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Sworn In At Career High

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

With Lebon Studio, A Refugee Artist Seeks Out The Good

by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper www.newhavenarts.org

Aime Mulungula grew up searching for resources that could support him as a budding artist and Congolese refugee. Now just a year out of high school, he’s working to create those same stepping stones for his peers, particularly young artists of color.

That’s the idea behind Lebon Studio, a new website, art archive, exhibition series, and clothing brand that Mulungula is rolling out this summer as he balances his painting practice, a full-time fellowship, and studies in business management and visual arts at the University of Connecticut. He is currently a fellow at the Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a rising sophomore at the college.

“There were a lot of young artists like myself who never got opportunities,” he said, sitting among snugly packed bookshelves at mActivity in East Rock last week. “The problem is, they have talent— right?—but they don’t have the opportunities to grow and excel because of the lack of resources they have in the neighborhood.”

From its name to its mission, Lebon is inspired by his own path to artmaking, and the number of systemic barriers that have stood and remain in his way. The fifth of nine children born to Congolese parents, Mulungula grew up in a refugee camp in Tanzania where he and his siblings had very little. From a very young age, he knew that he loved artmaking (“I was the art kid,” he said with a small, certain smile), but wasn’t able to act on that dream.

“I was never asked, ‘What is your dream career, your dream job?’” he said. “We never had that question at all. We were just living there, surviving basically. We didn’t have anything to support that.”

In those years, he said, he also wasn’t known as Aime, but as Lebon or Le Bon, named in honor of his great uncle. That changed when he was 11 years old, and he and members of his family came to New Haven. According to his parents, his name changed during the immigration process, somewhere in between getting refugee status and a hard-to-understand mountain of paperwork with which they were tasked.

Initially, his family moved to Westville Manor in the city’s West Rock neighborhood, where Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), helped resettle them in a new country. As a quiet, shy sixth grader at Fair Haven Middle School, he spent a year learning English before transferring into general classes. Five years ago, he went onto classes at Hill Regional Career High School, which ultimately became his launchpad into arts and entrepreneurship.

He also flexed his artmaking muscles, using whatever resources were at his disposal. Early drawings of his, some from

IRIS’ 2015 summer learning program, feature teachers and students with speech bubbles beside their mouths, talking about school on a backdrop of lined notebook paper. In one, an anime-esque rendering of a student looks toward the front of the classroom, his hand raised into the air. A book sits, spine up, on the desk. On the board, an equation reads “3 + 2?”

“Me, I know this question,” the student says. Behind him, a fellow student declares that “I like school very much.” A satchel, shaded to show its depth, hangs in his left hand. A plane floats at the far right of the image, showing their journey to the U.S. ​​ “It’s almost like he was doing graphic novel type work,” said Ashley Makar, outreach coordinator at IRIS, who taught him in a storytelling workshop that year.

“Years later … It’s amazing to see his work and his vision for what he wants to do. I’m so impressed and so glad to see him soaring like this.”

Even as he excelled in his classes, Mulungula said, he had a sense that the odds were against him. Kids who looked like him—who were young and Black, who were refugees, who were poor—didn’t have the same access to fellowship and internship programs, extracurricular activities, or art classes as their whiter, wealthier peers. They had the same knowledge, he said—just not the resources to apply it in the way that they dreamed of.

At school, Mulungula also found that his

classmates talked about Africa as if it were a single country, rather than a continent with over 1.2 billion people. They asked him if people lived in huts. They had no sense of the thriving, vibrant culture flowing from its 54 countries, or the multiplicity of a diaspora that was centuries old.

Artmaking ultimately paved the way through the noise of those stereotypes.

During his first two years at Hill Regional Career High School, he became involved with the educational nonprofit The Future Project, as well as Artspace New Haven and the Dixwell-based arts incubator NXTHVN. Jay Kemp, then a dream director for The Future Project (he is now student program manager at NXTHVN), remembered watching as Mulungula rapped in Swahili at a lunchtime open mic. He was floored.

“I saw his willingness to step out and do this different thing, the willingness to be bold,” Kemp said. “I think that was the moment that I was like, ‘I want to give him all the support that he needs.’”

And he did. Kemp encouraged Mulungula to get involved with NXTHVN, through which he joined the space’s then-nascent apprenticeship program. Paired with multimedia artist Jeffrey Meris, Mulungula dedicated his work to addressing—and debunking—his classmates’ misperceptions of Africa. He started with his own experience in Congo and Tanzania, where he still has family, and then branched out to East Africa, and then to the entire con-

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tinent.

In the finished pieces, Mulungula has dug deep, with a sense that there will be infinite stories to tell, and a sprawling, curious palette with which to tell them. In one image, a Maasai warrior stands facing the viewer, folds of red cloth glowing against his skin. In another, the artist tells the story of the Mali ruler Mansa Musa, drenching the work in history as images of enslaved West Africans and forced migration appear beneath Musa’s visage.

In another, men appear in sharp, tailored and buttoned jackets, fedoras cocked just so atop their heads, in a reminder that high fashion is a thriving part of the continent.

Read more about those works here, here and here.

He also spent several hours each week in Meris’ studio, learning firsthand from the artist. When Covid-19 hit the city, he and Meris isolated physically, but stayed in touch with each other multiple times a week, continuing to deepen their practice.

In some ways, both said over separate interviews, the ability to talk about being artists in the pandemic brought them closer together. When it was safe to do so, they returned to a hybrid working environment.

“He’s my heart,” Meris said in a phone call Monday night. “I’m so incredibly proud of him, I can’t even begin to tell you … I know how hard it can be to be an artist, much less an artist and an entrepreneur at the same time.”

That was also the catalyst for Lebon. Af-

ter Mulungula graduated from high school last year, he found himself suddenly unmoored—particularly after starting his freshman year at the University of Connecticut. The campus overwhelmed him.

He didn’t know many of the members of his class. He worked around the clock to stay on top of his classes in business management.

“I was lost,” he said. Then he thought back to his artwork, which he currently does from a home studio in his bedroom.

“I thought, this is something I want to do,” he said. In the spring of this year, he declared a minor in visual art, and started making work about self-reflection and self-discovery. In particular, he has focused on several portraits of himself.

In one, he poses against a turquoise background, his eyes fixed on something in the distance. The word LEBON, printed in white, stands out from a navy blue sweatshirt covering his shoulders, neck and torso. It rumples and folds with the movement of his arms as they cross in front of his chest.

For viewers who have followed his work for years—and maybe those who are also coming to his work for the first time—it’s striking how grown up this version of the artist looks. Gone is the younger, sweetfaced and wide-eyed Aime that appeared just two years ago in a self portrait at NXTHVN, with a backwards baseball cap and a plaid shirt hanging off one shoulder.

Here, he looks like he knows exactly what his next move is, and how to make it.

Lebon—literally “the good” in French, and titled after the name his parents gave him almost two decades ago—has bloomed out of that impulse. For the next six months or so, he plans to focus mainly on his own artwork, with a mission to support fellow artists within six to seven months. On small batches of shirts and sweatshirts that bear the brand’s name, he plans to print images of his paintings, so that people can literally wear his art. Ultimately, he wants to create opportunities for young artists in Tanzania, Congo, and Uganda—where he still has family.

“I wanted to have a platform where I could, first things first, sell my own artwork, and then have some level of service where I could help young artists, consult them, give them mentorship,” he said.

“That way they can grow through my mentorship.”

“The whole idea of it is to promote the good,” he added. “What the media promotes is the negative aspect not only of African culture, but of Black people as well. It portrays that negative of them as being bad, it denigrates us. This is to show integrity, power … anybody wearing it can embrace who they really are. There’s so much good going on that people don’t get to see.”

Already, he’s become a role model.

At home, he mentors his younger sister Riziki as she grows her own artistic footprint. During IRIS’s 2022 summer learnCon’t on page 3

Flowers For The Hill THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

Con’t from page 02

Seeks Out The Good

ing program, he gave a presentation on Lebon Studio to young refugees, some of whom had only recently arrived in the U.S. Eventually, he wants to grow it into a brick-and-mortar incubator space like NXTHVN—but is moving one step at a time to get there.

As he begins his sophomore year at the University of Connecticut, he said he hopes to partner with arts organizations across the city and the state, from the new Stetson Branch Library and Artspace New Haven to the Wadsworth Atheneum of Art. In the fall, he plans to hold a small solo exhibition at the University of Connecticut. He does not yet have a location for the show.

Zeenie Malik, community engagement and events specialist at IRIS, said she is excited to see how Lebon Studio unfolds.

Over a year ago, she sat down with Mulungula to talk about his artwork, and felt aware that she was talking to someone “wise beyond his years.” Then in June of this year, she watched him tell his story in front of 100 people for World Refugee Day. She looked at Lebon as an extension of the work that he started at NXTHVN, using artistic skill as a teaching tool.

“Instead of just feeling alienated or upset or mad, he took this positive spin with it,” she said of his artwork. “He was like, ‘I need to educate people through my artwork.’ For someone so young to have that mentality … he doesn’t shy away from a challenge.”

Artist Kwadwo Adae unveiled a new 45-foot-high mural in The Hill neighborhood on Thursday -– and this one is there to stay.

The new mural, entitled “Everyone Deserves to Come Home to Flowers,” covers the side of the Hillside community shelter at 124 Sylvan Ave. Assistant muralists Kwasi Adae, Katherine Tombaugh, and Nicole Andreson helped Adae paint the mural, along with neighborhood children.

There used to be a smaller mural on this same wall, but it had been vandalized with graffiti. Christian Community Action approached Adae in 2019 to see if he could fix it. He suggested a new mural -– one that would take up the entire wall. The mural is designed to have a mirroring effect of pinks, grays, yellows, and indigos, reaching for both the sky and the sidewalk.

Adae said that he paints flowers to help brighten his life in his darkest moments. He chose orchids because of their resilience and beauty.

“I don’t want anyone to feel like they don’t deserve a flower,” said Adae.

This is Adae’s first mural in The Hill. He said that the neighborhood was welcoming during the project. Neighbors left out ginger ale and cold water for the painters during the heat wave. “If you live where you live, I hope you can find a way to go

OLIVIA GROSS PHOTO

New mural on the side of the Hillside Community Shelter.

