. Stop diversity and roll back discrimination powers,” according to Belcher.

The Trump administration is said to be pausing military aid to Ukraine after last week’s disastrous Oval Office press conference with Voldomyr Zelenskyy. “I would like for him to explain the shift he is taking with Ukraine in a cogent way. I don’t know if he can do that.” Another negative for President Trump going into this speech is Elon Musk. The Musk poll numbers are on the decline. Belcher says that “he [Elon Musk] is the outfront face of it [DOGE] and they are more familiar with him than DOGE right now.”

DOGE is committing to mass federal layoffs by mid-March. Statistics show that 18-19% of all government employees identify as Black or African American. Edmonds, who has a family member “on the bubble” of federal layoffs this month, believes this Trump speech will be “a TV production with surprise guests” as it will be a “must-see TV moment because you never know what you are going to get.”

Democrats Defy Trump’s Address as Chaos Erupts in Congress

By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA.com Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Just before President Donald Trump took the podium to deliver his address to a joint session of Congress, Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett sent a message loud and clear: He is “not like us.” Crockett, dancing and lip-syncing to Kendrick Lamar’s culture-defining hit, later punctuated her defiance with a pointed jab. “Well… the State of the ‘DisUnion’ will begin shortly,” Crockett noted. “I’m gonna be in attendance.” It was just one of many signs of resistance from Democrats who braced for what they predicted would be an address filled with misinformation and political grandstanding. Undeterred, Crockett implored her millions of social media followers,

“Do not watch.”

The defiance extended beyond rhetoric. House Democratic leadership refused to participate in the traditional escort committee that brings the president into the House chamber, a symbolic rebuke of Trump’s presidency. A spokesperson for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the move “speaks for itself.” It was a notable departure from the morning’s strategy session, during which Jeffries and his leadership team urged House Democrats to focus on Americans suffering under Trump’s policies. However, when Trump took the stage, unity gave way to unfiltered outrage. Trump entered the chamber, flanked by Speaker Mike Johnson, determined to present his administration as a sweeping success. The reality outside his rhetoric told a different story.

Days before the address, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance engaged in a heated and globally embarrassing Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rocking the international community. The exchange reinforced concerns that Trump is abandoning Ukraine in favor of his well-documented admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. On the domestic front, his administration has dismantled civil rights protections, slashed federal jobs, and thrown millions into uncertainty. Yet, standing before Congress, Trump claimed that more Americans believe the country is on the right track for the first time in modern history. “Now, for the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction,” Trump declared. That was false.

Of the eighteen “right track/wrong

track” polls archived by RealClearPolitics since Trump took office, only two showed more respondents believing the country was moving in the right direction—one by Rasmussen with a one-point margin and another by Emerson College with a four-point edge. Meanwhile, sixteen other polls showed the opposite, some revealing double-digit margins. The RealClearPolitics average showed a nearly nine-point lead for “wrong track.” Yet Trump stood before the American people and claimed victory. The speech had barely begun when Rep. Al Green of Texas stood in the aisle, waving his cane at the president. Lawmakers responded with cheers and boos, forcing Speaker Johnson to issue repeated warnings for decorum.

“Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of the quorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the Sergeant at Arms to restore order to the joint session,” Johnson declared. He then ordered Green’s removal from the chamber. While Republicans erupted in applause throughout Trump’s speech, Democrats sat stonefaced. Some took it further, removing their jackets to reveal messages emblazoned in white on their backs. Some read, “Resist.” Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost’s shirt said, “No More Kings.” At the start of Trump’s speech, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan held up a whiteboard with the words, “That’s a Lie.”

