By OBSERVER Newsroom

Underground Books features Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete in Olympic history, at its monthly Oak Park Speaker Series, 6-8 p.m. Monday, April 3, at the Guild Theater.

Felix is the only female track star to win seven Olympic gold medals, plus 13 world championships golds – two more than the fastest runner ever, Usain Bolt. In total, Felix has won an astonishing 31 medals in her Olympic and world championship career.

Felix has redefined athletics as she continues to cement her iconic status on and off the track. She is an investor in multiple companies, serves as an advisor to a female-led and -focused venture fund, and is the founder of her own women’s shoe company, SAYSH. Sought after for her empowering insights about striving for greatness in business and in life, Felix has captivated audiences across industries.

General admission tickets start at $20. VIP tickets are available for $45, which includes a post reception at Fixins, meet-and-greet with Felix, and an autographed photo. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

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By Maya Richard-Craven | Word In Black

(WIB) – Environmental injustice and the climate crisis have hurt Black folk for too long. Need a few examples of how we’re affected? How about these:

• Black folk are 75% more likely to live near toxic waste facilities. 
• We are 40% more likely to live somewhere with extreme temperatures due to climate change.  
• 68% of Black folk live within 30 miles of a coal-fired plant. 

The good news is that the Black climate justice movement is going strong. Head to TikTok, and you’ll find Black environmentalists on EcoTok taking a positive approach to acknowledging inequities. If you read about the UN Environment Programme you’ll learn that Black women are making major changes in the global response to climate change. 

Several Black organizations are working to fight the effects of climate change and its impact on Black communities. Here are a few that should be on your radar. 

1. The NAACP Center for Environmental & Climate Justice 

Leaders at the NAACP understand that there can’t be conversations about civil rights without acknowledging environmental inequities. That’s why the civil rights organization has spent the past decade fighting for climate justice.

During his five-year term, former NAACP president Ben Jealous created the NAACP Center for Environmental & Climate Justice. Abre’ Conner, a Black woman and licensed attorney, was appointed as director of the center last year. 

Conner has plenty to say when it comes to climate justice. 

“You can’t really have conversations about environmental injustice unless the people who are most impacted at the community level are able to speak for themselves,” she says. 

“That’s a key component of how we look at this work. We build out public education and help people understand their rights.”

Learn more about the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice here. 

2. Black Millennials for Flint (BM4F)

It’s been nearly nine years since the water in Flint, Michigan, became contaminated with lead and other toxins. Members of Black Millennials 4 Flint refuse to forget. 

Climate advocate LaTricea Adams founded Black Millennials 4 Flint after learning about the Flint water crisis in November 2015. By the following February, Black Millenials 4 Flint had officially become a movement. 

The organization trains its community members in public speaking in order to help them feel more comfortable speaking before larger audiences. 

BM4F is on a mission to ensure that Black folk avoid exposure to lead from drinking water. Although the water in Flint was first contaminated in 2014, the fight for access to clean water is far from over. 

“Within the first one to three years, there was a public outpouring of support with gallons and gallons of water to support residents,” Adams says. “A lot of those donations stopped. Fast forward to 2023, people still don’t trust their water. They shouldn’t.”

Learn more about Black Millennials 4 Flint here. 

3. Soul Fire Farm 

It is important that we, as Black folk, re-establish our relationship with the land. For many of us, this means growing food and tending to animals. For others, it means fighting food insecurity through volunteer work. 

Soul Fire Farm co-director and farm manager Leah Penniman believes food justice is climate justice. The self-described “soil nerd” has created a safe space for BIPOC folk to come together in the fight against food inequality. 

The Afro-indigenous community organization offers training to BlPOC farmers, hosts food justice workshops for young people of color, and delivers food to families experiencing food insecurity. 

The Soul Fire Farm food sovereignty program reaches over 50,000 people every year. And Penniman wrote “Farming While Black,” a book that stresses the importance of Black folk owning land as a means of liberation. 

“Stewarding our own land, growing our own food, educating our own youth, participating in our own healthcare and justice systems,” Penniman writes, “this is the source of real power and dignity.”

Learn more about Soul Fire Farm here.

4. National Black Environmental Justice Network

The National Black Environmental Justice Network has been fighting for climate justice for over 20 years. In December 1999, almost 300 Black grassroots organizations met in New Orleans, Louisiana, to create a strategy to address environmental inequities in Black communities. 

This led to the birth of the National Black Environmental Justice Network. Today some prominent Black folk are on the board’s executive committee, including Dr. Beverly Wright and Dr. Robert D. Bullard. 

Bullard, the “father” of environmental justice, believes that race and the environment are heavily intertwined. 

“You can’t really have conversations about environmental injustice unless the people who are most impacted at the community level are able to speak for themselves.” ABRE’ CONNER, NAACP CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE 

“Environmental justice embraces the principle that all people in communities are entitled to equal protection of our environmental laws; housing, transportation, energy, food, and water security and health laws,” he says. “Environmental justice is nothing more than this whole principle: people have the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment without regard to race, color, or national origin.”

Learn more about the National Black Environmental Justice Network here. 

5. Climate Justice Alliance Black Caucus 

The Climate Justice Alliance Black Caucus pushes for environmental policies that benefit predominantly Black communities. The Black Caucus was founded after some members of the Climate Justice Alliance felt it was necessary to acknowledge Black folk who have contributed to the climate justice movement. From the site to social handles, the Black Caucus uplifts Black leaders in the environmental justice movement.

For the past year, the Black Caucus has worked on a documentary archiving the roles Black folk have played in the climate justice movement through oral history and songs. 

But the Black Caucus doesn’t just focus on historical preservation. Organizers also tackle food sovereignty, federal policy, and more. Members of the caucus created six principles of food sovereignty, which include making daily decisions, localizing food systems, and working with nature. 

Learn more about the Climate Justice Alliance Black Caucus here. 

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By Jonathan Mattise and Travis Loller | The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A woman wielding two “assault-style” rifles and a pistol killed three 9-year-old students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.

The suspect, who was killed by police, is believed to be a former student at The Covenant School in Nashville, where the shooting took place.

The victims were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all 9 years old, and adults Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61.

The website of The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school founded in 2001, lists a Katherine Koonce as the head of the school. Her LinkedIn profile says she has led the school since July 2016.

The attack at The Covenant School — which has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade, as well as roughly 50 staff members — comes as communities around the nation are reeling from a spate of school violence, including the massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, last year; a first grader who shot his teacher in Virginia; and a shooting last week in Denver that wounded two administrators.

“I was literally moved to tears to see this and the kids as they were being ushered out of the building,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at an afternoon news conference.

The suspect’s identity and motive have not been released.

The Covenant School was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church. The affluent Green Hills neighborhood just south of downtown Nashville, where the Covenant School is located, is home to the famed Bluebird Café – a beloved spot for musicians and song writers.

President Joe Biden, speaking at an unrelated event at the White House on Monday, called the shooting a “family’s worst nightmare” and implored Congress again to pass a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons.

“It’s ripping at the soul of this nation, ripping at the very soul of this nation,” Biden said.

The suspect’s identity as a woman surprised experts on mass shootings. Female shooters make up only about 5% to 8% of all mass shooters, said Adam Lankford, a criminal justice professor at the University of Alabama who has closely studied the psychology and behavior of mass shooters.

There have been seven mass killings at U.S. schools since 2006, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. In all of them, the shooters were males who killed four or more people within a 24-hour time frame at K-12 school.

Researchers believe there are three main explanations for why men commit more shootings than women, according to Jonathan Metzl, a professor of sociology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University who has studied mass shootings for more than a decade.

Metzl listed those explanations as: Men have more testosterone, are socialized to be engaged in violence and own more guns than women.

“From school shootings historically, very often we think that people have some historical connection or emotional connection to the school,” he said, calling the Nashville shooting “an untold story.”

Monday’s tragedy unfolded over roughly 14 minutes. Police received the initial call about an active shooter at 10:13 a.m.

Officers began clearing the first story of the school when they heard gunshots coming from the second level, police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news briefing.

Two officers from a five-member team opened fire in response, fatally shooting the suspect at 10:27 a.m., Aaron said. One officer had a hand wound from cut glass.

Aaron said there were no police officers present or assigned to the school at the time of the shooting because it is a church-run school.

Other students walked to safety Monday, holding hands as they left their school surrounded by police cars, to a nearby church to be reunited with their parents.

Rachel Dibble, who was at the church as families found their children, described the scene as everyone being in “complete shock.”

“People were involuntarily trembling,” said Dibble, whose children attend a different private school in Nashville. “The children … started their morning in their cute little uniforms they probably had some Froot Loops and now their whole lives changed today.”