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deep in that neighborhood. Everyone loves their grandma; everyone makes good food.

There is not much difference at all,” he reflected The Urban Resources Initiative is set to plant a tree across the street from the mural.

It will be an Eastern Redwood, chosen for its heart-shaped leaves and colors that will match the mural.

Rev. Bonita Grubbs, who has run Christian Community Action since 1988, said the mural will provide a new light to the community: “Each one of us has that responsibility and opportunity. To brighten.”

The youth-led, anti-violence group Ice the Beef attended the opening, loaded up with flowers to give to the shelter’s residents.

Mayor Justin Elicker reflected on the symbol of the orchid. He thanked Adae, saying, “you’ve watered, nurtured, and put sunlight on our city.”

Filmmaker Travis Carbonella has followed the mural’s growth and plans to make a documentary. It is set to be screened at Westville’s Open Source Festival in October.

The opening ended with Adae thanking all of the people who had helped with the project.

Grubbs walked back to the front and said, “And thanks to you.”

Adae looked back at the mural. “You’re welcome,” he said.

by OLIVIA GROSS

New Haven Independent

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

New U.S. Attorney Sworn In At Career High

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

Thirty years after graduating from Hill Regional Career High School, Vanessa Avery returned to the Legion Avenue public school’s auditorium to be sworn in as the state’s next top federal prosecutor.

That was the scene Tuesday afternoon as over 200 lawyers, judges, family members, friends, fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorors, and even a few of Avery’s former New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) teachers gathered in the 140 Legion Ave. auditorium for Avery’s investiture as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

In that role, she and her office of nearly 70 attorneys in New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford are responsible for prosecuting criminal and civil cases brought by the federal government in Connecticut, as well as for defending the federal government when it’s sued.

Avery was nominated to the U.S. Attorney position by President Joe Biden in January, and then confirmed by the U.S. Senate in April. A native of Newhallville who got her undergraduate degree from Yale, her law degree from Georgetown, and who most recently worked as an associate state attorney general, Avery is Connecticut’s first Black female top federal prosecutor.

While she was first sworn into her new job in early May, Tuesday’s ceremony served as an hour-and-a-half-long celebration of Avery’s professional accomplishments to date — as well as of her proud roots in the community from which she came.

The men and women who took the stage, each beaming with pride, to shower Avery in praise on Tuesday included not just colleagues and mentors and admirers from the top of Connecticut’s legal world, but also her sisters, her pastor, the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, and a close childhood friend and fellow classmate from Bassett School, Jackie Robinson School, and Career High.

The ceremony also featured live musical performances from her goddaughters Ayana and Adina Salahuddin, who played a Mozart string quartet on their violins, as well as from Marcella Monk Flake’s Monk Youth Jazz STEAM Collective Ensemble, which performed a version of Common and John Legend’s song, “Glory.”

This is a “full circle moment,” Avery said about getting sworn in as Connecticut’s next U.S. attorney at the very high school she graduated from 30 years ago.

“My selection as U.S. attorney says as much about you and who we are as a nation as it does about me” and her long track record of professional achievements so far.

Today’s celebration is not just about her, she stressed, but also about “this community.”

Chief Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court William Bright, Jr., who used to work with Avery at a law firm in Hartford

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THOMAS BREEN PHOTO U.S. Attorney Avery on Tuesday: "Full circle moment.”

in the late 1990s and early 2000s, agreed.

He praised her choice of her high school alma mater in the Hill as the venue for her swearing-in ceremony.

“Small choices we make can send powerful messages,” he said.

Speaker after speaker on Tuesday praised Avery for her character and competence, her hard work and the way she lifts up those around her.

She is “one of the most thoughtful and kindest people,” said state Deputy Attorney General Margaret Chapple. “We are a better office for having had Vanessa work” as an associate state attorney general.

Avery is “an exceptional person, a distinguished and skilled lawyer, and a natural leader,” said former U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly, who was Avery’s boss when the former worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Connecticut office’s civil division. During her time in that role, Daly said, Avery handled everything from false claims to asset forfeitures to civil rights cases to defending public employees in wrongful death lawsuits.

“She calmly navigated the demands of this complex docket seamlessly,” Daly said.

And throughout, “she carried herself like a queen. Dignified. Always thorough.”

Daly also singled out Avery’s roots in New Haven as making her all the better fit

for the job she now holds. “Her maternal grandparents were sharecroppers,” Daly said. “She grew up in Newhallville at the height of the crack epidemic. And she is a proud graduate of this high school.” She said that Avery’s background — in addition to her wealth of experience as a lawyer — should help inspire confidence in law enforcement and help bridge divides with the communities that law enforcement serves.

Greater New Haven NAACP President and fellow AKA soror Dori Dumas, who has known Avery since she was an undergrad at Yale, also commended her for her community outreach efforts as she rose the ranks of government legal office. “You were destined for this position,” she told Avery, whom she described as the right person for the right job at the right moment.

“You accomplished so much at an early age,” childhood friend Tiffany Caldwell said as she remembered their time growing up in Newhallville, singing in chorus, joining student council, writing and acting in plays together, reading all the time, joining the debate team, participating in mock trials at Yale as a high school student, and then following through on her dream of going to law school. “You never forgot about God or your community,” Caldwell said.

And Avery’s sisters, Angela Serrano and Marleen Roberts, spoke about how appro-

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priate it is that the name “Vanessa” is also a type of butterfly.

“Your wings were strong,” Roberts said.

“You are the queen butterfly.”

After taking the oath of office as administered by federal District of Connecticut Chief Judge Stefan Underhill, Avery addressed the crowd.

Most people, she said, want the same things in life. They want “safe neighborhoods in which to live and raise their families.” They want “fair and just application of the law.” They want to be “afforded respect” regardless of their race, gender, background, or anything else. She promised to work towards upholding those values by enforcing the law and by working closely with the community.

During her long list of thank you’s — to her colleagues, her husband and kids, and her late parents, among many others — she singled out for recognition her former NHPS teachers, a few of whom, including her sixth grade math teacher, were in attendance on Tuesday.

She thanked those teachers for putting in countless hours working with her and her classmates so that “we could envision thriving in a world beyond our neighborhood and limited circumstances.”

“I stand on the shoulders of giants,” she said, as well as on the shoulders of regular everyday people who have put in the work to make this state, and this city, that much better of a place to live.

Christine Stuart

www.CTNewsJunkie.com

Paul Bass www.newhavenindependent.org

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

Young Hands Help Orchid Mural Bloom In The Hill

by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper

Elijah Christian Martin dipped his brush into a can of rose-pink paint and scoped out a patch of red and brown brick in front of him. Far above his head, a lavender orchid spread its petals out to touch the summer sun. Its curled stem hung down as if to say hello. Back on the ground, Friday afternoon traffic whirred by on Sylvan Avenue. He lifted the brush, and began to leave his mark.

Friday, a handful of pint-sized painters braved the sizzling, sweaty August afternoon to help artist Kwadwo Adae complete his first-ever mural in the city’s Hill neighborhood, a 45-foot high rendering of orchids on the Hillside Family Shelter at 124 Sylvan Ave. A collaboration with Christian Community Action (CCA), the work bloomed out of Adae’s own belief that “everyone deserves to come home to flowers.” He chose orchids for their longevity.

The building, which sits at the corner of Sylvan Avenue and Stevens Street, provides temporary housing to families seeking support, including those fleeing domestic violence. As a public artist, Adae said it was important to him to involve youth in the community, which has become a consistent part of his practice.

The mural is funded by a $20,000 ​​Racial Equity and Creative Healing (REACH) grant from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

“I love doing this,” Adae said Friday, fielding questions from young painters and checking to make sure no one had overheated. “I love that a kid, as they grow up, they can always be like, ‘That mural right there, I touched that part. I did the bottom corner. I did this color.’ That’s a sense of pride for them, and a sense of ownership for them, and it’s a way to share the act of painting with other generations.”

“This has been a beautiful thing,” chimed in Sean Campbell, CCA’s director of Programs. “We were excited to have him [Adae] be able to provide us with this opportunity … having him come out with his talented team to do this amazing artwork is just a blessing. I love it. Seeing the kids getting involved and being part of this completion is just a beautiful thing to see.”

The project has been at least three years in the making. In 2019, CCA reached out to Adae about doing some restoration work on a small, older mural that decorated the side of the building, but had been vandalized by graffiti writers using black aerosol paint. Adae told the organization that he couldn’t fix it—but he could do a mural project that covered the entire wall.

They were still in the middle of discussions when Covid-19 hit the city in March 2020.

Adae never lost interest in the project— or the neighborhood, where the shelter sits just down the street from Casa Otoñal and Casa Familia. While he has completed several murals in New Haven’s Newhallville and Dixwell neighborhoods and few

Artist Kwadwo Adae with Orane Fraser, a graphic designer and lifelong resident of the Hill.

7-year-old Josiah Baez shows off his hands at the end of the community paint day. in the city’s schools, he hadn’t yet done work in the Hill. When the Community Foundation announced the REACH grant in 2021, the timing seemed right.

This summer, he said, the project has taken longer than expected because of extreme, sometimes unrelenting heat that makes it unsafe to work outdoors, particularly on a scissor lift suspended 45 feet above the sloping sidewalk. And yet, he said, he’s also felt the support from the community: people often leave cold bottles of water and ginger ale at the base of the scissor lift to make sure he’s hydrating. He’s met most of the kids from the surrounding blocks. He praised his assistants Kwasi Adae, Nicole Andreson and Katherine Tombaugh for working with him to complete the mural by the end of the summer.

Friday, kids fanned out across the wall,

split evenly among pink and gray sections of paint as they worked on the base of the design. At the corner closest to Sylvan Avenue, 11-year-old Elijah carefully applied pink paint to the brick, until it seemed that the wall itself was blushing. A rising sixth grader at Elm City College Prep Middle School, he said that the act of painting “makes me feel happy, because I can paint what I like.”

Every few moments, he paused to take in the sheer size of the piece, with huge, climbing flowers floating in space. Above him, the orchids’ yellow anthers lolled like long tongues in the heat. He turned back to a section of wall and carefully added more pink. At the corner, his sister Curbrer Martin quietly watched him work.