Some Democrats refused to attend the address altogether. Rep. Alexan-

dria Ocasio-Cortez of New York announced her absence on social media. “I’m not going to the Joint Address. I will be live posting and chatting with you all here instead. Then going on IG Live after,” she wrote. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut also dismissed Trump’s speech as a “MAGA pep rally” and chose to spend the evening at an event with MoveOn. “We have to fight every single day, every single day,” Murphy proclaimed. Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont also made her position clear. “I watched him take an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution, and all he did was spew lies, stoke division, and make no effort to unify our country. I won’t sit and watch him lie to the American people again,” she asserted. Despite his claims, Trump failed to offer any real economic plan. He blamed Biden for inflation while ignoring that his tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico are set to raise prices even further, a reality already confirmed by economists. Yet he promised “dramatic and immediate relief” while enacting policies that would do the opposite. At one point, Trump took credit for ending the so-called “weaponized government,” portraying himself as the victim. “And we’ve ended weaponized government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent. Like me,” he said. Republicans cheered. Beyond the speech’s theatrics, the real story remains the fallout of Trump’s second term. Civil rights protections have been disman-

their peers, while just a few lost a point or two for using personal technology. He noted that student behavior has improved significantly in his class because of his focus on prioritizing acknowledging positive behavior from students.

Widmeyer noted that as a 20-year teaching veteran, he has learned that “if they [students] see you’re invested in them, they want to be invested in your class.” To engage his students, Widmeyer works outside the classroom by attending his students’ sports games or theater performances to show them each that he is invested in their success.

He also stays in contact with his students’ parents to share about their growth in his class rather than only reaching out to families if a negative experiences occurs.

Last year, Widmeyer taught the same students he has this year because there was a mid-year resignation of the school’s 7th grade math teacher. While the double duty stretched him thin, he said, it’s helped him this year because he’s shown the students that “I’m here to stay with you.”

She too used a point system to recognize her students during class for helping out.

tled. Federal workers have been fired en masse. Veterans and people with disabilities have been left scrambling. MAGA loyalists have received unchecked power. And yet, the president stood before Congress and told Americans everything was fine. Rep. Crockett, however, was not having it. She fired back without hesitation when asked if she had anything to say to Trump. “Grow a spine and stop being Putin’s hoe," Crockett railed, using language that proved common in an earlier meeting between CBC members and Black journalists. The apparent divide in the chamber became more undeniable as television cameras panned across the room. Republicans stood, grinning, basking in Trump’s promises. Democrats, many dressed in bright pink as a deliberate display of protest, sat in silence. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, explained the color choice.

“Pink is a color of power and protest.," she said "It’s time to rev up the opposition and come at Trump loud and clear.” By the time Trump’s speech ended, one thing was clear. Democrats aren’t backing down. They aren’t standing idly by as Trump and his enablers attempt to rewrite reality. They aren’t going to pretend that what’s happening to this country is normal.

As Trump walked out of the chamber, the message left behind by Democrats and on the backs of those standing in defiance said it all. “Resist.”

During class the students continued their unit on the American Revolution and the different perspectives of loyalists and patriots.

The students worked in small groups to complete a worksheet tasking them with identifying how patriots and loyalists felt about specific historical events like the Boston Tea Party and the Stamp Act.

As students worked, Vaillancourt showed a to-do list on the classroom’s board for students to refer to.

Conte principal Kenneasha Sloley told the Independent at the conclusion of Tuesday’s school day that the school’s staff takes pride in establishing positive and healthy relationships with students to “create an environment where parents want to send their kid.”

Through high expectations and educators meeting students where they are at, Sloley said, Conte’s mission is to “push relationships and rigor all at once.”

Thanks to its point systems, hands-on learning, frequent student-feedback surveys, and educator professional-learning opportunities, Sloley said Conte has seen significant growth in literacy levels. She said that growth has been recognized by the district’s middle school reading program, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), which plans to include Conte in a website feature in March.

She concluded by describing additional opportunities Conte offers its school community, like pep rallies and playbased learning. For four days a week, kindergarten teacher Jennifer Mandel organizes an “open play” period for her elementary students to have inter-curricular exposure to core lessons. And starting this week, Mandel’s kindergartners will begin learning Mandarin on Wednesdays.