Dr. Shamendar Talwar, a social psychologist from the United Kingdom who is working on an unrelated mental health project in Nashville, raced to the church as soon as he heard news of the shooting to offer help. He said he was one of several chaplains, psychologists, life coaches and clergy inside supporting the families.

“All you can show is that the human spirit that basically that we are all here together … and hold their hand more than anything else,” he said.

Jozen Reodica heard the police sirens and fire trucks blaring from outside her office building nearby. As her building was placed under lockdown, she took out her phone and recorded the chaos.

“I thought I would just see this on TV,” she said. “And right now, it’s real.”

Top legislative leaders announced Monday that the GOP-dominant Statehouse would meet briefly later in the evening and delay taking up any legislation.

“In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting,” Mayor John Cooper wrote on Twitter.

Nashville has seen its share of mass violence in recent years, including a Christmas Day 2020 attack where a recreational vehicle was intentionally detonated in the heart of Music City’s historic downtown, killing the bomber, injuring three others and forcing more than 60 businesses to close.

__

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Holly Meyer and Kristin Hall in Nashville; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles.

The post Police ID kids, all age 9, and adults in Nashville shooting appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Raquel Rogers | Defender Network | Word In Black

This post was originally published on Defender Network

(WIB) – When the movie “Hidden Figures” was released in 2017, it opened the doors of curiosity as to what other narratives and contributions of Black women have been erased from the history books. Many Black authors answered the challenge of diving into those untold stories, weaving narratives to educate and entertain with historical fiction.

Dr. Tammy Smithers, founder of The Personal Librarians Book Chat, a global online bookclub, is bringing some of those writers together for an inaugural virtual Women’s History Month program called “Still I Rise: Black Herstory of Resilience and Brilliance” on March 28 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. CST.

“The rise in the popularity of historical fiction presents an opportunity for storytellers, scholars, authors, publishers and producers,” Smithers said. “Presenting this program is a testament to the achievement of Black authors, hidden figures and women who are still standing no matter who seeks to silence and suppress their voice, purpose or narrative.

“Attendees can glean from this program the importance of correcting the historical record, telling untold truths, and celebrating the role of Black women through America’s existence.”

Smithers says she is excited to see Black female authors pick up the mantle to shine a light on the brilliance and resilience of historical Black figures.

“The social and political ecosystem is being wrought with controversy. However, it is Black women authors who are emboldened to do the research and elucidate the narratives of Black women through a historical and fictionalized context. March marks the international recognition of Women’s History Month. However, Black women are often omitted from the recognition and lumped in with everyone. Our inheritance of resilience and the ways in which our ancestral foremothers overcame is often relegated to oppression and rightfully linked to injustice and struggle. As Black women, the residual effect of our ingenuity is our brilliance – brilliance to build businesses, produce leaders, galvanize movements, lead communities and more,” she said.

The writers serving as “Still I Rise” panelists will discuss their inclusive portraits of the past, how they go about recovering and developing stories that have been lost, forgotten or untold, and unveiling those stories that have been relegated to history’s sidelines. The popular and award-winning authors will discuss their writing and researching process as well as the cultural stimuli for wanting to write these stories.

The virtual audience of women, men, students, authors, other book clubs and interested individuals will learn about what goes into writing in this popular genre.

Panelists include:

• Dr. Michon Benson, assistant professor of English and African American Literature at Texas Southern University.
• Denny S. Bryce, author whose book about Ella Fitzgerald (entertainer) will be released in 2024.
• Dr. Piper Huguley, author of Ann Lowe’s (designer) story written and released in 2022 and associate professor of English at Clark Atlanta University.
• Janis F. Kearney, author of Mahalia Jackson’s (gospel singer) biographical novel.
• Victoria Christopher Murray, author whose book about Mary McLeod Bethune (educator and activist) will be released on June 27, 2023.
• ReShonda Tate, author whose debut historical fiction novel about Hattie McDaniel (actress) will be released in January 2024.

Co-Facilitators:

• Dr. Karen Kossie-Chernyshev, professor of history at Texas Southern University and editor of “Recovering Five Generations Hence: The Life and Writing of Lillian Jones Horace.”
• Dr. Tammy Smithers, co-founder and facilitator of Personal Librarians Book Chat.

Register for the free event at bit.ly/427o8F9.

Plans are already underway for the 2nd Annual Women’s History Month Program, which will take place on March 26, 2024.

The post ‘Still I Rise’ Program Highlights Black Women in Historical Fiction appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA Newswire 

(NNPA) – With beta testing completed, Bring the Noise is now in full effect.

Public Enemy, founder and legendary MC Chuck D, has fronted the release of a new culture media app called Bring the Noise.

“It’s a flow in its usage like a billion other apps,” Chuck promised in an impromptu 45-minute interview with the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s live morning show, Let It Be Known.

“This is just dedicated to culture. To the F.A.M. – Film, Art, and Music.”

As noted by HipHopDx.com, Chuck D’s app should come as no surprise, considering how adamantly he has pushed for Hip Hop to have a board dedicated to sorting out the needs of the culture.

The website noted that, in July 2022, Chuck D, KRS-One, Kurtis Blow, and Doug E. Fresh teamed up to establish the Hip Hop Alliance.

In January, the alliance issued a statement in response to Bow Wow claiming Hip Hop needs a “board” to discuss cultural happenings.

“Like every other aspect of society’s workforce, the artists and creators of hip-hop need protection, support, and advocacy,” read the statement.

“From label disputes to intellectual property retrieval and the need for an overall governing body, the Hip Hop Alliance was established.

“Recent comments this weekend created a unique opportunity to bring forth a conversation that many in hip-hop & R&B have been addressing for a long time.

“The need for a governing body for hip-hop. H.H.A. aims to empower artists to make informed decisions about their career and ensure that their rights are respected and protected.”

A Long Island, New York native, Chuck D counts among hip-hop’s trailblazers. Born Carlton Douglas Ridenour, Chuck D attended Adelphi University in New York.

That’s where he met his would-be Public Enemy co-star, Flavor Flav. The group’s hit albums included “Yo! Bum Rush the Show,” “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back,” and “Fear of a Black Planet.”

Public Enemy also contributed to the soundtrack of Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” and “He Got Game,” which starred Denzel Washington.

The new app dropped this month and is about “less of what they want where you can create more of what you want,” Chuck declared.

“History will be made for culture media being greater than social media,” he asserted.
While all ages are welcome and encouraged, the targeted demographic remains those 35 and older.

“With ‘Bring the Noise,’ we’re not telling anyone to leave social media,” Chuck exclaimed. “This is culture media. You might not know me, but you definitely don’t know those people you checked ‘I accept’ to.”

The hip-hop legend added that social media has “everybody in a sandbox.”

“Not saying people can’t say or do whatever,” Chuck explained.

“One thing that culture media does is the music, the craft, and the art, and it’s not uninviting to 35 and under if you want to give it a name, figure, or number. It engages a conversation in a room that just keeps it to the art and culture, and that’s what it is.”

Chuck concluded:
“I just think social media’s all over the place. Everybody feels like they have a mic and a camera and are a superstar, so I’m just like, ‘Cool, stay there if you want to,’ but you could go to BringTheNoiseApp.com.”

The post Chuck D’s New Culture Media App Brings the Noise for Users appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Lolita C. Baldor | The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The arrest of actor Jonathan Majors has upended the Army’s newly launched advertising campaign that was aimed at reviving the service’s struggling recruiting numbers.

Majors, who authorities said was arrested Saturday in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, was the narrator of two ads at the heart of a broader media campaign that kicked off at the start of the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament.

Army leaders were hopeful that the popularity of the star of the recently released “Creed III” and “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” would help them reach the youth audience.

In a statement Sunday, the Army’s Enterprise Marketing Office said that the Army was aware of Majors’ arrest and was “deeply concerned by the allegations.” It added that while Majors “is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete.”

New York City police said the actor was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman. “The victim informed police she was assaulted,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.

A lawyer for Majors, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement Sunday there was evidence clearing Majors and that the actor “is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.”

The Army ads, titled “Overcoming Obstacles” and “Pushing Tomorrow,” are part of the plan to revive the Army’s “Be All You Can be” motto. They highlighted the history of the Army and some of the many professions that recruits can pursue.

The “Be All You Can Be” slogan dominated its recruiting ads for two decades starting in 1981. A nearly two-minute preview video, made available before the campaign rollout in early March, featured soldiers jumping out of airplanes, working on helicopters, climbing obstacle courses and diving underwater. A voiceover said: “We bring out the best in the people who serve, because America calls for nothing less.”

In the Army’s worst recruiting year in recent history, the service fell 25% short of its goal to enlist 60,000 recruits in 2022. The new ads were a key element in the Army’s drive to find creative new ways to attract recruits and ensure that the service has the troops it needs to help defend the nation.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the Army has set a difficult goal for this year: aiming to bring in 65,000 recruits, which would be 20,000 more than in 2022.