A 2012 graduate of Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School, Martin said she was grateful to see the mural brightening

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Lyvelis Jusino with her youngest son, 7-monthold Aaidyn Baez.

up the neighborhood. For her, the act of painting is a form of emotional release— something that she hoped the young kids there could also experience.

Just a few feet away, Lyvelis Jusino rolled in with her sons, Josiah, Naszir, and Aasiah “Junie” Baez and her nephews, Jaylin Greene and Logan Parker. As the five boys carefully staked out their spots, debated the merits of gray and pink, and picked out brushes, Justino took it all in.

Every so often, a giggle escaped from the wall, where the boys watched for bees as they carefully covered their brushes and began to paint.

A transplant from Tampa, Florida, Jusino came to New Haven “big-belly pregnant” last November, after losing her husband unexpectedly and facing a subsequent eviction from her home. At the time, she was trying to make it through a high-risk

pregnancy that had put her on bed rest, and had fallen behind on rent because she could not physically report to work. She and her boys moved to New Haven, where her in-laws live, in search of support.

They connected her with 2-1-1, which put her in touch with Christian Community Action. At a moment when the world seemed completely upside down, she said, CCA was there to assist with temporary housing, SNAP benefits and Husky healthcare coverage. Seven months ago, she delivered a healthy baby boy named Aaidyn in her new home state.

Friday marked another milestone: it was the first time she had celebrated a birthday with both her immediate family and chosen “mommy tribe” in New Haven. She said she was glad to spend it contributing to something beautiful just yards away from where her kids pick up the bus.

“I don’t know if mommies are allowed to help, but—” she said playfully, crouching down and picking up a brush coated in pink paint. She began to fill in an open stretch in long, neat strokes, a nod to a former career painting houses in Florida. “I love painting. This is therapy for me.”

Close by, her 7-year-old son Josiah called the day a success, despite the heat. While his favorite subjects at Hill Central School are math and science, he’ll be adding art to that lineup in time for the coming school year. As he chatted, a long-bristled brush coated in pink paint hovered in his right hand.

An hour or so in, graphic designer Orane Fraser jogged over with his camera to document the afternoon’s progress. A lifelong resident of the neighborhood, Fraser has been watching the mural go up all summer, and documents its progress whenever he gets a free moment. Friday, he was excited to see it nearing completion.

“It brings a lot of light, good vibes and good energy to the community,” he said.

“There’s a few struggles here, but I love my neighborhood, I love where I’m from.

It’s low key a big old family.”

Just around the corner on Sylvan Avenue, a car door opened and just as quickly clicked shut with a crisp thump. Rev. Bonita Grubbs, who has run Christian Community Action since 1988, walked over to take in the design. Pointing out how alive it seemed—like an elephant, she said, or maybe an octopus—she declared the project “artistically fantabulous.”

“This is worth the wait,” she said. “More that worth the wait. It brings joy. It’s a bright and colorful manifestation of community spirit and artistry and creativity.

And the fact that Kwadwo has made such progress and that there are kids who are painting—they get to add their particular gift to this effort. It’s a community event.

And that’s the best that one could say about it.”

“This is exciting,” she added. “This is a positive community event, and my hope is that people will walk by it and be inspired.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

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7

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

Rally Readies Families For Return To School

by MAYA MCFADDEN New Haven Independent

Ava Newton joined hundreds of fellow students in getting a head start on the new academic year — and lining up ways to keep busy after school.

The NHPS Youth, Family & Community Engagement department hosted the threehour outdoor event Thursday to put school supplies, books, attendance trackers, and resource pamphlets in thousands of families’ hands at Bowen Field.

Dozens of community partners tabled at the event, informing families about tutoring, mentorship, recreational, and athletic program offerings, such as the Canal Dock Boat House’s youth rowing crew for high schoolers and New Haven Reads’ one-onone tutoring program.

Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, who heads the NHPS Youth, Family and Community Engagement office, sought to spread the word about family engagement supports, target chronic absenteeism, and highlight community partners who can aid in students’ social, academic, and emotional learning.

“We’re out here today to hear and respond to issues and remind families that we’re here to support them in every capacity possible,” she said.

Ava Newton, 14, stopped by the Hamden Academy for Dance and Music booth with an interest in starting dance again after a three-year break. Newton is starting her freshman year at High School in the Community this year. She grew up dancing and is thinking about doing majorette-style dance this year.

Dance school co-owner Lia Davila told Newton and her mom Tiffany Woods about the program’s variety of dance offerings and its focus on getting kids involved and learning accountability and discipline through the recreational activity of dance for kids ages 2 and up.

“The more involved children are, the less time they have to go get in trouble,” Davila said.

Newton and her mom chose HSC in hopes that a smaller school would keep Newton safe from bullying, which she dealt with at Hamden Middle School.

So far Newton is enjoying the school after attending a two-day bridge program that allowed her to meet some of her peers before the official start of school.

“I can’t wait to learn who I am,” Newton said.

The dance school hosted a raffle at the rally for students to enter to try to win a free dance class of their choice.

Davila’s table was decorated with a dozen trophies her dance teams have won over the years. Most recent was a golden first-place trophy her team won in Hartford this year at its West Indian Independence Celebration.

Woods collected informational contacts for programs to disburse to friends, she said. The Urban Community Alliance sparked her interest because of its intervention programs, which support fami-

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTOS Tiffany Woods and Ava Newton at Bowen Field back-to-school fair: "I can't wait to learn who I am."

Jennifer Baker with sons Marshall and Emari.

lies struggling financially, emotionally, and educationally.

At an NHPS table. district staff handed families bags with pamphlets highlighting district programs, bookmarks, and stickers.

They were also told that “if you miss two [unexcused] days in a month, you will be considered truant.”

At some tables students played games like ring toss if they could answer such questions as, “When is the first day of school?” (Answer: Aug. 29.) Students attempted to toss a ring over cones reading “attendance matters” in hopes of winning a bag of popcorn.

Jennifer Baker brought her two sons

to the rally Thursday in hopes of getting them more excited about the school year.

Thursday was Baker’s first time attending the rally. She said she saw it as a “pregreeting” opportunity for her kids to get back to being around other students and making new friends.

This year her sons will move on to the second and fifth grades.

Marshall, 10, said he’s looking forward to going back to school to make friends.

Emari, 7, said he’s not excited yet because he’s going to miss playing Fortnite at home.

One table that maintained a long line of interested parents and students was Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Pro-

8

grams. Higher Heights offers assistance with college applications, tours, and visits, scholarships, K‑12 tutoring, SAT prep, and a year-round college access program.

One student expressed interest in the tutoring program in hopes of continuing his football career for his senior year.

“We can keep you on the field with our tutoring. It will do you wonders,” a volunteer pitched.

Organizations like the New Haven Federation of Teachers distributed thousands of books to youth to help them build athome libraries.

At the New Haven Reads table set up on the field, families collected free books for all ages. Passing by, a group of students

from the Harris and Tucker School convinced youth services specialist Ron Huggins to do an impromptu read-aloud of the children’s book Pigsty by Mark Teague.

Huggins started off with a “crowd” of only one student …

Once he was three pages in, the crowd increased and a circle of kids formed around Huggins to listen in and read the book along with him.

From the New Haven Reads table, soonto-be kindergartner Elajah Elajah picked up a book about her favorite movie, Frozen, which came with a read-aloud CD and Arthur’s Birthday.

“I’m going to bring them to school to read with my friends,” she said.

At another table was health and wellness nonprofit Nuts About Health Inc. The team’s Greg Smith and Dawn Slade showed students fresh herbs and talked with parents about growing fresh food at home.

The team talked with families about its mission of tackling food insecurity in the inner city. “We bring the healthy food to them to [combat] the convenience of fast food that’s all around us,” Smith said.

The nonprofit offers an annual package costing $500 a year for the team to install a home garden for families and do seasonal maintenance to the garden throughout the year. It also offers educational workshops about gardening and healthful eating and cooking classes for families.

The grandmother of 4‑year old Micah, Tahyra Bethea, told Smith she tried growing fruits and vegetables at home in the past but failed.

Bethea said an at-home garden would be life-saving for her family to grow herbs they use daily and family favorites like tomatoes and potatoes.

“If they can help me get my garden less dry, it would change the game,” she said.

Micah, who is starting kindergarten at Roberto Clemente Elementary School this year, doesn’t like to eat meat, so Bethea looks forward to growing her favorites in the convenience of her home.

The Canal Dock Boat House brought its rowing machine out for youth again this year. Students competed within their age range to see who could row 100 meters the quickest with coach Tamara Clayton.

Some families signed up for the high school rowing crew, which is free to New Haven students.

Metropolitan Business Academy sophomore Janiya Greene, 15, joined the youth rowing team last fall in hopes of “being in the house bored” less often after school.

On the team, students learn about rowing, kayaking, and dragon boats and get on the water to try them out. In addition to a newfound love of being on the water, Greene said, she enjoys that the program offers mentorship and tutoring opportunities.

Canal Dock Boat House Executive Director Hillis Martens said the crew is looking to recruit 25 students this year. By 2023 she hopes for a youth team of 40, she said.

NHPS Drops Mask Mandate THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

For the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, New Haven public school students will not have to wear face masks when they return to the classroom this academic year.

New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) Superintendent Iline Tracey clarified that policy during a press conference Monday afternoon at East Rock Community Magnet School on Nash Street.

She said that the city’s public schools system has adopted a so-called “maskfriendly” policy for the school year that starts on Monday, Aug. 29. That policy has also been in place for the past two months for students attending summer school.

“We have a mask-friendly situation right now,” she said. If students or their parents want them to wear masks when they’re in the classroom, “they’re welcome to wear their masks.”

But wearing face masks while in class is “not required.”

Again, she said, “if parents feel uncomfortable, they can have students wear masks. … That’s up to the parents to make that decision.”

Tracey said that the city public school system had this “mask-friendly” policy in place for summer classes as well. Some students showed up in masks, some didn’t.

It marks a departure, however, from last school year — the first full year of inperson learning at NHPS since the start of the pandemic — during which students were required to wear face masks while at school, even after the governor dropped a similar statewide mandate.

“There’s no mask mandate” this year, Mayor Justin Elicker reiterated during Monday’s presser. He said the city Health

Tracey and Asst. Supt. Whyte.