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MONROE HOUSING AUTHORITY/FAIRWAY ACRES

IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ELDERLY HOUSING! APPLICATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM MARCH 1st, 2025 – MAY 31st, 2025. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED OR POSTMARKED AFTER MAY 31st, 2025, WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Eligible applicants must be 62+ OR 18+ if disabled. Rent calculation is based on 30% of your income. Tenants cannot pay lower than the base rent: $420/efficiency, $430/one -bedroom and ADA. Applications can be picked up at the office Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9-2 pm at: 358 Wheeler Road, Monroe, CT 06468, or by email at: housing@monroect.gov. Those that need assistance with obtaining the application and/or applying can call 203-261-7685. Assistance in another language will be made available to those that need it. Eligible applications will be chosen by lottery system and subject to background checking. The Monroe Housing Authority does not determine eligibility based on age, ancestry, color, sex, race, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, lawful source of income, familial status, learning disability, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or veteran status.

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO. Invitation for Bids Fire Panel System Repair & Service

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking a qualified contractor to provide Fire Panel System Repair & Service. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, March 3, 2025, at 3:00PM.

360 Management GROUP

Request for BID Marshal Services

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Fiscal/Administrative Officer in the Intergovernmental Policy and Planning Division.

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 250213&R2=1308AR&R3=002

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Labor Relations Associate Trainee (Leadership Associate (Confidential)) in the Office of Labor Relations.

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 250211&R2=5989VR&R3=001

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

REQUEST FOR BIDS

Architectural Repairs and Improvements at Union Station Building New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven Parking Authority Project #23-020

Bids due March 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM EDT

Bid Documents including Special Notice to Bidders for Community Subcontracting Opportunities, Project Manual, Drawings and Bid Forms will be available beginning Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at no cost to you by downloading from the BuildingConnected FTP system website. Please contact Maryann Bigda of Turner Construction Company, which is the New Haven Parking Authority’s professional construction program manager, at (203) 712-6070 for BuildingConnected FTP system access information.

The New Haven Parking Authority will receive sealed bids for Architectural Repairs and Improvements at Union Station Building, NHPA Project #23-020, until 3:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. All Bids shall be submitted through the BuildingConnected FTP system. Bids may be submitted at any time leading up to the specified due date and time and will remain sealed within the BuildingConnected FTP system until the specified due date and time. The New Haven Parking Authority will be conducting a virtual public bid opening using the Zoom Link provided in the Bid Documents. At this Zoom bid opening, all bids will be publicly opened and the name of the Bidder and its total Bid Price will be read aloud. Bids received after the time set for the opening will be rejected.

The work for this project includes, but is not limited to: main & anterior lobby refinishing, upper floor common area interior repairs, stairwell repairs & improvements (including miscellaneous metals), floor & tile repairs, cleaning of limestone & marble walls, cleaning of main waiting room lights, replacement of brass door assemblies, miscellaneous tenant space repairs, exterior repairs (including masonry & waterproofing repairs), terracotta cornice cleaning and repairs, hazardous building materials abatement, miscellaneous coordination, together with all incidental work thereto and in accordance with the Bid Documents. This project is funded through the State Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and, as such, is subject to certain requirements of the State Capital Funding Agreement.

Bidders will be responsible for the requirements of ALL documents made available and will not be relieved of responsibilities for requirements indicated in any bid documents not downloaded or viewed.

Bidders must submit with their Bid on forms provided a list of their Intended Subcontractors, together with CHRO contract compliance requirements, including:

a. the utilization of DAS-certified Small Business Enterprises (“SBE”) for a requirement of at least 30% of the Bidder’s entire contract value;

b. the utilization of DAS-certified Minority owned Business Enterprises (“MBE”), Women owned Business Enterprises (“WBE”) and/or Disabled owned Business Enterprises (“DisBE”) for a requirement of at least 25% of the Bidder’s entire contract value. Please note that the MBE, WBE, and/or DisBE are part of the SBE; and

c. Independent of the SBE/MBE/WBE/DisBE requirements herein, a minimum of 10% of the Bidder’s entire contract value must include businesses having a place of business within the City of New Haven limits.

A satisfactory bid bond executed by the bidder and acceptable surety in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the total bid shall be submitted with each bid.

