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Black Corner Store Up For Sale THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

by ALLAN APPEL

The new haven independent

The Black Corner Store on Edgewood Avenue isn’t closing. For now. But it is up for sale, as Kenia and Michael Massey try to find a way to keep their neighborhood storefront afloat as both a for-profit business and a nonprofit hub for classes in financial literacy and other community resources. That’s the latest with the shop/nonprofit that the Masseys have run at 277 Edgewood Ave. since 2021. Facing the increasing financial burden of rent and electricity and other costs associated with running their neighborhood business, the Masseys had considered shuttering The Black Corner Store entirely earlier this month. An outpouring of community support and a renewed recognition of the importance of continuing to do what they do in the Dwight neighborhood has led them to take a new approach: try to sell the forprofit part of their business, so that they can keep running their nonprofit in the same spot. This recent re-evaluation of The Black Corner Store’s future came after the Masseys were not successful in the third round of their application for a major grant from the state’s Community Investment Fund. Success would have enabled them finally to buy the building, at Platt Street on Edgewood, right by the Troup School. As a nonprofit landlord, had they been successful, they then had hoped build apartments above and then renovate and rent some of the substantial street-level and basement commercial space below to local businesses or nonprofits. That had been the thrust of the unsuccessful $2.8 million application. In this manner the Masseys would liberate themselves from being overwhelmed by the sky-high rent and upkeep which make it so hard especially for small, minorityowned businesses to succeed in New Haven. The good news is that they are not giving up. “Our biggest focus is the big impact we’ve made on the community,” Kenia Massey said around 3:00 p.m. Thursday as the door to the cozy, warm store, with welcoming red banquettes, kept opening and closing. As kids dashed in to buy lemonade, chips, Twinkies, and Swiss Rolls, the Masseys greeted them on a first name-basis and queried about, for example, how their parents were doing, or if they were coming from school. No entry or exit was done silently. No purchase made without some conversation. However brief the friendly hellos, meaningful transactions were taking place. The Masseys, in other words,

A life-long writer, Michael Massey recently published his first novel, available on Amazon.

seemed to be giving a truer, richer meaning to being the mom-and-pop of the Black Corner Store. With the store providing free food if local families were in need, clothing giveaways, help to local residents furnishing their apartments, financial literacy classes to inspire entrepreneurship, after-school homework activities, and a Christmas tree in the store each year and holiday gifts for all the neighborhood kids, it’s no surprise that after a few years “the kids look at us like the mom-and-pop of the neighborhood,” Kenia said. “We’ve got their trust. This community counts on us. I don’t like to give that up.” Yet, with the recent denial of the grant and a killing monthly upkeep ($4,000 for rent; $1,500 for electricity; $450 – 500 for gas; $250 for insurance, and more) “there comes a time when you have to think of your own family,” she said. They gave themselves two months to think about next steps and had decided a month ago to close the store and say farewell. Yet when they put that word out, there was so much support from the community, and, as Michael put it, “You can’t turn your back on these kids,” so the entrepreneurial Masseys have changed their minds and now have a Plan B. They’ve put the business up for sale on Facebook’s Marketplace. The idea is to sell the business to someone with deep enough pockets to fill the shelves, and keep the inventory and thus keep the current, loyal customers and make the business thrive. Kenia Massey (Sample shelf from this reporter's local Walgreen's) . . . a full inventory makes a profitable store, say the Masseys. “Then we would deal only with the non-

Kenia Massey with son and future entrepreneur Mikhae.

profit side,” Kenia said as she pointed to an ample corner of the corner store where the activities and classes would be centered. Could the business succeed? She has no doubt. Customer traffic, even on relatively quiet Edgewood, is not a problem, she reported. Thanks to their programs and planned activities, having an Amazon locker in the store to attract a more diverse clientele, and other entrepreneurial

marketing moves the couple has made. But coming up with $100,000 for inventory? The Masseys simply don’t have it, and when shelves are empty-ish, as they are now because the couple is, to use their phrase, pinching pennies, customers, even devoted loyal ones, soon fall away. However, if a silent partner could invest that much, the Masseys are convinced the place could indeed thrive, whereas now there is no profit in the business – and Kenia works full-time managing the staff of a warehouse in Milford. And with the monthly pressure off, Ke-