Department is working with NHPS to make sure that the public school system is “following the governor’s guidelines” around Covid-19 safety and in-person learning.

“The school system will have test kits available” if a student is exposed to Covid-19 or if they have symptoms, the mayor said. “If they do have symptoms, they can test and go to school if they test negative.” If they’re exposed to Covid, he said, they’ll be “asked to wear a mask” un-

til they test negative.

NHPS spokesperson Justin Harmon told the Independent in a follow up email that, if a student does test positive for Covid-19, they’ll have to “isolate at home for five days or until they are asymptomatic and wear a mask for five days upon returning to school.” He said their class assignments will be posted online during that time.

Harmon also said that NHPS does not have a requirement that students be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to attend

in-person classes, “but it is a recommendation, and we are offering free clinics.”

Elicker emphasized that same point during Monday’s press conference at East Rock School. An “important thing to remember is that every student has the ability to get vaccinated at this point,” he said.

Blatteau: “Mask-Friendly” Policy Strikes Right Balance In a Tuesday afternoon phone interview, city teachers union President Leslie Blatteau praised the “mask friendly” policy as

the right fit for the moment.

“I think we’re at a point now where supporting people to mask if they are feeling that is what they want for themselves and their family is a good thing,” she said.

She said that a strength of the current mask-optional policy is that the school system will monitor school-related Covid cases as the school year progresses. “I trust that the Health Department and Central Office will be responsive if they’re seeing upticks, and communicate that and adapt policy as needed if we see case numbers rise.”

“Some people are very happy that they get to go school without a mask,” she said.

“And some of the members of our community that have health issues, and that are immunocompromised might potentially be” more nervous.

She stressed that, per the school system’s current mask policy, “people with symptoms must wear masks. That is reassuring.”

Overall, said said, this policy means that “people living their lives without masks will be able to do so.” And for people who are concerned about returning to schools without a mask mandate, they should be reassured that anyone with symptoms will still have to mask up.

Blatteau called on NHPS to do “continue to distribute rapid tests and masks,” to continue to promote vaccinations as the safest way to minimize risk of getting seriously sick from Covid, and to “support the health of our community.”

“Attendance Does Matter” The focus of Monday’s press conference, meanwhile, was to highlight a weeklong effort by top school administrators, teachers, and volunteers to combat “chronic Con’t on page 11

HBCU Grad Makes History, Acquires Fuddruckers Brand and All 92 Restaurants For $18.5 Million

ard University, also an HBCU, where he earned his Master of Business Administration degree.

In 2004, he founded Perkins Management Company as he combined his business savvy with the passion for cooking he had ever since he was growing up with his mother and grandmother.

Now, as the owner of Fuddruckers, Perkins is confident that the ‘World’s Greatest Hamburgers’™ will find long-term success. He is especially determined to expand the brand that currently has a total of 92 locations, a big decrease from the over 500 locations that it once had in the 90s and early 2000s.

“Our strategy long term will be to grow our franchise operations individually, to bring in new franchisees both internationally and domestically as well as looking to find strategic marketing partnership opportunities to be able to grow and sustain the brand long term,” he said.

BlackBusines.org

Nicholas Perkins, a graduate of both Howard University and Fayetteville State University, has made history as the new owner of the international Fuddruckers restaurant brand. He was formerly one of the company’s largest franchisees, but now has full ownership of all 92 of the company’s restaurants in the United States, Canada, Panama, and Mexico.

Perkins closed the deal for approximately $18.5 million through his affiliate, Black Titan Franchise Systems LLC. He told Essence, “I always wanted to become a part of this iconic brand. I just didn’t realize that one day I’d end up owning it.”

Perkins, who was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management and an honorary doctorate from Fayetteville State University, an HBCU. He later went to How-

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William Wells Brown,

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

Personifying the American Dream

By Tamara Shiloh

The minstrel shows of the early 19th century are believed by some to be the roots of Black theatre. However, they were written, acted, and performed by whites for white audiences. The first known play by a Black American was James Brown’s “King Shotaway” (1823), but the first Black play published was William Wells Brown’s (ca. 1814–1884) “The Escape; or, A Leap for Freedom.”

While “Escape” was published in 1858, it was not officially produced until 1971 at Emerson College. It was one of the earliest extant pieces of African American dramatic literature.

Brown, whose mother was a slave, was born on a plantation outside Lexington, Ky. He would become a Black antislavery lecturer, a groundbreaking novelist, playwright, and historian.

According to the New Bedford Historical Society (NBHS), he is “widely considered to have been the first African American to publish works in several major literary genres, and widely acclaimed for the effectiveness of many of his writings.”

Bought and sold several times before age 20, Brown spent his childhood and much of his young adult life as a slave in St. Louis, Mo. There he was hired out to work on the Missouri River which, at that time, served as a major thoroughfare for the slave trade. This location allowed him several chances to escape. It was New Year’s Day in 1834 that he slipped away

William Wells Brown

from a steamboat and finally became successful.

Brown landed in Cleveland, Ohio, where he began educating himself and reading antislavery newspapers. He later worked as a steam boatsman on Lake Erie and conductor for the Underground Railroad.

On arrival at Cleveland, he’d taken shelter with Mr. and Mrs. Wells Brown, a white Quaker family and later adopted their names.

By 1843, Brown had become a regular on the Western New York Anti-Slavery Society lecturing circuit. He was also deeply committed to speaking out on women’s rights and temperance laws (laws banning the sale of spirits in less than 15-gallon quantities). It was Brown’s speaking that led many historians and scholars to provide the trajectory for his later career as a writer. By 1845, he’d published “Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself.”

Brown personified the American dream.

He’d become an internationally renowned antislavery activist and writer who resided in and traveled widely across the northern United States and the British Isles.

He penned a series of remarkable books including the first Black novel, the first printed Black play, the first Black travelogue, and the first Black panorama displayed in Britain.

Focusing on his own historical works, Brown penned two histories of the Black race, a history on Blacks and whites in the South, and a rare military history of Blacks in the Civil War. He eventually settled in Boston, where he practiced medicine until his death from cancer in 1884.

Learn more about Brown’s compelling story through his classic American slave narrative: “The Narrative of William W. Brown a Fugitive Slave.”

The post William Wells Brown, Personifying the American Dream first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

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WHEN STATUES DIE Oscar H. Blayton

In recent years, people have begun to spend more time contemplate the meaning and significance of statuary. Statues of perpetrators of Europe’s colonial expansion and racist legacies began to tumble in the United States and England as descendants of colonized and enslaved people of color brought attention to the human misery afflicted by those who likenesses dotted urban parks and courthouse lawns.

As statues of widely recognized racists such as Christopher Columbus were brought down from their pedestals, so too was the artwork venerating lesser-known racists such as the surgeon J. Marion Sims, known as the “father of modern gynecology.” He advanced his medical knowledge by performing surgery on enslaved women without the benefit of anesthesia. In 2018, his statue was removed from New York’s Central Park.

A great deal of attention also has been given to the statues of traitors who fought for the Confederacy. Their statues were erected to proclaim and maintain white supremacy throughout the southern United States. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, at least 114 Confederate monuments were removed from public spaces between 2019 and 2021.

But as we witness the removal of statues meant to glorify white supremacy and western culture, we need to go beyond removing toxic reminders of past evils. We need to understand that statuary is a tool, and as any tool, it can be used for good as well as evil.

Since humans first shaped images out of mud, clay or wood, their work has been a form of communication. Even to this day, every artist who creates a statue is trying to communicate something. Perhaps they are trying to communicate with a deity to appease a force greater than themselves.

Or they are trying to communicate with other people, as was the case with the white supremacists who wanted Black people to know who had the power to control their lives. Or they are engaging in an exercise of self-expression, releasing an energy and an emotion from within themselves that they need to send out into the universe. But for whatever reason a statue is created, none is created within a sociocultural void.

Many museums, government buildings and other public and private places are filled with statuary. And in order to appreciate these works of art and understand what they are and what they are trying to say, we need to understand who made them, what the artist was trying to say and why.

An inquiry into the existential nature of any piece of sculpture and how it is situated in its culture may help us not only to understand that work of art and the culture that created it but also give us a deeper understanding of ourselves as well.

It took this nation more than 100 years to realize that Confederate statuary was a form of racist political communication that was so successful over time, it came to be viewed as a type of religious communication honoring nobility and sacrifice. But with a re-examination of the history of these markers of stone and bronze, Confederate statuary is widely denounced now as having been created as a form of hate speech, an understanding which led to their being removed from public view.

With the removal of these statues, their messages die with them.

But there is another way in which statues die. They die when they remain in view but are stripped of their meaning and context and the viewer has no inkling of what the artist was trying to communicate, or to whom.

Currently, an exhibit in Philadelphia at the Barnes Foundation explores, in part, African art in a sociocultural void seized by white collectors and Western museums. The exhibit, a five-screen black-andwhite film installation titled, “Once Again … (Statues Never Die),” was curated by Isaac Julien, a brother who has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his artistic achievements.

The Barnes Foundation bears the name of Dr. Albert C. Barnes, its founder and art collector who began amassing African art in 1922, a time when there was very little Western interest in it. The protagonist of the film, however, is Alain Locke, who many claim to be the intellectual father of the Harlem Renaissance. The film focuses on the tension between Barnes and Locke.

As the New York Times put it, “their exchanges encapsulated the sensitivities and inequities that surround the adoption of Black African art by the prevailing white culture, and the struggle by Black Americans to claim and use that heritage as their own.”

The tension portrayed between Barnes and Locke is not a new dynamic, as the film’s title hints. A short 1953 French film titled, “Statues Never Die,” focused on stolen African art brought to Western museums. It showed how this art was detached from its meaning within the culture in which it was created. This film put colonialism in such a bad light, a portion of it was banned in France until the 1960s.

Purposely, “Statues Never Die” omitted geographic, period and ethnic context of the art’s origin or meaning. In this way, the creators conveyed the idea of dead statues, ones that have lost their original significance and are no more than objects without meaning, much like unidentified corpses. “Statues Never Die” exposed

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022 Con’t from page 09

Drops Mask

absenteeism” by knocking on doors and encouraging parents of ninth graders and kindergarteners to send their kids to school this year.