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By Stacy M. Brown | The Washington Informer

(WIN) – Randall Robinson, a lawyer, novelist, activist and founder of the District-based TransAfrica, has died.

Robinson, 81, reportedly had been hospitalized with a serious infection. 

He died on March 24 in St. Kitts, the Caribbean Island for which he left the United States in 2001.

In a Facebook post, Anike Robinson paid tribute to her father.

“My father was an artist. He was a photographer and often did mini set designs. My mother, brother and I were the models,” she wrote. “My father liked to make his images timeless, outfitting us in period clothing he’d saved.” 

She expressed being grateful that Robinson painted and sketched and allowed her to watch as he built furniture and practiced his craft.

“Daddy was the first artist I studied, worked alongside and learned the power of tools,” Robinson, who is also an artist, continued. “He made many beautiful things. He helped make three children. I am his firstborn and yesterday my dad died. I feel weird.”

A fierce anti-apartheid warrior, Robinson was the brother of the late trailblazing journalist Max Robinson, who died in 1988. 

Among the human and civil rights undertakings of Randall Robinson were his advocacy of Haitian immigration, and for having been a supporter of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. 

He said he left America for St. Kitts after growing frustrated by American society.

Born July 6, 1941, in Richmond, Virginia, Robinson’s parents were teachers Doris Robinson Griffin and Maxie Cleveland Robinson.

He earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s from Virginia Union University.

Robinson is survived by his two sisters, actress Jewel Robinson and pastor Jean Robinson.

In addition to Anike, Robinson’s other children are Jabari Robinson and Khalea Ross Robinson.

According to an online obituary, Robinson practiced civil rights law in Boston from 1971 to 1975 before working for U.S. Congressman Bill Clay and acting as Congressman Charles Diggs’ administrative assistant.

In 1977, Robinson founded the TransAfrica Forum, which serves as a major research, educational, and organizing institution for the African American community.

The forum offers constructive analysis concerning U.S. policy as it affects Africa and the African Diaspora (African Americans and West Indians who can trace their ancestry back to the dispersion of Africans that occurred because of the Transatlantic slave trade) in the Caribbean and Latin America, according to the organization’s mission statement, is one of the goals of the organization.

Robinson once explained his position that large reparations should be given to African Americans as a means of ending years of de jure and de facto tyranny and discrimination against the community in “The Debt: What America Owes To Blacks,” published in 2001. 

The book makes the case for the implementation of lineage-based reparation programs to address persistent social and economic issues in the African American community, such as the high rate of Black people who are incarcerated and the disparity in cumulative wealth between black and white Americans. 

In 2003, Robinson turned down an honorary degree from the Georgetown University Law Center, and later lectured at Penn State University’s Dickinson School of Law.

 “We would talk fairly frequently back in the day,” Our House DC Editor Austin Cooper stated in an email. 

“He was always very gracious when I called to interview him. He was interesting, smart, and principled.”

Washington Informer journalist Barrington Salmon remembered Robinson as a “good man.”

“A decent man, a warrior, and a race man,” Salmon stated. “He will be missed.”

The post Activist, Lawyer and TransAfrica Founder Randall Robinson Dies at 81 appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

Sponsored content from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

With tax day approaching, there’s no time like the present to get started on your 2022 returns and submit them well before the April 18 deadline.

This year, you have a few extra days to complete your taxes. With the typical deadline of April 15 falling on a weekend, followed by Emancipation Day on Monday, this year’s filing date is on Tuesday, April 18.   

“Though there are a few extra days to file, make sure to still give yourself ample time to gather and organize your tax information to take advantage of any and all tax deductions, or other tax breaks that may apply to you and your family,” says Kelly Perez, Wealth Advisor for J.P. Morgan Private Bank. “Many key deductions that may reduce your tax bill or provide a refund are often left on the table due to lack of preparation. Whether you file on your own or work with a paid tax professional, the initial groundwork is the key to maximizing your benefits.”

Ready to submit or get started? Here are some tips to help simplify the process, maximize your potential refund or minimize your tax burden before you finalize your return. 

• Get organized. Make sure you have important documents like last year’s return, current W-2s, 1099s and mortgage interest statements on hand. You’ll also want to gather receipts for tax-deductible purchases, travel, charitable contributions and other potential write-offs. You can look online to find checklists of documents you might need to help you file. 
• Be aware of tax law changes. While taxes are inevitable, what you may owe or get refunded might not be. As you finalize or start your 2022 tax return, be aware of changes to federal, state and local tax laws that could affect your refund or how much you owe. For example, if you benefited from the child tax credit, earned income tax credit or child and dependent care credit on your 2021 return, don’t be surprised if you get a smaller refund this year. Credits expanded as part of federal Covid relief packages have now returned to pre-pandemic levels.
• Are you working from home permanently? If you have a home-based business, you might qualify for a home office tax deduction. You can potentially write off expenses for a part of your home you only use for business purposes.
• To itemize or not to itemize. Determine whether you’ll itemize your expenses or take the standard deduction. If you think your qualified expenses will be more than the 2022 standard deduction ($12,950 for most singles and $25,900 for most married couples filing jointly), it might be worth it to itemize. Taking the standard deduction can make the filing process easier, but it could mean you pay more in taxes or receive a smaller refund. 
• Contribute to retirement accounts. You can fund a traditional or Roth IRA through the April 18, 2023, tax filing deadline and have it count for 2022. Traditional IRA contributions lower your tax bill right now, while your Roth IRA withdrawals are tax-free in retirement. You can contribute up to $6,000 to an IRA each year, or—if you were 50 years or older in 2022—up to $7,000 of your earned income. 
• Seek help when you need it. If you have a more comprehensive tax return, it can be a good idea to work with a certified public accountant (CPA). If you need assistance in general, check if you qualify for free in-person or remote programs offered by the IRS or local organizations depending on your income, age and disability status.
• Go faster by going digital. Filing electronically will get your return to you more quickly than filing by mail. Selecting direct deposit to a bank account or prepaid card will make the process even faster.
• Need more time? If you can’t file by April 18, you can fill out a Form 4868 that will extend your filing deadline to October 16. An extension to file isn’t an extension to pay, so if you think you’ll owe, plan to submit an estimated payment amount when you file your extension. 

The bottom line – Filing your taxes doesn’t have to be difficult. Getting organized now will help make tax season easier this year and put you in better shape for years to come. For more tips to help you make the most of you and your family’s finances, visit J.P. Morgan’s U.S. Tax Center at privatebank.jpmorgan.com/gl/en/insights/planning/us-tax-center

The post <strong>These tax tips can make filing (1040) EZ</strong> appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Friday narrowly passed legislation that would fulfill a campaign promise to give parents a role in what’s taught in public schools. It has little chance in the Democrat-run Senate and critics said it would propel a far-right movement that has led to book bans, restrictions aimed at transgender students and raucous school board meetings across the country.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. who made the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act a priority during the early weeks of his tenure, said Republicans were “keeping our promise, our commitment to America, that parents will have a say in their kids’ education.” The bill passed 213-208, with five Republicans — mostly members of the House Freedom Caucus — voting against it.

It would require schools to publish course studies and a list of books kept in libraries, as well as affirm parents’ ability to meet with educators, speak at school board meetings and examine school budgets.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., promised that the legislation would face a “dead end.” He said it was further evidence that the House GOP had been overtaken by “hard right MAGA ideologues” — referencing former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.

Here’s the latest for Friday March 24th: President Biden to address Canadian parliament; Attack in Syria kills U.S. contractor; Los Angeles schools strike ends; Gwyneth Paltrow to testify in ski collision case.

The bill was an early test of unity for the 222 House Republicans and their thin majority. The measure showed how the adoption of an open amendment process in the House — a concession McCarthy made to win hard-line conservatives’ support for his speakership — holds the potential to send legislation down unpredictable twists and turns.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., successfully added amendments that would require schools to report when transgender girls join girls’ athletics teams and if trans girls are allowed to use girls’ school restrooms or locker rooms. The bill would also require elementary and middle schools get parents’ consent to change a child’s gender designation, pronouns or name.

Advocates for LGBTQ people said the proposal poses a threat to LGBTQ students by potentially forcing them to come out to their families, which can sometimes lead to abuse or abandonment.

“It’s part of a pattern of attempts we’re seeing where the right wing of the Republican Party is really trying to marginalize LGBTQ people,” said David Stacy, the government affairs director for Human Rights Campaign.

House Freedom Caucus members unsuccessfully tried to add provisions that called for abolishing Department of Education programs in schools and endorsed vouchers that would send public funds to private schools.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R—Kentucky, pointed to the 100-plus Republicans who supported his amendment to terminate the department’s authority and said “it adds a lot of momentum.”