Lowest Responsible and Qualified Bidder: As used in this section, “lowest responsible and qualified bidder” means the bidder whose bid is the lowest of those bidders possessing the skill, ability and integrity necessary to faithfully perform the work. As a prerequisite, all Bidders with a contract value in excess of $1,000,000 must be pre-qualified by DAS. Additionally, all subcontractors with a subcontract value in excess of $1,000,000 must be pre-qualified by DAS.

The New Haven Parking Authority is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minority/Women/Disabled Business Enterprises are encouraged to apply.

Invitation to Bid:

18-20 & 30 Trinity Street Hartford, CT

Project Description: Rehabilitation of Two (2) Buildings, 104 Units, Approx 167,876sf.

Project Documents include but not limited to: Demolition & Asbestos, concrete, masonry, steel, finish carpentry, insulation, roofing, doors & hardware, storefront, windows, smoke curtains, gypsum board, flooring, painting, signage, specialties, appliances, casework, window blinds, electric traction elevators, trash chutes, fire suppression plumbing, HVAC, electrical, site-work, sanitary facilities and final cleaning.

Bid Due Date: 3-21-2025 @ 3pm

If you have not already received an ITB from us and would like to bid, please email Taylor your business & contact information, she will add you to Procore and send you the ITB. Email Questions & Bids to: Taylor Els tels@haynesct.com 203-888-8139

State law requires a minimum of twenty-five (25%) percent of the state-funded portion of the contract for award to subcontractors holding current certification from the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (“DAS”) under the provisions of CONN. GEN. STAT. § 4a-60g. (25% of the work with DAS certified Small and Minority owned businesses and 25% of that work with DAS certified Minority, Women and/or Disabled owned businesses.) The contractor must demonstrate good faith effort to meet the 25% set-aside goals.

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

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Request for Proposals Energy Consultant Services

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking proposals from qualified firms Energy Consultant Firms. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, March 10, 2025, at 3:00PM.

SENIOR ENGINEER – WATER AND SEWER

The Town of Wallingford has an excellent career opportunity for a strong technical leader to be responsible for improving current facilities and providing for future growth of the water and wastewater systems. Applicants should possess 7 years of experience in engineering utility operations, of which 4 years must be water or wastewater related, plus a bachelor’s degree in civil or sanitary engineering, or an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis. Salary: $113,556 to $141,944 annually. The Town offers an excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, generous paid sick and vacation time, individual and family medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and deferred compensation plan. To apply online by the closing date of February 28, 2025, please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 2942084. EOE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - REVISED

Defined Contribution Money Purchase Plan (401a) and/or Deferred Compensation Plan (457b) New Haven Parking Authority New Haven, CT

The Proposal due date and time has been extended to March 31, 2025 at 3:00 PM EDT, via Addendum #2.

Proposal Documents and Addenda are available at no cost on the New Haven Parking Authority/Park New Haven website at https://parknewhaven.com/request-for-bids/ .

NHPA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR

THE

ELM CITYCOMMUNITIES, HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH)

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE LIPH ADMISSION AND COMTINUED OCCUPANCY PLAN (ACOP) AND HCV ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN (ADMIN PLAN)

Elm City Communities, the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (ECC/HANH) is proposing to amend sections of its Low-Income Public Housing Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) and the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Administrative Plan (Admin Plan).

Copies of the amendment to the ACOP and the Administrative Plan will be made available on Monday, March 9, 2025, on the agency website www.elmcitycommunities.org or via Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities or Instagram @elmcitycommunities_hanh.

You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: ECC/HANH, ACOP & Admin Plan Revisions; Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

A public hearing where public comments will be accepted and recorded is scheduled for Monday April 7, 2025, at 3:00pm

Via RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/553075769?pw=df5d7fa05943d7cfd1779b59f8d54312

Meeting ID: 553075769

Password: hwj2gFCY9q

Any individual requiring a Reasonable Accommodation to participate in the hearing may call the Reasonable Accommodation Manager (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 or at the TDD Number (203) 497-8434.