“Attendance does matter,” Tracey said as she stood alongside Mayor Elicker, NHPS Chief of NHPS Youth, Family and Community Engagement Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, and Asstistant Supts. Paul Whyte and Viviana Conner, among others. “We know that we cannot teach empty seats. The students have to be there in order to be taught.”

Teams of canvassers plan to knock on doors every day this week in the runup to the start of school on Monday.

Joseph Lumpkin said that “chronic absenteeism” is when students miss 10 percent or more of days of school, or at least 18 days of the school year.

“The students must be present for us to educate them,” she said. When students miss so many days of class, she continued, “they are at risk for low academic performance and now, even, executive functioning is a concern. … We are very concerned about outcomes when students miss more than 10 percent of days” in class.

While Tracey said that there are no specific disciplinary consequences to being chronically absent, Whyte stressed that the impacts on a student’s learning — and on their potential to graduate from high school — could be profound.

High School students need a certain number of “credits” in order to graduate, he said. “Attendance and grades turn into credits.” That means that “students need to be in school to get their credits. A few days in school can be the difference between understanding a concept, in which you’ll then be able to pass the class, which means you’ll get the credit and then move on to the next level.”

Tracey and Conner said that NHPS has also recently hired “care coordinators” who will go out to families to find out “what the families actually need” — to find out, for example, if they suffer from “food insecurity” — in order to make sure that students are actually attending class.

These “wraparound services,” Conner said, should help “bring down the barriers that are preventing parents from sending kids to school.”

Con’t from page 09

WHEN STATUES DIE

how the cultures that created this art, and the celebration of the human experience by the African artists, was never examined by most Western collectors and museums.

We should learn from these two films and strive to understand the context within which statuary is created so we will be able to distinguish between images that are meant to celebrate the human spirit and those meant to demean and oppress. is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia. His earlier commentaries may be found at https://oblayton1.me-

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

18-year-old homeless boy beats colleagues to become school’s best student

wins full-ride scholarship to Harvard

to secure a 100% high school record and emerge the best graduating student in his class.

After securing a 100% High School record, Richard applied to several schools, including three in the Ivy League. He was waitlisted at the University of Pennsylvania, rejected by Yale University and was finally accepted by Harvard University on a full-ride scholarship to study Computer Science.

Harvard pays 100 percent of tuition for students from households earning less than $65,000 a year and Richard Jenkins, being from a homeless family gets the benefits.

When he read the good news, Jenkins says he threw his phone in disbelief. He plans to use the knowledge of Computers to invent a “more intuitive Siri.”

“I didn’t realize it was a possibility until last year. My goal has always been to go to a school where I wouldn’t have to pay and where I wouldn’t graduate with debt,” he tells CNBC. Looking back on his experience, Jenkins says he wishes he had been less hard on himself, and also thinks that schools could better support students going through situations like his by offering a more open line of dialogue between kids and teachers.

“My drive comes from just wanting to see myself and my family be in a better situation and I do think drive is important for everybody, but what’s more important is that once you find what it is that you want, you have to keep working for it,” Jenkins tells CNBC. In 2022, Richard Jenkins graduated from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.

By ScholarshipRegion.com

A homeless 18-year-old boy named Richard Jenkins has beaten all of his high school colleagues to clinch the best student award in the school.

Richard Jenkins spent most of his childhood living in homeless shelters with his family. They lost their home due to foreclosure and ended up being homeless for years, suffering from poverty and a series of tough medical ailments.

Their situation served as a boost for Richard who set out to ensure he rescues his family from being homeless and also build a better future for his unborn children. In the sixth grade, one time I was walking from school with my friend, and he was asking me where I lived,” he recalled.

“The shelter looked like a big house — it could have been a mansion. So I told him, ‘Yeah, that’s my house right there,’ because I was so embarrassed to say I lived in a shelter. That’s when I realized I’ve got to buckle in, because I can’t have my potential kids going through what I’m going through now,” he told WHYY. Richard Jenkins got the support of a nonprofit after-school program called Mighty Writers that he attended mid-school. The program helped him with his writing skills, allowing him to apply to competitive and selective high schools to further his education.

He struggled hard and finally got accepted at Girard College in Pennsylvania, United States, a full-scholarship boarding high school for students from single-parent families with limited financial resources.

Throughout his academic studies at Girad College, Richard Jenkins spared no course as he cleared them all with straight-A’s

12

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Two New Actions to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis

Courtesy of the U.S. Dept. of Education

Our nation’s young people are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis.

Even before the pandemic, rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among youth were on the rise. The pandemic exacerbated those issues, disrupting learning, relationships, and routines and increasing isolation—especially among our nation’s young people.

More than 40% of teenagers state that they struggle with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and more than half of parents and caregivers express concern over their children’s mental wellbeing.

To address this crisis, President Joe Biden put forward in his first State of the Union address a comprehensive national strategy to tackle our mental health crisis, and called for a major transformation in how mental health is understood, accessed, treated, and integrated—in and out of health care settings.

On July 29, the Biden-Harris Administration announced two new actions to strengthen school-based mental health services and address the youth mental health crisis.

Awarding the first of nearly $300 million the President secured through the FY2022 bipartisan omnibus agreement to expand access to mental health services in schools.

Next week, the Department of Education will begin the process to disburse almost $300 million Congress appropriated in FY22 through both the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the FY22 Omnibus to help schools hire more mental health professionals and build a strong pipeline into the profession for the upcoming school year.

In total, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will invest $1 billion over the next five years in mental health supports in our schools, making progress towards the President’s goal to double the number of school counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals. This funding is allocated to two critical programs: • The Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant Program.

In FY22, this program will provide over $140 million in competitive grants to support a strong pipeline into the mental health profession, including innovative partnerships to prepare qualified schoolbased mental health services providers for employment in schools.

• School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) Services Grant Program. In FY22, this program will provide over $140 million in competitive grants to states and school districts to increase the number of qualified mental health services provid-

ers delivering school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies with demonstrated need. This will increase the number of school psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals serving our students.

Some schools will gain mental health staff for the first time. Others will see this critical workforce expand. By increasing the number of qualified mental health professionals in our schools, and thereby reducing the number of students each provider serves, this program will meaningfully improve access to mental health services for vulnerable students.

In the following months, the Biden Administration will deliver the following additional FY22 funding that can be used to expand access to mental health services and supports in schools: • Fostering Trauma-Informed Services in Schools. Young people have been especially impacted by the trauma of COVID. Over the next several weeks, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will begin evaluating applications to award nearly $7 million to education activities designed to help students access evidence-based and culturally relevant trauma support services and mental health

care. Applications were submitted on July 25, 2022, and award announcements will be made this fall. The grant funds will help create partnerships that link school systems with local trauma-informed support and mental health systems to provide services to students in need.

• Expanding Mental Health Services Through Full-Service Community Schools. The Biden-Harris Administration has proposed expanding funding for community schools, which play a critical role in providing comprehensive services to students and families to improve academic outcomes and student well-being.

Earlier this month, the Department announced plans to award $68 million in funds for 40 new grantees. All grantees are required to provide integrated student services, which can include mental health services and supports.

• Responding to Childhood Trauma Associated with Community Violence. The FY22 omnibus included $5 million for the Department of Education’s Project Prevent, a program that provides grants to help school districts increase their capacity to implement community- and schoolbased strategies to mitigate community violence and the impacts on students.

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Experiencing or witnessing violence in the community is an adverse childhood experience linked to chronic health issues, including mental health. Project Prevent seeks to build a bridge between schools and community-based organizations to provide students with the tools to break cycles of generational violence and trauma, including through the use of mental health services and supports.

Encouraging Governors to Invest More in School-Based Mental Health Services.

In a letter sent on July 29, 2022, to governors across the country, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services highlight federal resources available to states and schools to invest in mental health services for students.

The joint letter from Secretaries Becerra and Cardona highlights actions by the Biden-Harris Administration to improve the delivery of health care in schools and make sure children enrolled in Medicaid have access to comprehensive health care services, as required by law.

The letter also previews forthcoming Medicaid guidance on how states can leverage Medicaid funding to deliver critical mental health care services to more students, including ways to make it easier

to bill Medicaid for these services.

Building on Progress These actions build upon earlier investments and announcements designed to expand access to mental health services for youth and further President Biden’s Unity Agenda. In just 18 months, President Biden has invested unprecedented resources in addressing the mental health crisis and providing young people the supports, resources, and care they need.

Through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the Biden-Harris Administration has invested over $5 billion in funding through HHS to expand access to mental health and substance use services, and school districts are estimated to use an additional $2 billion in Department of Education ARP Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to hire more school psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals in K-12 schools.

And the President’s FY23 budget proposes over $27 billion in discretionary funding and another $100 billion in mandatory funding over 10 years to implement his national mental health strategy.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

24-year-old man who worked as a waste collector to fund his education

graduates from US university, set to become Doctor of Law

By Scholarship Region

An exceptional 24-year-old man named Rehan Staton has finally bagged a Doctor of Law degree from the prestigious Harvard Law School in the United States.

Rehan Staton in his early academic journey faced challenges funding his education. Before gaining admission into Harvard Law School, he worked as a waste collector to fund his Bachelor of Arts degree program at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, United States.

Speaking on how he struggled to secure funds for his education, Rehan Staton narrated that he spent years waking up in the early morning hours to collect trash before attending class at the University of Maryland.

He recalled that the job left him no time to shower and that he often sat in the back of his lecture halls to steer clear of classmates. He also narrated that his father and brother sacrificed a lot for him to achieve success in his academic journey.

“My mom abandoned my dad, my brother and I when she moved back to Sri Lanka. I was probably too young to notice some of the things that happened, but I know it was bad,” Staton told the newspaper.

“Things just kept falling on us. My dad lost his job at one point and had to start

working three jobs in order to provide for us. It got to the point where I barely got to see my father, and a lot of my childhood was very lonely.” Staton narrated further.

Staton however struggled hard and had to sign up as a sanitation worker after get-

ting lots of rejections from colleges in the United States. He later got recommended by a professor at Bowie State University and later transferred to the University of Maryland where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in History.

Studying in the United States offers you to a lot of opportunities. At Scholarship Region, we keep track of Scholarship opportunities around the world to inform and remind you whenever they are available. We share a lot of opportunities in our

WhatsApp group, join the group using THIS LINK to explore these opportunities.