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and racial justice protests, conservatives’ intense focus on parental control over public school classrooms has migrated from local school board fights to Republican-held statehouses and now to the floor of the U.S. House.

“Parents want schools focused on reading, writing and math, not woke politics,” Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., said during earlier debate.

Public school education in the U.S. has long invited concern among some parents — usually conservative — over what children are taught. Historically, the term “parents’ rights” has been used in schoolhouse debates over homeschooling, sex education and even the teaching of languages other than English.

Recently, Republicans have tapped into frustrations over remote learning and mask mandates in schools, as well as social conservatives’ opposition to certain teachings on race that are broadly labeled as critical race theory, a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism.

Republican Glenn Youngkin was elected as Virginia’s governor in 2021 on the slogan “Parents matter” and political action committees have poured millions of dollars into school board races nationwide.

McCarthy made the bill a big part of his 2022 election pitch to voters to give Republicans a House majority. But the GOP’s expectation of a sweeping victory never materialized, and even in school board races, conservative groups’ goal of electing hundreds of “parents’ rights” activists largely fell short.

But McCarthy pressed ahead with the bill, making a public appeal earlier this month at an event that featured a chalkboard, schoolchildren and parents who have been on the frontlines of the cause.

When asked about the five Republican votes against the bill, McCarthy contended that “Democrats are too extreme to believe that parents should have a say” in their children’s education.

Democrats said they want to foster parental involvement, but said the bill caters to a vocal minority set on controlling and politicizing classrooms. They derided it as the “Politics over Parents Act.”

Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries surged to their highest number in 2022 since the American Library Association began keeping data 20 years ago, according to a new report the organization released this week.

“We’ll fight against this legislation. We’ll fight against the banning of books, fight against the bullying of children from any community, and certainly from the LGBTQ+ community,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore. offered alternative legislation that she argued would foster parental involvement, encourage collaboration with educators and make schools welcoming places to families, including those with LGBTQ students.

“We want parents to be involved — peacefully,” she said.

The post House GOP passes parents’ rights bill in clash over schools appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer

One of the beautiful things about art is that each person can walk away from it with something different. More folks will be able to experience Black artist Kehinde Wiley’s monumental works thanks to a $1 million grant from Google.org.

The grant allows free admission to see Wiley’s “Archeology of Silence” for eight weekends. The exhibit opened at the de Young Museum in San Francisco on March 18 and continues through Oct. 15.

“Kehinde Wiley: Archeology of Silence” is well worth the drive or train trip from Sacramento to check it out. Museumgoers got a taste of Wiley’s work last summer when his official portrait of former President Barack Obama hung there. The new exhibition comes to the de Young for its U.S. premiere from the Venice Biennale, an annual showing of cultural art in Italy. An expansion of his 2008 “Down” series, “Silence” continues to investigate and question how death and sacrifice have historically been shown through art, and seeks to confront the silence surrounding systemic violence against Black people.

Wiley grew up in south-central Los Angeles at a time when gang warfare was a constant and it wasn’t unusual to hear police helicopters overhead and see the fallout from the violence.

“Archeology of Silence” took root in 2020 during the pandemic and after Wiley watched as protestors across the country took to the streets in outrage after George Floyd was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

“The birth of the show starts as the world shuts down,” Wiley explains in an accompanying film. “I started thinking not only about this explosive moment that triggers the whole world and thinking about Black bodies in a different way, but I started thinking about imaging of bodies slain, historically. I started digging into religious pictures of the fallen Christ, slain soldiers, things that are not erect, postures of domination, but rather the way that we over time have evolved a language of the sacred.

“What I’m trying to do is to unearth a full picture of what it means to be laid bare, to be made prone,” he continues. “You’ll see the sculptures have these tendrils, these vines, slowly continuing the act of living. There’s a resistance in it, the recognition of the slaughter, the terrible history, but also an insistence upon being. They’re also begging that you take them seriously as individuals.”

Wiley wanted to create more than a two-dimensional picture of a moment or political crisis.

“There’s so many opportunities now to talk about lost potential as a means to create a scaffolding for a better future. We have to be able to go back and dig out some of those stories that were not necessarily totally given light to, so that we can point light to where we want to move to.”

A preview of the new exhibit also featured a guided tour by Wiley and remarks from Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s Director and CEO Thomas P. Campbell, and Director of Interpretation Abram Jackson.

“Museums are uniquely positioned to thoughtfully present art that engages with our viewers’ first pressing social and political challenges,” Campbell said. “The exhibition’s themes have a particular poignance here in the Bay Area, which has a proud history of advocating for Black and brown people from the founding of the Black Panther Party to the current Black Lives [Matter] movement.”

Early on, Jackson enlisted the help of several “interpretation partners” to help put the exhibit into context.

“I wanted to reach out to organizations and activists who work to dismantle systemic violence against Black people,” Jackson said.

Partners included Rev. Wanda Johnson, the mother of Oscar Grant, who was killed by a transit officer at an Oakland BART station in 2009. The stakeholders met seven times and helped shape how the exhibit literally would be presented, from the language on the explanation cards to sharing stories on the audio guide and the development of a respite space where visitors can go to reflect and decompress.

“The community has been engaged for this exhibition in an extraordinary way,” Jackson said. “And it’s something that we hope to continue to do here at the Fine Arts Museums as an obligation to our various communities here in the Bay Area.”

The $1 million grant from Google.org allows the museum to welcome visitors for free the following weekends:

• April 15–16
• May 20–21
• June 17–18
• July 8–9
• July 29–30
• Aug. 19–20
• Sept. 16–17

Google.org’s grant also supports a special series of workshops titled “The Quiet Hours.” There will be a number of community undertakings and collective mournings from 1-2 p.m. the Saturdays of May 27, Aug. 5 and 19, and Sept. 16 in the de Young’s Piazzoni Murals Room. Paying homage to Black funerary practices, the series is hosted by artist and professor Angela Hennessy and poet, author and public theologian Marvin K. White.

The de Young Museum, part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, is located in Golden Gate Park at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco. For more information, visit famsf.org.

The post <strong>Artist Digs Deep With New Works</strong> appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

OBSERVER Newsroom

The Sacramento community sadly lost a pillar on March 12 when Antioch Progressive Church pastor Dr. Curtis J. Mitchell — son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather — was called home peacefully in Sacramento, surrounded by the spirit of love of his family, friends, and congregation at the age of 84 years.

In October 1986, Dr. Mitchell accepted the call to pastor Antioch Progressive Church with a mission to “glorify God” and “make and grow healthy disciples for the Kingdom of God,” which he executed for 38 years as Senior Pastor. Through Dr. Mitchell’s leadership, Antioch Progressive developed into a bible-based and Christ-centered church that “[Dared] to be Different” in the face of the AIDS Health epidemic, heightened gang violence, increased inflation, and the ever-present housing crisis afflicting Sacramento, CA from 1986 till 2023. As a community advocate, Dr. Mitchell was continuously involved in many facets of community work, such as the Sacramento County Department of Health, the Task Force on AIDS, the board of directors of Goodwill Industries, and the Chief of Police Task Force on Youth Gangs. Dr. Mitchell also worked in many capacities with the American Baptist Churches of the West (ABCW) USA where he was appointed as a church consultant for Growing Health Churches. Through his education and community works Dr. Mitchell’s love and concern for people were evident, although his most profound preaching, teaching, and counseling ministries were reflected within his role as leader of his Mitchell Family.  

Dr. Mitchell is preceded in death by his parents, Curtis Van Williams and Lorraine Marie Mitchell; wife, Kay Mitchell; daughter, Terry Mitchell Dozier; brother, Charles Thomas Mitchell; niece, Iteria Mitchell; and great- nephew, Daniel Douglas.

As a “builder of buildings and men’s character” Dr. Curtis J. Mitchell established a family rooted in ministry, community activism, and engagement. Dr. Mitchell is survived by his loving wife Dorothy Mitchell; his brother Lynn (Mozetta) Mitchell, his sister-in-law Clara Mitchell; three children, Susan Harris-Rispress, Sharon Harris, and Don (Letty) Harris; and a host of many other family, friends, ministers, and congregants. 

A Remembrance Service in celebration of Dr. Mitchell’s life will be held on Friday, March 24th, 2023 @ 6pm; a Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 25th, 2023 @10am; and on Sunday, March 26th, 2023, a Special Sunday Worship will be held @10am along with a Luncheon featuring the ‘7 Sayings of Curtis J. Mitchell’ @12:30pm. All services shall be held at Antioch Progressive Church of Sacramento, (7650 Amherst St. Sacramento, CA 95832). In lieu of flowers, all memorial donations may be made through Venmo at: https://account.venmo.com/u/apccapfund. All donations will be used for capital improvements to the church facility including much-needed maintenance, repair, and replacement of various operating systems, ministry resources, and equipment in the name of Dr. Curtis J. Mitchell’s life’s mission. 