nia said they could find the time to refine their vision for the Black Corner Store and apply for an upcoming round of the Community Investment Fund – a simpler ask for purchase of the building alone for non-profit purposes and not the full-scale renovation that had been part of the previous application. What has given hope is that as soon as she placed the business on Facebook’s Marketplace, there has been a blizzard of interest. They’re interviewing people – many potential investors are from out of town – but there are also some who are local, including some who are African American. “The partnership can’t be with just anyone,” Kenia said. “They need to understand our vision, but they have to be able to care for the business.” Right now their top candidate is a local African American guy whom Kenia described as having “a passion for this place, someone who’s not going to push people away.” That had been the case, she recalled, with the three or four previous owners of the business. So that, in addition to service to the community, all the backyard barbecues and picnics and clothing sales and even the classes the Masseys have coordinated over recent years, along with their brotherly and sisterly (and, with kids, parental) style of store-keeping have had the additional impact of bringing customers back. The challenge, she said, is keeping the shelves full, and then people and profits will come. Michael Massey, who grew up around this particular corner store, is particularly passionate about maintaining Black ownership, both because that’s best for the neighborhood and is a model for fostering future generations of young Black entrepreneurs. There were dozens of corner stores in New Haven when he was a little kid, the size of the many he is now serving, he recalled, and none owned by an African American. Their silent partner will need to get all this, along with the importance of demonstrating Black-owned entrepreneurship — what Kenia calls “our vision.” A person of planning, Kenia said that interviewing of buyer-candidates is in progress and they will decide on Dec. 26. Yes, the day after Christmas, a “present to ourselves, new beginnings.” This year, as in years past, she said, there will be a tree in the store for kids to enjoy — many from homes struggling, or homeless, who may not have one of their own. There will be cookies too, but this year, alas, no individual presents; this year they can’t afford them. Anyone interested in more details about the store, its nonprofit entity, Black Corner Store Investments, can go to Facebook’s Marketplace and look for Black Corner LLC.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Tree Lighting Brings Out Ceasefire Protesters, Holiday Revelers by YASH ROY

The new haven independent

Sheelah Howard (left) with her business's eponymous cheesecake.

A GIFT WORTH MELTING FOR! FEBRUARY 8 – 18 • BUSHNELL.ORG GROUPS (10+): 860.987.5959 Miguel Bueno and Mayra Juahuazo, sharing their first time at the tree lighting fest

At the same time that the protest took place, close to a thousand New Haveners gathered for a wholly different reason — to celebrate the kick-off to the holiday season with musical performances, food stalls, and a carousel. Vendors gathered to sell everything from ceramics and t-shirts to kettle corn and cheesecakes throughout the festival. Those vendors included Sheelah Howard, who founded Auntie Sheelah’s cheesecakes right before the pandemic. This tree-lighting ceremony was the first time she sold her sweets at the festival, and it was a big hit. She brought close to 70 cheesecakes to the fest and by 7 p.m. had only five left. “I just love this so much because I love my city and want to show up when it celebrates,” Howard said. “I’m getting to see

people who I’ve met through selling my cheesecakes and meet even more people.” For some, the tree lighting has been a tradition, like mom Tina Zalawski and her kids Joel and Lex Olriveras, who she has been bringing to the tree lighting ceremony since they were babies. “I just love Christmas, and over the years, it’s been a great way to celebrate family and have everyone together,” Zalawski said. “It’s gone from being something I bring my kids to now also bringing my grandkids to, which I love so much.” For others, this tree lighting was their first time, like residents Miguel Bueno and Mayra Juahuazo. “My friends and customers at my business have told me to come for a long time, so we finally did this year, and I’m really happy that we did,” Bueno said.