Several scholarship opportunities are ongoing in Europe, USA, UK and Canada to explore. Here are some ongoing scholarships you should check out; After graduating in 2018, Staton took an analyst job at a consulting firm in Washington D.C. He eventually applied to law school and was accepted to Harvard Law School, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California and Pepperdine University. (Georgetown University; New York University; the University of California, Berkeley; and UCLA placed him on their waitlist.)

He however decided to enrol at Harvard Law School for his Doctor of Law (JD) Certification. A fundraiser which generated over $46,000 was secured for Rehan Staton and according to his LinkedIn profile, he is set to graduate as a Doctor of Law in June 2023.

“When I look back at my experiences, I like to think that I made the best of the worst situation. Each tragedy I faced forced me out of my comfort zone, but I was fortunate enough to have a support system to help me thrive in those predicaments,” Staton told CNN.

Vatican: Moment is Ripe for Serious Consideration of the Harms of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Meeting with Global Reparations Leaders Outlined Next Steps for Repair and Healing NNPA Newswire

Rome, Italy – A group of global reparations leaders met with the Vatican this week to discuss the Catholic Church’s role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and the need for the Church to formally address its role with a Papal reparations commission and financial retribution for descendants of enslaved Africans.

The Global Circle for Reparations and Healing (GCRH) a delegation of reparations leaders arrived in Rome, led by Kamm Howard, Director of Reparations United; and included Dr. Ron Daniels, convenor of the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC); Dr. Amara Enyia, strategist for the GCRH, and Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of the 1619 Project.

They met with Bishop Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council of Culture, at the Vatican.

The group delivered a presentation outlining the harms and offenses of the Church regarding the Transatlantic slave trade and slavery.

The presentation also referenced the legacy of those harms and offenses, and reparations measures that are needed for full repair.

“The effects of the Transatlantic slave trade, and the harms inflicted on our ancestors continue to cause systemic damage to this day,” said Kamm Howard, Director of Reparations United, who is co-convener of the GCHR. “The Catholic Church has admitted that it played a role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and the purpose of our meeting was to provide a roadmap to allow us to

move forward toward true reparatory justice. The focus now will be on continued conversations to move the work forward to ensure repair becomes a reality.”

During the meeting, Bishop Tighe suggested that the moment is “ripe” for the presentation to be seriously considered by the Church under the guidance of Pope Francis.

He cited Pope Francis’s encyclical

14

Fratelli Tutti as evidence of the Pontiff’s commitment to explore issues of justice, equality, and reconciliation.

Bishop Tighe agreed to share the presentation to leaders within the Church and offered suggestions for initiating a process for moving forward with talks.

“When talking about slavery, particularly the Transatlantic slave trade and its after-effects, there are certain institutions

that directly benefitted and continue to reap those benefits,” said Dr. Ron Daniels, convenor of NAARC and co-convenor of the GCRH. “Our goal is to hold those institutions accountable and ensure that they play a major role in helping to repair the communities that have been harmed. I am encouraged by the conversation with Bishop Tighe and look forward to creating real change for African descendants of enslavement throughout the diaspora.”

Also present at the Vatican meeting were representatives of other GCRH organizations and supporters representing the Global African Congress (U.K.), Black Europe Summer School (Netherlands), Nia Foundation (Netherlands), First Repair (U.S.), Questa E Roma (Italy), and the African Future Action Lab (Europe).

In August, the group will travel to Accra, Ghana with nearly 100 other global reparations activists to learn from each other in efforts at “building a global culture of repair and healing.”

Additionally, they will meet with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and address, among other things, the expanding the role of African nations in discussions about the global reparations’ movement.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August , 2022 - August 2022 INNER-CITY NEWS July 27,242016 - August 02, 30, 2016

Construction

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield CT work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valWe offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits id drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621Contact: Tom Dunay VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE 1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Phone: 860- 243-2300 HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom this develAffiatrmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to applyapartments Drug Free Workforce opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven.

Maximum income limitations apAffirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon reGarrity Asphalt Incduring seeks: CT Fence quest by calling HOMEReclaiming, INC at 203-562-4663 those hours.Large Completed pre- Company looking for an individual for our Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing PVC Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third and clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the Northtrain the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. east & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. Use of CNC Router machine a plus but not required, will train the right person. This is an in-shop production poContact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 sition. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and Email: rick.touMust have a valid CT driver’s license & be able to obtain signant@garrityasphalt.com VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDESmore.

DISPONIBLES a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply drug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com.

Affirmative Action/deEqual Opportunity HOME INC, en nombre la Columbus House y Employer de la New Haven Housing Authority, está AA/EOE-MF aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipjulio,Must 2016have hastaacuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes ment.

CDL License, clean driving record, capable of (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas porSeeking correo atopetición operating heavyde equipment; be willing to travel throughout the employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberánand remitirse Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits operator teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT personal 06510 . transportation and a valid drivers license reReliable

NOTICE

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

NOTICIA

Union Company seeks:

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

NEW HAVEN

Construction

quired. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V

242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

Drug Free Workforce

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Elm City Communities, the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (ECC/HANH) is proposing to amend sections of its Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Administrative Plan (Admin Plan).

The thirty (30) days comment period begins on Monday, August 1, 2022, and ends on August 30, 2022.

Copies of the amendment to the HCV Administrative Plan will be made available on Monday, August 1, 2022 on the agency website www.elmcitycommunities.org or via Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities or via Facebook www.facebook.com/ ElmCityCommunities You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: ECC/HANH, Admin Plan Revisions; Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

A public hearing where public comments will be accepted and recorded is scheduled for Monday, August 29, 2022 at 4:00pm via RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/9759 43490?pw=2e34ff6769797e68e96a95bb953d0d81

Meeting ID: 975943490 / Password: yozWY5m3ib Or Phone: +12679304000 United States (Philadelphia, PA) Access Code / Meeting ID: 975943490 Dial-in password: 9699956342 Any individual requiring a Reasonable Accommodation to participate in the hearing may call the Reasonable Accommodation Manager (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 or at the TDD Number (203) 497-8434.

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARA

Invitation to Bid: nd State of Connecticut 2 Notice Office of Policy and Management

LAS COMUNIDADES DE LA CIUDAD DE ELM/AUTORIDAD DE VIVIENDA DE NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH) ENMIENDA PROPUESTA AL PLAN ADMINISTRATIVO DE AVC (PLAN ADMIN)

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE Elm City Communities, la Autoridad de Vivienda de la Ciudad de New Haven (ECC/

HANH) Old Saybrook, CTpropone modificar secciones de su Plan Administrativo de Vales de Elección de Vivienda (4ofBuildings, 17 Units)(HCV) (Plan Admin).

The State of Connecticut, Office Policy and Management is recruiting Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage de Rate Project de treinta (30) días comienza el lunes 1 de agosto de 2022 y El período comentarios

for a Research Analyst. finaliza el 30 de agosto de 2022.

Further informationWood regarding the Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, CastNew Construction, Framed, duties, eligibility requirements and Las copias de la enmienda al Plan Administrativo de HCV estarán disponibles el lunes 1 in-place Concrete, application instructions for this AsphaltdeShingles, agosto deVinyl 2022Siding, en el sitio web de la agencia www.elmcitycommunities.org o a través positionPainting, are available at: 10 Specialties, Flooring, Division Appliances, Residential Casework, de Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities o a través de Facebook www.facebook.com/ ElmCityCommunities Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= This contract is subject to state set-asideSe andle contract compliance requirements. invita a proporcionar comentarios por escrito dirigidos a: ECC/HANH, Revisiones 220512&R2=6855AR&R3=001

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR

THE ELM CITY COMMUNITIES/HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH) PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE HCV ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN (ADMIN PLAN)

del plan de administración; Atención: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT

The State of Connecticut is an equal 06511August o por correo Bid Extended, Due Date: 5, 2016electrónico a: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org. opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the Anticipated applications Start: August 15, 2016 Una audiencia pública donde se aceptarán y registrarán los comentarios públicos está proof women, minorities, and persons Project documents available via ftp linkelbelow: gramada para lunes 29 de agosto de 2022 a las 4:00 p. m. a través de RingCentral: with disabilities.

https://v.ringcentral.com/join/975943490?pw=2e34ff6769797e68e96a95bb953d0d81 http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

Identificación de la reunión: 975943490 Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com DRIVER CDLtheCLASS HCC encourages participation of A all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Contraseña: yozWY5m3ib Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 Full Time –Haynes All Construction Shifts Top

Pay-Full BenefitsAA/EEO EMPLOYER

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Office, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

EOE Please apply in person: 1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. Stratford, CT 06615

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

15

O teléfono: +12679304000 Estados Unidos (Filadelfia, PA) Código de acceso / ID de reunión: 975943490 Contraseña de marcación: 9699956342

Cualquier persona que requiera una Adaptación Razonable para participar en la audiencia puede llamar al Gerente de Adaptación Razonable (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 o al Número TDD (203) 497-8434.

INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS- July 27, 24 2016 - August 02, 30, 2016 THE INNER-CITY August , 2022 - August 2022

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

Invitation for Bid (IFB) NOTICE Fireside Apts. New Laundry Room Solicitation Number: 216-MD-22-S

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed forof Renovation UFAS Compliance Laundry Room Authority, at Fireside HOME INC, onbids behalf Columbusfor House and the New Haven Housing Apartments. package be and available on July 11, 2022. To at obtain a copy is acceptingSolicitation pre-applications forwill studio one-bedroom apartments this develof opment the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitationsplease apreference solicitation number title onfrom the subject line.

A pre-bid conference ply. Pre-applications will beand available 9AM TO 5PM beginning Mondaywill Ju;ybe held 655 Palisade Ave,when Bridgeport, CT pre-applications 06610 on July 27,(approximately 2022 @ 10:00 100) a.m. Atten25,at2016 and ending sufficient have dance mandatory, submitting for the project without attending conference beenis received at the offices aofbid HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon will rebe quest REJECTED. questions should beduring emailed onlyhours. to bids@parkcitycomby callingAdditional HOME INC at 203-562-4663 those Completed premunities.org no later than August 3, 2022 at 3:00 PM Answers to all the questions will applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. until August 10, 2022 @ 10:00 a.m. at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Splicer / Electrician –

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está Company for aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y Telecommunications apartamentos de un dormitorio en estelooking desarrollo low voltage cable a CNew or T license, specializing in fusion/splicubicado en la calleinstaller 109 Frankwith Street, Haven.

Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos ing, testing Las andpre-solicitudes termination.estarán Also must be familiar with allcomenzando aspects of Martes indoor25& máximos. disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. outdoor cable installation, bucket work, pole work,(aproximadamente messenger, lashing, julio, 2016 hasta cuando se hanaerial recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes 100) manhole & underground $70,000 - $90,000 salaryporwith fulla benefits. en las oficinas de HOME installation.

INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas correo petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Street, terceror piso, Newto Haven , CT 06510 .

Fax resume toOrange 860-282-0424 mail Fibre Optic Plus, LLC 585 Nutmeg Road North, South Windsor, CT 06074 Attn: Don Ballsieper - Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Listing: Commercial Driver

NEW HAVEN

Full Time Class B driver for a fast paced petroleum company for days and weekends.

Previous experience required.

Competitive wage, 401(k) and benefits. Send resume to: 242-258 Fairmont Ave HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA com

All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer********** highways, near bus stop & shopping center Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer HOUSING AUTHORITY OFa Deacon’s THE CITY OF DANBURY Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates Audit Services RFP No. P22004

in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

SCOPE:

The Housing Authority of the City of Danbury hereby issues this Request for Proposal to secure a contract to perform Audit Services

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour SUBMITTAL until 3:00 PROPOSAL pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at itsRETURN: office at 28 Smith Street, Housing Authority of the of Danbury, 2 Mill Ridge and Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 Seymour, CT 06483 for City Concrete Sidewalk Repairs Replacement at the Envelope Must be Marked: RFP No. P22004, Audit Services Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith September 8th, at 10:00am (EST) Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am,2022 on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

RFP DOCUMENTATION: Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority OfGo to: www.hacdct.org “Bidding Opportunities” fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

[Minority- and/or women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond]

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the

APPLY NOW! Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DELIVERY PERSON

NEEDED Must Have your Own Vehicle If Interested call

Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

(203) 435-1387

Town of Bloomfield Assistant Building Official

$39.80 hourly

Pre-employment drug testing.

AA/EOE. For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR

THE ELM CITY COMMUNITIES/HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH) PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE FAMILY SELF SUFFICIENCY (FSS) ACTION PLAN Elm City Communities, the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (ECC/HANH) is proposing to amend the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Action Plan. This plan governs all activities for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program.

The comment period begins on August 1, 2022, and ends on August 30, 2022.

Copies of the amendment to the FSS Action Plan will be made available on Monday, August 1, 2022 on the agency website www.elmcitycommunities.org or via Twitter, www. twitter.com/ECCommunities or via Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: ECC/HANH, FSS Action Plan Revisions; Attn: LaToya Mills or Melody Ramos, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: lmccrea@elmcitycommunities.org or mramos@elmcitycommuities. org.

A public hearing where public comments will be accepted and recorded is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30, 2022, at 4:00pm via RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/13 6944979?pw=2fcfea64113c9b72f3379688df9cb2a8 Meeting ID: 136944979 Password: eadfoQq0u9 One tap to join audio only from a smartphone: +12679304000,,136944979#,,3233677089# United States (Philadelphia, PA) Or dial: +12679304000 United States (Philadelphia, PA) Access Code / Meeting ID: 136944979 Dial-in password: 3233677089 Any individual requiring a Reasonable Accommodation to participate in the hearing may call the Reasonable Accommodation Manager (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 or at the TDD Number (203) 497-8434.

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARA LAS COMUNIDADES DE LA AUTORIDAD Invitation to Bid: DE VIVIENDA DE LA CIUDAD DE NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH) nd 2 Notice PROPUESTA DE ENMIENDA AL PLAN DE ACCION DEL Town of Bloomfield SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE PROGRAMA DE AUTOSUFICIENCIA FAMILIAR (FSS) Old Saybrook, CT Assistant Director of (4 Buildings,La17comunidad Units) de Elm City, Autoridad de Vivienda de la Ciudad de New Haven (ECC/ HANH) propone modificar el Plan de Accion del programa de Autosuficiencia Familiar Exempt &Use Not Prevailing Wage Building &TaxLand (FSS).

EsteRate planProject rige todas las actividades del Programa de Autosuficiencia Famliar.

El Selective período deDemolition, comentarios comienzaCastel 1 de Augusto de 2022 y finaliza el 30 de Augusto New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Site-work, Salary Range de 2022. Las copias de la enmienda al Plan de Accion de Autosuficiencia Familiar estarán in-place Concrete, Asphaltdisponibles Shingles, Vinyl Siding, el Lunes 1 de Augusto de 2022 en la pagina web de la agencia www.elmci$79,596 to $122,857 Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential tycommunities.org o a travésCasework, de Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities o a través de Facebook Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities Fire Protection.

Pre-employment drug testing.

This contractAA/EOE. is subject to state set-aside Se andle contract compliance requirements. invita a dirigir comentarios por escrito a: ECC/HANH, Revisiones al Plan de Accion

For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org

de FSS; Atención: LaToya Mills o Melody Ramos, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT

06511 o por 5, correo Bid Extended, Due Date: August 2016electrónico a: lmccrea@elmcitycommunities.org or mramos@elmcitycommunities.org.

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Town of Bloomfield Project documents available via ftp linkpública below:donde se aceptarán y registrarán los comentarios públicos está proUna audiencia gramada para el martes 30 de Augusto de 2022 a las 4:00 p.m. a través de la aplicacion http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Assistant Director of de RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/136944979?pw=2fcfea64113c9b72f337968

8df9cb2a8 Human Resources Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com

Identificación de la reunión: 136944979 HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Contraseña: eadfoQq0u9 Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER O teléfono: 136944979Estados Unidos (Filadelfia, PA)

Salary Range

$79,596 to $122,857

Pre-employment drug testing.

AA/EOE. For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org

16

Código de acceso / No. de reunión: 136944979 Contraseña de marcación: 3233677089

Cualquier individuo que requiera una Acomodacion Razonable para participar en la audiencia puede llamar al Gerente de Acomodacion Razonable al (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 o al Número TDD (203) 497-8434.

INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS- August July 27,24 2016 - August 02, 2016 THE INNER-CITY , 2022 - August 30, 2022

FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC

The Wallingford Fire Department is seeking qualified applicants for Firefighter/Paramedic. $1,122.64 weekly plus an excellent fringe benefits package. The written exam and oral exam process will be administered by the Town of Wallingford. To apply, candidates must register through the firefighterapp.com , once on the site go to firefighter jobs VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE and locate the link for Wallingford. The registration/application deadline is September 2, 2022. The registration requires a fee of $35.00 (online with firefighterapps.com). EOE

NOTICE

HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y Municipal electric utility when is seeking a highly skilled maintenance electrician with ex25, 2016 and ending sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have tensive substation experience to maintain and repair transmission and distribution been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon reclass switchgear, bus-work, lightning arrestors, protective relays, insulators, switches quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed prepower transformers, data circuits, controls and other related components. Must be a be returned at 171inOrange Street, Third highapplications school/trademust school graduate to andHOME have 4INC’s years’offices experience the maintenance and Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. operation of electric utility substations and/or utility grade protection and control sys-

ELECTRICIAN

tems. Completion of a recognized four (4) year maintenance electrician apprenticeship program may substitute for the experience requirement. Two (2) years of college-level education or advanced training in related field may substitute for two (2) years of the experience requirement. Must possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license issued MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES by theVALENTINA State of Connecticut and be able to obtain with 6 months of hire a valid Protective Switching and Tagging Procedure certification from CONVEX or other approved HOMEWage INC, en nombre de la Houseplus y de la Havenfringe Housing Authority, está agency. rate: $37.78 to Columbus $41.67 hourly anNew excellent benefi t package. aceptando pre-solicitudes para Resources, estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo Apply: Department of Human Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, ubicado enCT la calle 109Applications Frank Street,will New aplican limitaciones de ingresos Wallingford, 06492. beHaven. mailed Se upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may beestarán downloaded from 09 thea.m.-5 Department of Human Martes Resources máximos.

Las pre-solicitudes disponibles p.m. comenzando 25 Web Page.

Orhasta emailed to: se wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by the closing date of September julio, 2016 cuando han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) 14, en 2022.

Phone: de (203) 294-2080 / Fax: (203) 294-2084. las oficinas HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán EOE enviadas por correo a petición

NOTICIA

llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

DEPUTY TAX COLLECTOR-

The Town of East Haven seeks a qualified candidate to fill this is a highly responsible position involving the collection and recording of municipal taxes. Qualified candidates should possess an Associate's Degree in business administration or related field plus two (2) years of responsible accounting and bookkeeping work or an equivalent combination of education and experience. One year of working in a tax office is preferred. Must have valid class 3 Connecticut Driver's License. The salary for this position is $59,556/year, 35 hours per week and the Town offers an excellent benefit package. Applications are available online at https://www.

242-258 Fairmont Ave townofeasthavenct.org/civil-service-commission/pages/job-notices-and-tests.

Please send application, cover letter and resume to: Town of East Haven, Michelle Benivegna, 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA Human Resource Department, 250 Main Street, East Haven, CT 06512 or MBenivegAll new apartments, Deadline new appliances, carpet, I-91Town & I-95 na@townofeasthavenct.org. to apply new is August 23,close 2022.toThe of East & shopping centerMinorities, females, Haven is committed tohighways, building anear workbus forcestop of diverse individuals. handicapped and veterans are encouraged apply.contact The Town of @ East Haven is an equal Pet under 40lb allowed.

Interestedtoparties Maria 860-985-8258 opportunity employer.

NEW HAVEN

Construction

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:30Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and 3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Bishop Elijah Davis, Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Churchtransporta64 Brewster teamster tradesHost, forGeneral a heavy outside workD.D.statewide.