The post <strong>Dr. Curtis J. Mitchell, 84</strong> appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Verbal Adam | OBSERVER Correspondent 

After Sherrano Stingley was severely beaten in an encounter with deputies Dec. 6, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office released video of the arrest. As previously reported by The OBSERVER, it included a recording taken in daylight of a deputy speaking with a woman, whose face is blurred, regarding an incident with an unidentified relative, and a recording of the arrest under nighttime skies.

It is unclear why the sheriff’s office included the daytime video in its official arrest footage. Stingley’s adult daughter Dymin Stingley, who since has identified herself as the woman in the video, has a theory.

“They were trying to do a switch-up where it makes them look good and he’s a violent person,” Dymin told The OBSERVER. “That [daytime] footage was a couple of days before, on [Dec. 4]. 

Dymin said deputies had responded to another call from the same address on Dec. 4 after an altercation between her and her father.

“My father put me in my place as he should. They want to turn him into a violent person,” she said.

Two days later, on Dec. 6, Stingley, 48, became unresponsive during an arrest and spent nearly two weeks on life support at Kaiser South. He died Dec. 16.

The date and timestamp from the conversational portion of the footage isn’t visible, while it is visible on the footage of the arrest.

In the incident that led to Stingley’s death, deputies had responded to a call from a frightened resident of the Willow Wood neighborhood in South Sacramento. The resident told dispatchers that someone was in their driveway trying to steal the catalytic converter from their vehicle. Minutes later, the resident called again saying that the person was now attempting to kick down the front door of the home and that the caller had barricaded themselves and their family in the garage. Several minutes later, deputies arrived and took Stingley into custody after a struggle.

On the sheriff’s official YouTube page where the video is posted, no reference in its description is made to the video’s conversational segment. Sgt. Amar Gandhi, the sheriff’s public information officer, told The OBSERVER that the office cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.

The family has requested public release of footage from the body cameras of other deputies on the scene Dec. 6. They cite Assembly Bill 748, which requires law enforcement agencies to produce, in response to public records requests, video and audio recordings of “critical incidents,” defined as incidents involving the discharge of a firearm at a person by a peace officer or custodial officer, or an incident in which the use of force by a peace officer or custodial officer against a person resulted in death or great bodily injury.

Under AB 748, which became law July 1, 2019, a public agency may delay disclosure for between 45 days and one year during an active criminal or administrative investigation if disclosure will “substantially interfere” with the investigation, including endangering a witness’ or confidential source’s safety.

The sheriff’s office has said it will not release additional footage in the Stingley case. “Our new sheriff, Jim [Cooper], has adamantly said he’s not releasing video,” Tanya Faison, of the Sacramento Chapter of Black Lives Matter, told The OBSERVER. “He used the excuse that it was an in-custody death and that’s the reason why he’s not doing it. But we know that the first video that they did release was an in-custody death with Marshall Miles.”

Marshall Miles died in the Sacramento County Jail four days after being arrested in 2018. Video of his arrest was made public following an AB 748 request. The sheriff’s office noted that, while Miles was not in custody at the time of his death, the incident is still being investigated as an in-custody death for reporting, evidence collection and preservation, and analysis purposes.

Faison said that establishes precedent.

“They released that video,” she said. “They mentioned at that time that they’re complying with the new law.”

Dymin Stingley, who spoke to the OBSERVER on behalf of the family, says withholding additional footage is only part of the “cover-up.” She said she has photos of various cuts and injuries on her father’s body taken in the days after the arrest. She also said several of his teeth had been knocked out.

The family retained local attorney Mark Merrin and has filed a civil suit against the County of Sacramento, former Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. A coroner’s report on Stingley’s death is expected soon.

“Why not give us the other angles?” Dymin Stingley said. “Because they know that they did something wrong and they also know that they’re going to get in trouble for the things they did.

“We don’t want money. We just want the people that murdered my father to be in jail.”

The post <strong>Family Accuses Sheriff Of Video ‘Switch-Up’</strong> appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Sherri Kolade | Michigan Chronicle | Word In Black

This post was originally published on Michigan Chronicle

(WIB) – What do fine dining and the criminal justice system have to do with each other? 

A whole lot when you mix a documentary with an exclusive dinner in Detroit on tap next month.

The feature-length documentary, “Coldwater Kitchen,” is about a dedicated chef’s fine-dining culinary training program inside a Michigan prison, Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, about two hours from Detroit.

During a “Coldwater Kitchen” Dinner & Movie with Freep Film Festival Chef Jimmy Lee Hill event, attendees can dine and enjoy the show created by Brian Kaufman, described as a timely film that comes as the national dialogue about the criminal justice system, which affects one in three Americans, has started to change, shifting from punishment to rehabilitation and into a space where there may be uncommon bipartisan support for improvements. 

Hill, executive chef and instructor at Lakeland told the Michigan Chronicle that food has always been a part of his life, and it is the central force to his decades-long work.

For nearly 30 years Hill, described as soft-spoken, has run the highly regarded culinary training program teaching incarcerated men eager for a second chance the value of both knife skills and life skills.   

“I teach this class (because) I feel like I should do everything I can too, I guess, promote you know, the foodservice industry,” Hill said of his fine-dining culinary training program. “It kind of blows my mind, you know, and it makes them (the participants) really enthused about the class because they get to see food coming out of the dirt which you know. … So I just tried to push the passion along that way by doing things to make the keep them interested in the program.”

Today the program is robust using industry-recognized curriculums and certifications, including the Foundations of Restaurant Management & Culinary Arts Level 1 and Level 2, ServSafe Food Manager, and the AHLEI, Start Program.

Hill said that his two most important mentors in his life, Solomon Tbo and Blanch Mae Hill, two “very Southern parents” attributed his success to them.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today in terms of learning about food,” Hill said. “My mother was in the dietary department at Muskegon General Hospital and my father, he sold barbeque and “All Things” out of our garden. I thank The Lord for both of them.”

The international premiere of Coldwater Kitchen took place last November at the prestigious DOC NYC film festival. It was selected as an Award Winner of the Miller/Packan Documentary Film Fund for Winter 2021. 

“Coldwater Kitchen,” which was co-directed by Frame’s own editorial director, Mark Kurlyandchik, and was produced over the last five years by the Detroit Free Press, was hailed as one of IndieWire’s “10 Must-See Films” when it made its DOC NYC debut in November.

Kurlyandchik, a former restaurant critic at the Detroit Free Press, told the Michigan Chronicle that previously while working at the Free Press he received a letter from an incarcerated man at Lakeland discussing his work as a sous chef in the culinary program and encouraging Kurlyandchik to check out the program.

“I was invited to one of those events. And when I got in, it was just I mean, it absolutely blew me away, the level of cooking and what was going on inside of the prison,” he said.

From there, Kurlyandchik wrote a story and the documentary came to life later on.

“It’s powerful,” Kurlyandchik said, adding that it adds a unique juxtaposition of dining and incarceration. “There’s not a lot of hope (in) a system that isn’t set up, you know, to forgive or to make you feel like you are human. … The system, the prison system dehumanizes people who go into it, and generally grinds them up and spit them back out, you know, worse than they were before. And so what you know, what’s so amazing about Jeff Hill, is that he does the opposite. And he really does, you know, instill hope and faith in a place that really needs it.” 

An opening night VIP event celebrating the film will be shown at the multi-day event, which will take place at Hazel Park’s creative hub Frame. Chef Jimmy Lee Hill, Dink Dawson, and Ernest Davis, two of his former students who also appear in the film, will prepare a delicious meal in the dining room of Frame.

Kurlyandchik and co-director Brian Kaufman will also be present, moving around the dining area to share personal anecdotes about the making of the movie as you savor Chef Hill’s delectable “Black Magic” cake, Asian-glazed bone-in lamb chops with rice, seared Thai scallops with sweet potato mash, and bright quinoa salad with collards and lime-yogurt dressing.

Of course, Frame’s in-house mixologists Jaz’min Weaver and Sean Crenny will have the ideal wine and cocktail pairings to match.

Choose whether to eat supper first and then watch the movie or vice versa—meal first and the movie second. A small bar serving inventive cocktails, popcorn, and sweets is installed in the Frame Pavilion’s heated and covered screening area before the movie.

This one-night-only collaboration promises to be much more than just supper and will highlight the transforming power of both food and stories.

Attendees should prepare for a three-hour-plus Frame experience, as the movie run time is roughly 90 minutes. 

Dinner will be served communally inside the Frame dining room and is $85 per person plus fees and tax and can accommodate parties of one to six.

The post Bringing Culinary Justice to the Forefront appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Ariama C. Long | New York Amsterdam News | Word In Black

(WIB) – The nation has fallen in love with American Sign Language (ASL) performer Justina Miles, who interpreted for singer Rihanna during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. But more than just praise for individuals like Miles, local legislators are taking the opportunity to highlight programs that can create real change for disabled communities of color that are often left out of the conversation.