As close to a thousand people gathered for New Haven’s annual tree-lighting celebration on the Green, hundreds protested mere feet away in support of Gaza and Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem, where there will be no Christmas celebrations due to the ongoing IsraelHamas conflict. Palestinian Christians have canceled all Christmas celebrations in the West Bank, instead calling on Christians across the world to restrict their celebrations and collect donations for the victims of the conflict. Jewish Voices for Peace New Haven and Yalies4Palestine responded to that call Thursday night during New Haven’s annual tree lighting-ceremony, with nearly 350 protesters gathering near the tree. They later marched around the Green, chanting and calling upon New Haven and Connecticut elected officials to support a permanent ceasefire for the conflict. The Jewish Voices for Peace protest was led in part by Rabbi May Ye of the New Haven Mending Minyan, who told the Independent that the protest was her way to “mourn for the dead and fight like hell for the living.” Thursday’s protest marked just marked just the latest effort by New Haveners and Yalies to publicly reckon with and grieve the violence in the Middle East. The protesters alternated between moments of silence and songs that ranged from gospel, the civil rights era, and Jewish liturgy, including Lo Yisa Goy, the Hebrew song whose words translate to “may no nation rise up in war against another nation.” Rev. Allie Perry of the Shalom United Church of Christ was also at the protest and spoke out for the rights of Gaza and Palestinians. “Today we are witnessing another slaughter of innocents, this time in Gaza,” Perry said. “We in this vigil are responding to the cry from Palestinian Christians to act on Jesus’ message and to call for peace, for a permanent end to the war and atrocities in Gaza, and for an end to Israel’s occupation.” Ye also called out New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, Governor Ned Lamont, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro for their continued support of Israel. “I am so disappointed in my elected officials for not speaking out in support of a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s bombings,” Ye said. After the tree was lit, the protestors marched around the Green with chants calling for a ceasefire, admonishing Elicker and Lamont for their support of Israel and denouncements of the Israeli Defense Force. At the end of the protest, organizers from the New Haven Citywide Youth Coalition and Yalies4Palestine also spoke, including a call by both groups for the New Haven Board of Alders to support a resolution during the Board’s meeting in December calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

The Stories Within The Story Julia Sears, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

We begin looking at an empty chair, a few books piled around it and two soft lights on either side. Without fanfare, Kathleen Chalfant takes the stage holding a copy of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. The lights stay up on the audience as Chalfant leans in with familiarity. She states: “This will happen to you.” So begins a 90 minute, intimate exploration of death, memory, and the bargains we make with our own grief. The Year of Magical Thinking, written by Joan Didion, conceived and directed by Jonathan Silverstein and presented by Long Wharf Theatre in partnership with Keen Company runs now until December 10. It will appear at several different venues, some extremely intimate, across New Haven during that time. Didion’s book, from which this production is adapted, recounts the year following her husband John Gregory Dunne’s sudden death in 2003. It was first published by Knopf in October 2005, was a finalist for a 2006 Pulitzer Prize, and was widely lauded for its wry yet moving

T. Charles Erickson Photo.

prose. It was first adapted for the stage in 2007. While a one-person show with little production value about grief may not sound like everyone’s cup of tea, this adaptation and Chalfant’s performance in particular may change your mind. Chalfant-as-Didion begins her story on the night of her husband’s death. She

speaks candidly to the audience about the moment of finding her husband's body, having spoken to him minutes before. She speaks of emergency services, ambulances, times stamps of when each micro event occurred. She speaks of the moment she was approached by a social worker in the hospital leading to her realization, but not internalization, that her husband was

dead. It is here that she first introduces the idea of magical thinking. In its darkest definition, magical thinking is the belief that we have control over our lives. That if we do or say the right thing, then the impossible is not only probable, but guaranteed. In a gentler reading, magical thinking could be the stories we tell ourselves to survive what feels unsurvivable. Didion gives an example in a phone call the morning after her husband passed away in a New York hospital. She gets a call from a friend on the West Coast and her first thought is: “Is John even dead in California?” The three-hour time lag is an opportunity for magic that her heart and mind welcome. Another moment comes when she is unwilling to give away John’s shoes. Chalfant states matter-of-factly: “If he doesn’t have his shoes, how will he come back?” Perhaps as an audience member, you have never lost anyone so close to you, and these premises and small bargains feel like a foreign exercise in delusion. Didion herself proclaims that she’s “going crazy” and won’t reveal to anyone how true her belief is that her husband will come back. But we are all familiar

Republicans Urge Regs Review Committee to Defer to Legislature on New Gas-Powered Car Sales by Hugh McQuaid CTNewsJunkie House and Senate Republicans urged the legislature’s Regulation Review Committee Wednesday to refrain from approving a planned phase-out of new gas-powered car sales so that the issue may be considered by the broader General Assembly next year. The argument, made during a late afternoon press conference in the Legislative Office Building, was the latest step in an ongoing effort to build opposition to regulations up for review in the committee on Nov. 28. The panel, made up of an even number of Democrats and Republicans, is expected to vote on regulations requiring car manufacturers to sell an increasing share of zero-emission vehicles until 2035, when new gas-powered vehicle sales would be discontinued entirely. Since this summer, Republicans have called the proposal unrealistic and argued that state policymakers have failed to plan for the infrastructure upgrades necessary to support a widespread transition to electric vehicles. During Wednesday’s event, they called on the committee to defer any decision to the entire legislature. “We are asking this Regulations Review Committee to invoke that ability and send these regulations to the General Assembly,” House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora said. “That’s all we’re asking today. Let’s have that debate next ses-

Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly and House Minority Leader Vin Candelora brief reporters on Sept. 26, 2023 Credit: Hugh McQuaid / CTNewsJunkie

sion.” The move would be unusual for the committee, which typically reviews proposed regulations for compliance with state law. In this case, the regs stem from a bipartisan 2004 law, which tied Connecticut’s emissions standards to those of California, the state where the 2035 phase-out originated, and a more partisan 2022

requiring progressively more stringent emissions standards for trucks. If adopted, Connecticut would join several other states including its neighbors Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island in embracing the California standards while critics argue the state should instead choose to adopt less-stringent regulations authored by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Although Connecticut’s regulation review panel is somewhat unaccustomed to political controversy, in this case it remains unclear whether there’s enough support on the panel to approve the proposal. While a tie vote of the committee would eventually amount to an approval, one Democratic lawmaker on the committee, Sen. Cathy Osten of Sprague, has publicly been skeptical of the change. Several other Democrats on the committee did not return requests for comment on the issue this week. Members of the committee have been under pressure to reject the proposal by Republicans, who have been hosting a series of community forums on the issue, as well as representatives of several industries including fuel sellers and motor transport companies. Meanwhile, environmental advocates and the Democratic co-chairs of several legislative committees have lobbied the panel to approve the regulations. “As we see our region and the auto in-

dustry moving in this direction, we will continue to partner over the next twelve years with fellow legislators and the administration on additional policies to help make this a smooth transition,” leaders of committees on energy, transportation, and the environment wrote last month. This week, Rep. Lucy Dathan, a New Canaan Democrat who co-chairs the Regs Review panel and who supports the regulations, said she was “feeling positive” about the coming vote while acknowledging there were questions among members of her party. “We’re still working through it. I know there’s a few concerns,” Dathan said. During Wednesday’s press conference, Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, a Stratford Republican who serves on the review panel, said he believed the committee was closely divided on the issue. “What we’re trying to do is educate Connecticut on what the real facts here are and to make sure that everyone on Reg Review makes an informed decision based on the facts and what’s before them,” Kelly said. Candelora urged Democrats on the review panel to speak publicly on how they planned to vote on Nov. 28. “Come out and state your position on how you’re going to vote and then listen to what people have to say in response,” Candelora said. “I suspect a ‘yes’ vote is going to have a very interesting public response.”

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

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Street Signs To Bear Teachers’ Names by LAURA GLESBY

The new haven independent

Geneva Pollock and Pearlie Napoleon were friends who both dedicated their lives to their students and their Newhallville community. So it’s fitting that the street corners soon to be named after them will be located just one block apart. On Monday evening, the Board of Alders unanimously voted to rename the corner of Thompson Street and Shelton Avenue “Geneva Pollock Way” and the corner of Thompson and Newhall Street “Mrs. Pearlie M. Napoleon Way” after longtime educators who left their mark in their neighborhood and beyond. Geneva Pollock lived to the age of 76. She was an English teacher in New Haven for 33 years. She played many roles in her congregation, Community Baptist Church, and served as a ward co-chair for the Democratic Party. Pearlie Napoleon lived to the age of 86. She taught in New Haven Public Schools for more than a quarter century and was actively involved in the Mount Hope Temple Church community, her local block watch, and at the Newhallville Mental Health Center.

The women, who both died in 2020, were known for going far beyond what could be expected for the sake of their students, according to friends and relatives who testified and petitioned in favor of their street corners. In the Aldermanic Chamber, two of Mrs. Pollock’s former students who would eventually grow up to be elected officials spoke up in favor of designating a street corner in her honor. Dixwell/Newhallville Alder Troy Streater had Mrs. Pollock as a teacher at the former Jackie Robinson School. He helped organize the petition to name the street corner after her. “It is an honor she deserves,” he said. Mrs. Pollock also taught Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison for seventh grade. “To survive that…” Morrison joked, before turning serious. “She was more than a teacher,” Morrison said. “She was a mother, a aunt, whatever you needed her to be.” East Rock Alder Anna Festa, who chairs the City Services and Environmental Policy Committee, spoke to Mrs. Napoleon’s legacy. “She was admired by many for her passion, love, and care for her com-