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARA ELM CITYCOMMUNITIES

AUTORIDAD DE VIVIENDA DE NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH) ENMIENDA PROPUESTA AL PLAN DE ADMISIÓN Y OCUPACIÓN CONTINUA (ACOP) DE LIPH Y AL PLAN ADMINISTRATIVO DE HCV (PLAN ADMINISTRATIVO)

Elm City Communities, la Autoridad de Vivienda de la Ciudad de New Haven (ECC/HANH) propone enmendar secciones de su Política de Admisión y Ocupación Continua de Vivienda Pública para Bajos Ingresos (ACOP) y el Plan Administrativo de Vales de Elección de Vivienda (HCV) (Plan Administrativo).

Se pondrán a disposición copias de la enmienda al ACOP y al Plan Administrativo el lunes 9 de marzo de 2025 en el sitio web de la agencia www.elmcitycommunities.org o a través de Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities o Instagram @elmcitycommunities_hanh.

Se le invita a proporcionar comentarios por escrito dirigidos a: ECC/HANH, ACOP y Admin Plan Revisions; A la atención de: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 o por correo electrónico a: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

Se ha programado una audiencia pública en la que se aceptarán y registrarán los comentarios públicos para el lunes 7 de abril de 2025 a las 3:00 p.m. metro.

A través de RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/553075769?pw=df5d7fa05943d7cfd1779b59f8d54312 ID de la reunión: 553075769 Contraseña: hwj2gFCY9q

Cualquier persona que requiera una adaptación razonable para participar en la audiencia puede llamar al Gerente de Adaptaciones Razonables (203) 4988800, ext. 1507 o al número TDD (203) 497-8434.

Analysis examines the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program

Joint Center Releases Research on the Importance of Child Care Support for Black Students at Community Colleges

By Justin Nalley and Gabrielle Smith Finnie, Ph.D.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s Black think tank, today published an issue brief, “Black Student Parents’ Access to Affordable Child Care Support at Community Colleges.” The brief examines the availability of the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program at community colleges with an enrollment of at least 40 percent Black students and offers legislative proposals for congressional reauthorization and adequate appropriations for this critical childcare program. The CCAMPIS program is a federal program designed to support student parents with childcare access and expenses. Colleges that receive CCAMPIS grants can use the funding to subsidize childcare costs for Pell Grant-eligible students, support campus-based or community-based childcare programs, provide before or after-school childcare services, or provide student support like financial and career counseling.

“Receiving access to higher education can significantly increase income, skill development, employment opportunities, and much more, all critical factors that can help Black student parents achieve their goals and secure access to family-sustaining wages,” said co-author Joint Center Senior Policy Analyst, Workforce Policy Justin Nalley. “Black students are more likely to be parents than other racial groups at both community colleges and four-year institutions and the costs of pursuing postsecondary education and for childcare are particularly burdensome for student parents. The need to enhance the CCAMPIS program for Black student parents is more prevalent than ever, particularly when Congress reauthorizes the Higher Education Act.” The research found that community colleges with substantial Black student populations were underrepresented among CCAMPIS recipients. Nationally, 13 percent of community colleges have at least 40 percent Black enrollment. The share of community college CCAMPIS recipients with Black enrollment above 40 percent fluctuated minimally between five percent to seven percent during the 2017–2022 period, well below the 13 percent representation rate.

Co-author Joint Center Policy Analyst, Workforce Policy Dr. Gabrielle Smith Finnie, said, “According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Black student parents account for 30 percent of undergraduate student parents, but only 15 percent of CCAMPIS participants were Black. Strengthening CCAMPIS could help increase retention and completion rates for Black student parents and boost overall economic growth.”

The following policy recommendations offer ways to enhance CCAMPIS to support Black student parents:

• Increase CCAMPIS program appropriations: Congressional appropriations for CCAMPIS were $50 million in the academic year 2018–19, $65 million in the academic year 2021-22, and $75 million in the academic year 2023–24. This growth is meaningful but should be increased. The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $80 million for the academic year

2025–26. Other CCAMPIS expansion proposals have called for as much as $250 million in annual appropriations for the program to adequately meet student-parent needs. An increase in CCAMPIS appropriations should raise grantee funding, fully cover out-of-pocket childcare expenses for student-parent participants, and reach more program participants.