According to data collected from the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS), approximately 2.47 million people have combined hearing and vision loss, or considered DeafBlind under federal guidelines. In New York State (NYS), ACS data indicated that about 120,000 individuals reported combined vision and hearing loss, representing .61% of the state’s population. 

The racial breakdown of the state’s DeafBlind ACS data shows there are about 60% white, 13% Black, 18% Hispanic, and 5% Asian. Organizers believe that there is definitely an undercount of disabled people, especially DeafBlind people of color across the state, leading to severe “underfunding” of services compared to other states. 

On-the-ground information has found that there are large numbers of DeafBlind people in Rochester, the Bronx, Albany, and Long Island. 

DeafBlind community who are also people of color experience double prejudice against them, in the form of racial discrimination and communication barriersSTEFANI ZINERMAN, BROOKLYN’S ASSEMBLYMEMBER

In NYS, Harlem’s Senator Cordell Cleare and Brooklyn’s Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman are sponsoring bills for a statewide DeafBlind co-navigator program. A co-navigator is specially trained to assist DeafBlind people with jobs, travel, school, and day-to-day activities. They often use tactile sign language in addition to ASL and Braille to help their clients communicate.

“Thanks to the organizing and awareness-raising work of the Black Deaf community and others, we have come to understand that members of the DeafBlind community who are also people of color experience double prejudice against them, in the form of racial discrimination and communication barriers,” said Zinerman, “The world has not been built for them.”

Zinerman has established an AD 56 Disability coalition in her district. She champions the idea of accessibility for all of her constituents. That includes websites that are easily navigated with text-to-speech functions, interpreters during Zoom calls and meetings, a building that people can get in and out of easily, and translating voting materials into Braille in the near future.  

“I’m proud to use my position to help push for this measure that will help DeafBlind persons get the assistance they require, not as charity but as their human right,” said Zinerman.

Marc Safman, 54, a dedicated community advocate and a DeafBlind Black man living in New York City, has been leading the crusade for a fully funded statewide co-navigator program and more representation in DeafBlind healthcare. Safman had brain surgery when he was 16 and lost much of his hearing and sight throughout his life as a result. He is blind in his right eye and hard of hearing. For most of his life, he fell back on pen and paper before technological advances allowed him to use his smartphone and apps to communicate. 

Safman didn’t understand why his senses were so bad and had no real insurance when he came to New York City in 1997. “When I moved to New York, I saw mostly white doctors,” he said about his struggles when he was in his 40s. “They told me there was an issue with my vision that could not be corrected, but none of them advised me to go to the Commission of the Blind and be declared legally blind in order to receive benefits.”

I know people who are DeafBlind who are white. They discuss the problems they face, but they get their accommodations. I get fired. MARC SAFMAN, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE

It was the first time he had pondered whether white and nonwhite people were treated equally when it came to accessing the healthcare system. “I know people who are DeafBlind who are white. They discuss the problems they face, but they get their accommodations,” said Safman. “I get fired.”

Many of the co-navigator programs the state has developed to date are geared toward youth with very few easy-to-navigate resources for middle-age working DeafBlind adults until they hit retirement age. The current programs also have a regional and racial disparity, said Safman, with long waiting lists and low pay for co-navigators. 

Safman reached out to Cleare for help and began his advocacy journey.

Cleare said she was proud to introduce Senate Bill 2503. She said that DeafBlind co-navigator programs have been successful in other states and it is time that this “world of services” becomes open to New Yorkers. 

“I believe that a DeafBlind Co-Navigator Program has the ability to change, empower, and enrich the lives of so many in New York State by assisting individuals in their everyday lives with a host of important tasks,” said Cleare in a statement. “I sincerely hope we pass the bill this year, get the program in place, and then fully fund it so it can make a manifest difference as soon as possible.”

Chris Woodfield, the associate executive director for the Helen Keller National Center, is also in favor of the bills for DeafBlind New Yorkers. He said that a statewide program would allow people to fully participate and access the communities where they live and work. It is also critical for DeafBlind people to be able to get access to environmental information, human guides, and communication facilitation, Woodfield said in a statement. 

“This will liberate New York DeafBlind citizens from isolation that they experience without access to co-navigators and support service providers,” said Woodfield. “This will enable them to be able to shop, attend appointments, participate in community and cultural events, and participate in other recreational activities that would not be possible without a co-navigator or support service provider.”

Safman said the bill would also create good jobs and increase economic opportunities for DeafBlind people as well as co-navigators. 

“Governor Hochul has made fighting for greater equity, equality, and opportunities for historically marginalized communities a chief priority of her administration,” said Hochul’s office.

Hochul’s office said that the state included $250,000 in her executive budget proposal for the 2023–2024 fiscal year. The funds will go toward restoring the Interagency Coordinating Council for Services to Persons who are Deaf, Blind, or Hard of Hearing in the Office of the Chief Disability Officer, established in February 2022. The chief disability officer is charged with establishing New York as a model for inclusivity, integration, and accessibility by ensuring all state policies, programs, and activities truly meet the needs of all people with disabilities, said Hochul’s office. 

“The governor will review this bill if it passes both houses of the legislature,” said Hochul’s office. 

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

This post was originally published on New York Amsterdam News.

The post ‘We Are Here’: Crusade for More Inclusion of DeafBlind People of Color appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Kim Tong-Hyung | The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward waters off its eastern coast Monday, adding to a recent flurry in weapons tests as the United States prepared to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group to neighboring waters to step up military exercises with the South.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from a western inland area south of the North Korean capital of Pyongyang from around 7:47 a.m. to 8 a.m. and traveled around 370 kilometers (229 miles) before landing at sea. It condemned the missile launches as a “serious provocation” threatening regional peace and violating U.N. Security Council resolutions and added that the U.S. and South Korean intelligence departments were analyzing the launches more closely. Japan’s coast guard said it believed both weapons landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The launches were the North’s seventh missile event this month and underscore heightening military tensions in the region as the pace of both North Korean weapons tests and the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises has accelerated in recent months in a cycle of tit-for-tat responses.

The allies completed their biggest springtime exercises in years last week, but North Korea is expected to further step up its testing activity as the United States moves an aircraft carrier group to the peninsula this week for another round of joint drills.

North Korea has fired more than 20 ballistic and cruise missiles across 11 launch events this year as it tries to force the United States to accept its nuclear status and negotiate a removal of sanctions from a position of strength.

North Korea’s launches this month included a flight-test of an intercontinental ballistic missile and a series of short-range weapons intended to overwhelm South Korean missile defenses as it tries to demonstrate an ability to conduct nuclear strikes on both South Korea and the U.S. mainland.

The North last week conducted what it described as a three-day exercise that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean targets as leader Kim Jong Un condemned the U.S.-South Korean joint military drills as invasion rehearsals. The allies say the exercises are defensive in nature.

The North’s tests also included a purported nuclear-capable underwater drone that the North claimed is capable of setting off a huge “radioactive tsunami” that would destroy naval vessels and ports. Analysts were skeptical about the North Korean claims about the drone or whether the device presents a major new threat, but the tests underlined the North’s commitment to expand its nuclear threats.

Following the North’s announcement of the drone test on Friday, South Korea’s air force released details of a five-day joint aerial drill with the United States last week that included live-fire demonstrations of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. The air force said the exercise was aimed at verifying precision strike capabilities and reaffirming the credibility of Seoul’s “three-axis” strategy against North Korean nuclear threats — preemptively striking sources of attacks, intercepting incoming missiles and neutralizing the North’s leadership and key military facilities.

North Korea already is coming off a record year in weapons testing, launching more than 70 missiles in 2022, when it also set into law an escalatory nuclear doctrine that authorizes pre-emptive nuclear strikes in a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat.

___

AP writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA Newswire 

(NNPA) – According to a new study, second-rate customer service efforts have led to more consumer rage than ever, and patrons have become more belligerent when complaining.

Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC) and the Center for Services Leadership, a research center at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, conducted the National Consumer Rage Survey.

It found that “the alarmingly high rate of rudeness by customers was linked to things that have become normal in business settings.”

The survey found that businesses risk losing $887 billion in future sales because they handle customer complaints poorly.

That figure is up from $494 billion in 2020.

In addition to charting the trend of customer satisfaction with complaint handling over the past two decades, the study authors said the latest release of the rage survey breaks new ground by exploring the alarming incidence of customer incivility tied to what has become commonplace in everyday business settings.

“Customer rage explores the experience of complaining about a product or service problem,” the authors wrote in a news release.

They said that customer incivility looks at the growing problem of rude, disrespectful, and violent behavior in the marketplace that comes from social and political conflicts between customers and businesses, such as disagreements about politics, sexuality, culture, and faith.