Reliable personal

tionSt.and a valid New Haven, CT drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Drug Free Workforce

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour

until Town 3:00 pm on 2, 2016 at its officeaccepting at 28 Smith Street, The ofTuesday, EastAugust Haven is currently applica-

Seymour, 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs andServices Replacement at the tions to fillCTthe position of Clerk in the Social DepartSmithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour. ment. The salary for this position is 42,452/year and the Town offers an excellent benefits package. Information regarding A pre-bid conference will duties be held at Housing Authority Office 28 Smith qualifi cations and job aretheavailable with the application Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. at https://www.townofeasthavenct.org/civil-service-commission/ pages/job-notices-and-tests The Town of East Haven is commitdocuments are available from the individuals.

Seymour Housing Authority OftedBidding to building a workforce of diverse Minorities, Fefice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. males, Handicapped and Veterans are encouraged to apply.

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

The Manchester Housing Authority will open the State of Connecticut Congregate Housing waiting list for Westhill Gardens Congregate. The property consists of 37 1-BR units designated for frail seniors age 62 or older. Up to 150 applicants chosen by lottery will be added onto the waiting list. Applications are available at the MHA office and website at http://manchesterha.org and will be accepted online, by mail, or by drop box at 24 Bluefield Drive Manchester, CT 06040. Applications will be accepted August 15, 2022 8AM – September 16, 2022 at 4PM. FY 2022 Low-Income (80%) Limit

!

1 person

2 persons

3 persons

4 persons

62,600

71,500

80,450

89,400

The Manchester Housing Authority does not discriminate based upon race, color, disability, familial status, sex or national origin.

Construction

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

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Drug Free Workforce

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids Robert T. Wolfe Generator Replacement Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for Robert T. Wolfe Generator Replacement. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.

Invitation to Bid: com/gateway beginning on nd

2 Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE Monday, August 1, 2022 at 3:00PM.

!

Town of Bloomfield Director of Information Technology & Innovation/Chief Technology Officer

$87,727 to $136,071

(expected starting pay maximum is mid-range) Pre-employment drug testing.

For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org Deadline: Applications will be accepted until sufficient applications are received

SENIOR ADMINITRATIVE

ASSISTANT Full-time position

Go to www.portlandct.org for details

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units) Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing RateofProject TheWage Town East Haven is currently accepting applications to

Town of Bloomfield Director of Building

participate in the examinations for the following positions:

For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

Information regarding qualifications and job duties are available along with the

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castand Land Use in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles,Secretary Vinyl Siding, II, Grade Level 10-$21.36/hour. $101,455 to $156,599 Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Account Clerk, Grade Level 10-$42,452/year (expected starting pay Electrical, Plumbing andGeneral Fire Protection. maximumMechanical, is mid-range) Clerk, Grade Level 10-$42,452/year Pre-employment drugtotesting.

This contract is subject state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

application Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5,online 2016 at https://www.townofeasthavenct.org/civil-service-commission/ pages/job-notices-and-tests or from the Civil Service Office, 250 Main Street, East Deadline: Applications will beAnticipated accepted until Start: August 15, 2016 Haven and must be returned by August 30, 2022. The Town of East Haven is comsufficient applications are received Project documents available viatoftpbuilding link below: mitted a workforce of diverse individuals. http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

Portland

Minorities, Females, Handicapped and Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran,Ducci S/W/MBEElectrical & Section 3 Certified Businesses Inc. seeks experienced ESTIMATOR to handle mulContractors, Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, tiple large projectsCT in 06483 the field of Electrical Construction. Full-time position. 5+ years AA/EEO EMPLOYER experience in the following types of projects is preferred: Health care, Data centers, Educational, Industrial, Commercial, DOT, & Railroad. Electrical license E-2 or above preferred. Excellent compensation and benefits package. Send resume to Ducci Electrical Contractors, Inc. 74 Scott Swamp Rd. Farmington, CT 06032 or via email at humanresources@duccielectrical.com.

Go to www.portlandct.org for details An affirmative action equal opportunity employer. EOE/M/F/D/V.

Director of Public Works full-time

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

Black America Benefits from President Biden Signing Inflation Reduction Act

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed the historic $750 billion Inflation Reduction Act into law, a major accomplishment for the administration and a Democratic Party that’s now looking with more optimism toward November’s crucial midterm elections.

The bill represents the most significant climate investment in U.S. history.

It includes strengthening critical provisions of the Affordable Care Act, providing Medicare with authority to negotiate certain prescription drug costs, and administration officials anticipate it will create jobs with family-sustaining wages.

Additionally, the law will reduce the national deficit.

Biden said new taxes would pay for the bill, including a 15% minimum tax on large corporations and a 1% tax on stock buyback.

Overall, it’s projected that the measure would result in the government raking in more than $700 billion over ten years while spending about $430 billion to help reduce carbon emissions and securing the extension of subsidies in the health care law.

“This legislation is a game changer. It will create jobs, lower costs, increase U.S. competitiveness, reduce air pollution, and, of course, tackle the climate crisis,” former Vice President Al Gore told The Climate 202.

“We have crossed a major threshold, and it’s going to have significant impacts on

international climate action,” said Gore, long a crusader of environmental justice and a Nobel Prize winner for climate activism.

The new law should primarily assist African American families.

According to a study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Black households are more exposed to inflation fluctuations than their white peers.

Researchers concluded that if prices paid by white households increase by 7 percent over a year, calculations suggest that one may expect them to increase by 7.5 percent for Black families.

“In our research, we examine how this informs the trade-off between inflation and unemployment stabilization for White and Black households,” the study authors explained.

“The result implies that when evaluating trade-offs between inflation and unemployment, one ought to keep in mind that the costs of inflation may be borne disproportionately by the more disadvantaged group.”

With gas, food, and other prices rising, the authors concluded that necessities such as groceries, electricity, and wireless phone service make up a larger share of Black families’ budgets.

The study said that Black households also spend a more significant portion of their income on goods and services with prices that change more often.

The result, according to researchers, isn’t a mystery: “Black families will suffer the worst effects of rising inflation because they lag behind their White counterparts in income, wealth, financial savings and home ownership.”

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr, NNPA Presi-

dent and CEO, emphasized, “Black America will definitely benefit economically and socially from the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act. President Biden continues to keep his promise to our families and communities across the nation.

We also note that Black-owned businesses, including the Black Press of America, will also have increased opportunities to expand economic development, innovation, advertising, and new workforce advances as a direct result of the Inflation Reduction Act.” “Black families, especially those without an employed college graduate, are affected the most by inflation compared with all the other demographics,” said Ellie Walters, the CEO of Findpeoplefaster.com.

“Necessities like groceries, accommodation, gas, electricity bills and phone bills eat up most of their income, leaving them with fewer savings since most of them fall

within the low-income groups,” Walters stated.

She said Black families are affected by even the slightest increase in price, and with the rising recession, many might have to live without most of these necessities.

“A large number of Black families live paycheck to paycheck and cannot easily escape the constantly increasing wealth gap between them and the other demographics, especially the white,” Walters remarked.

“Inflation often makes this dilemma worse, since during inflation, wages are cut, and workers are laid off. These lowincome earners, largely made up of Black community members, are trapped by an economic cycle that seems rigged against them.”

Ronda Brunson, an expert in financial planning and credit restoration at Project Restore Bmore, agreed that Black households would continue to feel the impact of rising inflation.

“Most Black homes with car notes are paying double-digit interest rates, same for credit cards. Yet, we are not conditioned to go for better but to be grateful for whatever approval without contesting,” Brunson asserted.

“If I am already paying three times more than you for the same vehicle, then of course, when inflation occurs, I’m going to feel it first.”

According to the Brookings Institute, the median wealth of a white household is $188,200, which is 7.8 times more than the average Black household at $24,100.

Two years ago, the homeownership rate for white Americans was about 73% compared to 42% for Black Americans.

White House Releases New Policy Goals for Sub-Saharan Africa

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The White House has released broad new policy goals for sub-Saharan Africa, with the Biden-Harris administration seeking to tie democratic, economic, and security progress to that region and U.S. national security.

“Sub-Saharan Africa plays a critical role in advancing global priorities to the benefit of Africans and Americans,” a senior White House official stated.

“The region will factor prominently in efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic; tackle the climate crisis; reverse the global tide of democratic backsliding; address global food insecurity; promote gender equity and equality; strengthen an open and stable international system; shape the rules of the world on vital issues like trade, cyber, and emerging technologies; and confront the threat of terrorism, conflict, and transnational crime.”

In outlining the new strategy, administra-

through non-military approaches, but they wouldn’t rule out military intervention.

The administration’s policy pledges assistance for Africa in dealing with the climate crisis, and among the overall goals is regaining Africa’s trust in U.S. global leadership.

“The strategy is very serious about how do we integrate Africa into other global forums because of the importance of their voice,” an administration official stated.

“And it’s about thinking more holistically about our military engagement, how it’s paired with economic inclusion, political development and democracy, and open societies, as well as trade and investment.”

tion officials contended that greater openness and democracy would help counter harmful activities by China, Russia, and other opposition governments.

The administration believes that Beijing views Sub-Saharan Africa as an “arena to challenge the rules-based international order, advance its own narrow commercial and geopolitical interests, and weaken U.S. relations with African peoples and governments.”

The policy outlines how the administration believes Russia “views the region as a permissive environment for parastatals and private military companies, often fomenting instability for strategic and financial benefit.”

“We’re incredibly concerned about the role of Russian mercenaries,” one administration official stated.

According to the White House, nearly 70 percent of Africans strongly support democracy.

Officials said the U.S. strategy intends to increase efforts at fighting terrorism

The official continued: “And then, again, I think one of the things this strategy realizes is the continent is increasingly urban, increasingly young, and increasingly connected. And so, a number of the policies that we’ve already started to implement or intend to implement really do reflect that changing landscape.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 24, 2022 - August 30, 2022

Lee Rubin, MD

Your joint replacement calls for the greatest of care.

If you’ve been putting off joint replacement surgery, it’s time to stop living with pain and start feeling like yourself again. At Yale New Haven Hospital, our renowned orthopedic surgery specialists offer a comprehensive range of joint replacement techniques, including minimally invasive surgery that uses tiny incisions to help protect soft tissues and ligaments from damage and accelerate your recovery with less pain. Because Yale New Haven Hospital is committed to treating you with the greatest of care.

Find your Orthopedic Specialist today: 888-700-6543

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