• Collect federal data on students’ parenting status: Black student parents are often a hidden population due to the lack

of federal data collection on students’ parenting status. Congress should pass a version of the Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act of 2023 to improve data collection for student parents in higher education. The bill would expand IPEDS data collection to include variables such as the number of students identifying as parents, their enrollment status, and median income. If passed, the law would require a study on the best practices to improve outcomes for student parents at higher ed-

ucation institutions, including enrollment trends for the availability of campus-based childcare services, including CCAMPIS grants. The bill also would require that findings be disaggregated by race and ethnicity, reported to Congress, and made publicly available.

Produce publicly available, racially disaggregated CCAMPIS performance reports: CCAMPIS grants report data on the population served, campus and community resources used to help low-income students access childcare services, progress on childcare facility accreditation, and grant impact on the quality, availability, and affordability of campus-based childcare services. The U.S. Department of Education quantifies CCAMPIS’s success by measuring postsecondary persistence and degree completion rates. The CCAMPIS program should disaggregate participant enrollment and outcomes by race and ethnicity to the extent feasible to protect student privacy. This would allow the U.S. Department of Education and college leadership to determine whether the program reaches and supports Black student parents. Publicly available reports will enhance the transparency of the CCAMPIS program and its participants.

Conduct an equity analysis of CCAMPIS awardees: The U.S. Department of Education should build upon this study and conduct an equity analysis of past CCAMPIS awardees to uncover potential inequities

and ensure that the share of CCAMPIS community college grantees with substantial Black student enrollment is proportionate to their representation in the larger community college population. The CCAMPIS grant process strongly relies on student-parent data, which is difficult to collect. The proposed equity analysis could review the application process and scoring procedures, outreach and notification processes, funding distribution, and enrollment demographics and outcomes of CCAMPIS awardee institutions.

Remove limitations to federal childcare and basic needs support: The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is a federal-state partnership program that subsidizes low-income families’ participation in work-related education and training programs by making childcare services available through vouchers, direct family benefits, and provider contracts. CCDF allows states to design income and eligibility requirements for families to receive childcare assistance. States may allow higher education participation as an eligibility criterion, but many states have restrictions on how long education and job training can count for eligibility. To decrease barriers and support student parents, states should allow education and training to count for working hours and extend or remove time limits on how long parents can pursue an education or job training program.

Target Takes a Hit: $12.4 Billion Wiped Out

By Stacy Brown

Target Corporation’s stock plummeted by approximately $27.27 per share by the end of February, erasing about $12.4 billion in market value. The drop came on February 28, the designated economic blackout day, and coincided with mounting backlash over the retailer’s decision to abandon its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has taken action through its Public Education and Selective Buying Campaign. NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. said, “Black consumers helped build Target into a retail giant, and now they are making their voices heard. If corporations believe they can roll back diversity commitments without consequence, they are mistaken.”

Reverend Jamal Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia, has led calls for a “40-Day Target Fast,” urging

Black consumers to withhold their spending at the retailer. “Black people spend $12 million a day at Target,” Bryant said. “If we withhold our dollars, we can make a statement that cannot be ignored.”

The NAACP also issued a Black Consumer Advisory in response to Target’s DEI rollback, warning Black consumers about corporate retreat from diversity initiatives. The advisory urges them to support businesses that remain committed to investing in Black communities.

Target is also facing legal battles. Shareholders have filed lawsuits challenging the company’s DEI policies, arguing that the commitments hurt financial performance. Meanwhile, conservative groups have sued over Target’s diversity efforts, claiming they discriminated against white employees and other groups.

“Consumers have the power to demand change, and Target is learning that lesson the hard way,” Chavis said.

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In honor of Women’s History Month the Arts & Ideas team would like to thank it’s founders Anne, Roslyn, and Jean as we celebrate 30 years of Great Art & Big Ideas!