“This first foray into customer incivility reveals that unseemly customer behavior tied to clashes in values between businesses and their customers may be the new normal, as nearly one of every two Americans encountered two or more acts of customer incivility in the past year,” the authors found.

According to the survey, the top customer rage highlighted in the study included:

• Seventy-four percent of customers reported experiencing a product or service problem in the past year, more than doubling since 1976.

• Product and service problems can be disappointing, costly, and distressing.

• Fifty-six percent of customers felt that the problem wasted their time (an average of one to two days of lost time), 43% cited a loss of money (an average loss of $1,261), and 31% suffered emotional distress.

• The level of “customer rage” is holding steady — 63% of customers experiencing a problem feel rage about the experience.

• Customers are becoming increasingly aggressive in their efforts to solve their problems with businesses.

• Forty-three percent raised their voice to show displeasure about their most serious problem, up from 35% in 2015.

Additionally, the percentage of customers seeking revenge for their hassles has tripled since 2020.

The authors found that complaining is increasingly becoming a digital phenomenon.

Digital channels such as e-mail, chat, and social media have unseated the telephone as the primary complaint channel at 50%, increasing from a mere 5% in 2013.

Complainants are also doubling down on social media shaming about their problems.

In addition to complaining directly to the company, 32% of complainants posted information about their most serious problem on social media sites — more than double those who posted in 2020.

Top customer incivility highlights of the study include nearly one in five Americans (17%) who have personally behaved uncivilly during the past year.

The authors concluded that Americans see this kind of value-based aggression toward businesses as a sign of bigger societal problems.

Twenty-two percent cited the moral decay of society as the primary reason customer incivility is on the rise.

The social contract about the norms for individually protesting businesses’ belief systems and values appears to be in flux.

Americans disagree with “civil” and “uncivil” behaviors for expressing their value differences with a business, the authors found.

While 50% of Americans view less aggressive forms of behavior (such as yelling, ranting, arguing, giving ultimatums, and social media character assassination) as uncivil, the remaining 50% see these behaviors as either “civil” or as “depends on the circumstances.”

Similarly, 25% view more hostile behaviors — like threats, humiliation, foul language, and lying — as civil or circumstantially acceptable.

“Even after 20 years of intensively researching customer rage, I remain astonished that — when sorting out ordinary product and service problems — acts of simple kindness and a sense of kinship are, all too often, in short supply,” said CCMC President and CEO Scott Broetzmann.

“The incidence and public displays of customers and companies misbehaving are commonplace, on the increase, and can be downright scary,” he noted.

Broetzmann continued:

“Perhaps of growing concern now is that customer hostility appears to be mutating like a virus. The expressions of malice and aggression triggered by differences in the value systems of companies and customers — so-called customer incivility — only fuel the fire.”

Broetzmann said defusing customer rage is not rocket science.

Thomas Hollmann, executive director of the Center for Services Leadership at ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business, said many customers are looking for repairs or refunds. Still, they also hope for a sincere apology and acknowledgment of their complaints.

“These no-cost actions show that the company cares, is listening to the customer, and values them,” Hollman stated.

“It’s up to brands to communicate as humans with their customers. A sincere “I’m sorry this happened,” can turn a potential blowup into a lifelong customer.”

The post Consumer Rage Reaches All-Time High and Businesses Feeling it in Bottom Line appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

By Maya Pottiger | Word In Black

(WIB) – As the saying goes, even in darkness, there is light.

States across the country are removing books from classroom shelves and school libraries, and there are bans and challenges against books with topics ranging from race and racism to LGBTQ+ content and activism.

Even so, teachers across the country haven’t stopped requesting Black-authored and other diverse books through DonorsChoose. 

Books by Black authors with high-profile book bans — like Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Jerry Craft — have continued to be requested by teachers at all grade levels through DonorsChoose. In the 2022-2023 school year, there have already been more than 300 requests for books by these authors.

On top of that, literacy rates declined during the pandemic, with expert Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall, the director of P-12 practice at the Education Trust, saying we aren’t worrying enough about this issue.

Students’ literacy rates are now at low levels not seen since 2005. But, depending on which students you’re looking at, this problem has existed for decades, and now educators are struggling to catch up and fix it.

The good news is there are organizations dedicated to improving student literacy and promoting a love of reading by ensuring kids have access to diverse books. 

Barbershop Books Meets Kids Where They’re at

While getting a haircut after school, one of Alvin Irby’s students walked into the barbershop, and he sat and looked antsy. Irby observed the student and found himself wishing he’d had a book to hand over so the time could be used productively, like by working on his reading.

This sparked the idea for his organization Barbershop Books, of which he is the founder, executive director, and “Chief Reading Inspirer.” 

Barbershop Books, now in its 10th year, works with over 200 barbershops in more than 50 cities across the country to ensure there’s a curated selection of age-appropriate and content-relevant books available to kids. The books are chosen based on the recommendations and interests of Black boys.

“Barbershops really do play a significant cultural role in many Black communities that other spaces just do not serve,” Irby says.

He highlighted that, in many Black communities, barbershops are generally Black-owned, and owned by community members. And they’re spaces that provide Black boys access to Black men when they need mentors, or if they don’t have fathers at home or Black male teachers in school.

This is why Barbershop Books provides barbers with early literacy training. The organization helps barbers understand that no child is too young to start reading, and guides them on how to invite parents and children to read. 

“We share with them that many children have experienced reading trauma, and they may not actually be interested in or excited about reading the first, second, or even third time they come into your barber shop,” Irby says. “We want to make sure that we set the barbers up for success, and that we equip them to really be able to support positive reading experiences for the children and families who come into their barber shops.”

And it’s working. In its 2022 impact report, Barbershop Books found that feedback was overwhelmingly positive. 

Plus, barbers noted that providing books allowed boys to see a perspective beyond their neighborhoods, helped grow their emotional intelligence, contributed positively to their education, and acted as a positive behavioral force.

Barbershop Books plan to add around 80 additional locations in the coming months.

Our Kids Read Distributes Books Nationwide

Growing up, reading was Jahmal Lake’s happy place. And now, in a world where screens are used for everything from school to entertainment, Lake wants to help this generation get lost in the pages of a story.

In 2020, Lake founded Our Kids Read, an organization dedicated to promoting a love of reading, creating lifelong readers, and providing mentorship through reading buddies. Our Kids Read became an official nonprofit in November 2021, and by April 2022, it received a $450,000 grant from the New York Public Library to give away 30,000 books.

“It’s just been a whirlwind,” Lake says.

Our Kids Read currently has programs in New York, Maryland, Washington, California, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., with plans to expand to Ohio and New Jersey in 2023. And, since its inception, it has provided more than 14,500 students with at least two books each.

The books are distributed through school partnerships and book festivals, which often incorporate interactive activities, like bilingual storytellers and African drummers, who help bring the stories to life. 

To reach students one-on-one, Our Kids Read has a network of Reading Buddies, or adults who volunteer their time to read with a buddy over Zoom for about 30 minutes every week. This helps create bonds through shared interests and having mentors who look like you.

“These children are able to see themselves in their Reading Buddies if that person is a Black or Brown person, but you also find the things these young people are interested in are often mirrored in their mentor,” Lake says. “So not only are they able to share that cultural heritage and that instinctive kinship with somebody who has a similar heritage, but on top of that, [they] also seem to have a lot of shared interests and shared stories.”

Support for this Sacramento OBSERVER article was provided to Word In Black (WIB) by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. WIB is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media that includes print and digital partners.

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By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA Newswire 

(NNPA) – Former President Barack Obama’s signature piece of legislation has proved the gift that’s kept on giving for Black and Brown communities in America.

Since its passage in 2010, the Affordable Care Act – better known as Obamacare – has helped cut the U.S. uninsured rate nearly in half while significantly reducing racial and ethnic disparities in both insurance coverage and access to care – particularly in states that expanded their Medicaid programs, according to a new report issued by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit that promotes a high-performing healthcare system.

Obamacare has reduced racial and ethnic disparities in both insurance coverage and access to care — particularly in states that expanded their Medicaid programs, the report’s authors noted.

While much of that progress occurred between 2013 and 2016, federal data show that more than 5 million people gained coverage between 2020 and early 2022, driving the uninsured rate down to a historic low of 8 percent.

Researchers found that insurance coverage rates improved for Black, Hispanic, and white adults between 2013 and 2021.

The coverage gap between Black and white adults dropped from 9.9 to 5.3 percentage points, while the gap between Hispanic and white adults dropped from 25.7 to 16.3 points.

Additionally, uninsured rates for adults in all three groups improved during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a finding that held true in states that had expanded Medicaid and those that had not.

The report further noted that Black and Hispanic adults experienced larger gains in Medicaid and individual market coverage than white adults between 2019 and 2021.

Between 2013 and 2021, states that expanded Medicaid eligibility had higher rates of insurance coverage and health care access, with smaller disparities between racial/ethnic groups and larger improvements, than states that didn’t expand Medicaid.

For example, the authors found that after Virginia expanded Medicaid in 2019, its uninsured rate for lower-income adults dropped substantially in comparison to neighboring North Carolina, a non-expansion state, and the disparities between Black and white adults narrowed.

Compared to lower-income white adults, larger percentages of lower income Black adults and lower-income Hispanic adults live in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid, the report revealed.

Researchers said Black and Hispanic adults had higher uninsured rates than white adults in 2013, before Obamacare took full effect.

The disparities reflected lower access to employer-sponsored insurance among people with low incomes, an unregulated and unsubsidized individual insurance market, and lack of Medicaid coverage for adults except for very low income parents in most states.

Obamacare attempted to improve coverage rates in several ways, including by allowing states to expand Medicaid eligibility to everyone below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (in 2023, $20,120 for an individual and $41,400 for a family of four), funded nearly fully by the federal government; and by subsidizing and regulating coverage purchased through the individual market.

According to the report, uninsured rates for adults in each of the three racial/ethnic groups fell after the coverage expansions went into effect in 2014, and Black and Hispanic residents reported the largest gains.

Uninsured rates for Hispanic adults fell by 15.7 percentage points between 2013 and 2021.

Also, the Black adult uninsured rate dropped by 10.9 points, and the white uninsured rate declined by 6.3 points.

“These gains reduced coverage disparities considerably,” the authors determined.

The gap between white and Black adults has dropped from 9.9 percentage points to 5.3 points, and the gap for Hispanic adults has declined from 25.7 to 16.3 points.

While the largest coverage gains occurred from 2013 to 2016, adult uninsured rates for these three groups, and for the nation overall, dropped again between 2019 and 2021, as new federal policies aimed at boosting coverage took effect.

“In fact,,” the researchers wrote, “they reached historic lows, despite modest declines in employer-based coverage from pandemic-related job losses.”

They concluded that Obamacare “has been a powerful force for racial equity in health and health care over the past decade.”

“The expansion in access to affordable coverage has served as the backbone for this progress, helping to remove financial barriers and increase access to primary care clinics and other providers where people can get the care, they need to stay healthy,” the authors wrote.

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By Ralph E. Moore Jr. | The Afro | Word In Black

This post was originally published on Afro

(WIB) – Maryland Public Television (MPT) is celebrating Women’s History Month and a very special woman, Ruby Duncan, tonight. The documentary “Storming Caesars Palace,” will air on MPT at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. 

The documentary chronicles a little-noticed welfare rights battle in which Duncan led a group of welfare mothers in a demand for public assistance. A preview was held at the MPT headquarters in Owings Mills, Md. on March 8, followed by a panel discussion about the issue.

Duncan, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, went up against the Las Vegas hotel industry, as well as state and federal lawmakers and welfare officials.

Ruby fought for the economic rights of poor people, especially women on welfare with children. She was a leader, an organizer, and a brilliant strategist. The panel following the film included Dana P. Moore, Baltimore’s chief equity officer and director of the Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement, Chrissy Thornton, executive director of Associated Black Charities, and Robyn Murphy, chief executive officer of JRM Consultancy.

Jobless, but responsible for dependents, she began to find others in her situation and started organizing them to fight for financial help from the government for their children and themselves. 

The film tells the story of how women on public assistance, most of them Black, advocated for a change in policies which were being touted by President Richard Nixon domestic policy adviser Daniel Patrick Moynihan at the time. The state of Nevada had cut 75 percent of its aid to welfare mothers. 

And that is what brought Ms. Ruby Duncan, a mother in Las Vegas, into activism and into the fight against poverty and cruel government neglect. The film, “Storming Caesars Palace,” is Ruby Duncan’s story as told by Hazel Gurland-Pooler, a Colombian-born filmmaker who has worked with Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Duncan worked in the service industry as a hotel worker until she was fired. Jobless, but responsible for dependents, she began to find others in her situation and started organizing them to fight for financial help from the government for their children and themselves. 

Imagine that, an unemployed woman with children, with limited education and experience and no organizing training taking on the hotel industry, the state and federal government and organized crime–and won!

It is a fascinating story of charismatic leadership and nothing-to-lose courage (1,100 families had already been cut from public assistance by the state of Nevada, dubbed ‘Mississippi of the West’ by some). 

See the film, “Storming Caesars Palace.” It is inspiring, full of irony and laced with humor.  

Ruby Duncan’s charm and her liberating lack of fear clearly helped her gain followers. Check out this amazing woman for yourself. She was a tremendous champion for the poor, but Ruby moved poor women to action by inspiring them to fight for  justice. See the film.

The panel discussion that followed the preview of the film on March 8 was packed with mostly women but a few of us menfolk. 

Robyn Murphy began the discussion by asking the two panelists their impressions of the documentary.  Dana Moore remarked that Ruby Duncan reminded her of her own mother—with an absentee husband away in the military and later a divorced single mom with four children.  

Don’t wait for them to give you a seat at the table. Make your own place at the table. Like Ruby, some folks underestimate me. When people do, I enjoy proving them wrong, as Ruby Duncan did.DANA P. MOORE, BALTIMORE’S CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER AND DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND WAGE ENFORCEMENT

Duncan’s perseverance, political savvy, and protective nature of her kids reminded her of her mom. Moore spoke of the need for increasing help for poor people in Baltimore, calling for more and better public transportation, more decent, affordable housing, fewer food deserts in neighborhoods, and quality education and healthcare. 

Chrissy Thornton, the new head of Associated Black Charities, praised the film.  

“I loved the film, watched it ahead of time. I actually got the book,” said Thornton. She decried the tendency for organizations and “affluent Black folks” to make decisions for poor people rather than working with them.  “I think sometimes we lose focus on the larger issues such as the need for people to have economic stability,” she said.

In addition, Moore encouraged the women in the audience to step up in the fight for those in need.  “Don’t wait for them to give you a seat at the table. Make your own place at the table. Like Ruby, some folks underestimate me. When people do, I enjoy proving them wrong, as Ruby Duncan did.”

Murphy closed the panel discussion by urging the group to invite others to see the film.  

No one who saw Ruby Duncan’s life story on film will be the same after viewing it, I’m convinced.  

An African proverb reminds us that,” It is women who hold up the sky.” 

Ruby held up her end, but she is now 90 years old.  Who will come behind her to fight for welfare rights in Baltimore, as the late Bobby Cheeks and Annie Chambers of Baltimore Welfare Rights once did during Ruby’s busiest days?

The post Ruby Duncan: the woman who gambled for welfare rights in Las Vegas and won appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers .

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By Verbal Adam | OBSERVER Correspondent 

Five years after the killing of Stephon Clark, his family is calling for the officers who killed him to be fired, charged and prosecuted.

Both officers remain employed by the Sacramento Police Department.

Clark, a 22-year-old Black man, was shot and killed March 18, 2018, by officers Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet in the backyard of his grandmother’s house. The officers stated that they fired 20 rounds at Clark because they believed he pointed a gun at them. Police found only a cell phone on him.

While the Sacramento County coroner’s autopsy report concluded Clark was shot seven times, including three to the right side of the back, the pathologist hired by the Clark family stated that Clark was shot eight times, including six times in the back.

The shooting caused large protests in Sacramento, and Clark’s family rejected the initial police description of events leading to Clark’s death. SPD placed the officers on paid administrative leave and opened an investigation. Police have stated that they are confident that Clark was the suspect responsible for breaking car windows in the area prior to the encounter.

Anne Marie Schubert, then Sacramento County district attorney, announced March 2, 2019, that the officers would not be charged, that they had probable cause to stop Clark and were legally justified in the use of deadly force. The city settled a wrongful death suit brought by the Clark family for $4.1 million.

“There’s no reason I should be out here talking about my brother’s legacy, defending my brother’s legacy, when the officers who murdered him should be proving their innocence in court,” Stevante Clark told The OBSERVER. “We always have to relive the death of Stephon.”

In the years since the shooting, Clark’s family has coordinated numerous events and public works to remember his life and legacy. This year’s events included a justice and accountability march, mother’s brunch, a ride-along and on March 15 a legacy night, including a legacy dinner. This year the City of Sacramento designated March 18 as “Stephon Clark Day of Reflection.”

The Clarks have opened Stephon’s House, a community resource center that includes a museum, library, game room, therapy room and archive at 5940 Rosebud Lane in Citrus Heights. They also opened the Stephon A. Clark College Prep Middle School at 2801 Meadowview Road in Sacramento.

Stevante Clark said he will continue to hold marches until there is justice for people who are killed by police violence.

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