Ann Garrett Robinson with Alder Streater and honorees George Robinson and Allen Gales.

munity,” she said. In a note from the Napoleon family submitted as part of the petition for her street corner, family members wrote, “She

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

CT State Strengthens Commitment to Diversity and Student Success Through Articulation Agreement with Morehouse College CT State Community College (CT State) signed an articulation agreement with Morehouse College during a virtual meeting with college officials and students on November 28, in a historic move toward establishing stronger pathways for male CT State students aspiring to attend the private, all-male HBCU (historically Black college or university) located in Atlanta. The new partnership aims to streamline the transfer process for students, ensuring a seamless transition and a supportive environment as they pursue their higher education goals. “As a mission-driven, student-centered, and equity-minded comprehensive and statewide community college, CT State’s values align with providing opportunities for historically underserved and minoritized communities by creating equitable pathways to upward economic and social mobility for our students to thrive,” said CT State President John Maduko, M.D. “We are grateful to be afforded the opportunity for our students to pursue a higher level of education and career advancement at the alma mater of the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other notable African Americans.” Studies have shown that Black students who enroll at HBCUs have a higher success rate in degree completion and income than non-HBCU enrolled peers. Through the updated partnership, originally initiated through CT State Capital, admission is guaranteed to Morehouse’s traditional and online programs for male CT State students who meet the criteria and have earned a minimum GPA of 2.7

for serving Black men well and creating these kinds of partnerships.” Morehouse College is the only all-male African American College in the United States and one of the most prestigious HBCUs in the country. Morehouse also recently topped the list of the National Science Foundation (NSF) as the leading higher education institution producing Black male undergraduates that receive doctoral degrees.

CT State photo in RGB, (R to L): CT State Community College officials Levy Brown, Ed.D, provost and vice president for academic affairs, and President John Maduko, M.D., take a moment at the signing with Morehouse-bound CT State Capital students Elijah Lee and John Gwynn, and CEO Duncan Harris.

and an associate degree through CT State. Students who transfer with an associate degree and all credits in good standing will enter Morehouse College with junior status. Morehouse will provide academic advising and enrollment support to CT State students prior to and during the transition. “I, like most of the people in this program, took time off in high school before I went back to college and I only went

back to college because of this opportunity,” said John Gwynn, of Hartford, a student at CT State Capital who will transfer to Morehouse in the fall. “So I am taking my opportunity now that I have it with CT State and Morehouse College to pursue education to the fullest,” he continued. “Eventually, I’ll be one of your proud alum who is a doctor serving as a psychiatrist to our Black and brown communities.”

“Several years ago, we started to think about how we introduce the likelihood that we will find the best Black male talent available in the country, but also to think about the fact that many African American men don’t go straight to fouryear colleges,” said Morehouse President David A.Thomas, Ph.D. “So we’ve been on a very deliberate mission to identify the most outstanding community colleges in the country that also have a reputation

About CT State With the merger of the 12 Connecticut community colleges on July 1, CT State Community College is now the largest community college in New England, enrolling more than 70,000 students each year, and approximately 25 percent of college students in Connecticut. As the most affordable college in CT, CT State is dedicated to making quality education accessible to all in a supportive and inclusive learning environment. CT State students benefit from a streamlined financial aid process and apply once to take classes at any campus. The campuses—Asnuntuck (Enfield), Capital (Hartford), Gateway (New Haven and North Haven), Housatonic (Bridgeport), Manchester, Middlesex (Middletown and Meriden), Naugatuck Valley (Waterbury and Danbury), Northwestern (Winsted), Norwalk, Quinebaug Valley (Danielson and Willimantic), Three Rivers (Norwich), and Tunxis (Farmington)—form a network that empowers students to tailor their educational journey to their needs. CT State’s central office is located in New Britain.

Ex-School Reopens As Winter Overnight Shelter by THOMAS BREEN

The new haven independent

Forty-seven sleeping mats laid out in a shuttered school’s auditorium are now available to lie down on at night for those without a home, as the city opened a new overnight “warming center” at the former Strong School on Orchard Street. Mayor Justin Elicker, city Coordinator for the Homeless Velma George, Upon This Rock Ministries Pastor Valerie Washington, and a handful of other city officials and local homelessness services leaders marked the opening of the city’s three warming centers for the season during a press conference held at 130 Orchard St. Those three warming centers are located at Varick Memorial AME Zion Church at 242 Dixwell Ave., The 180 Center at 438 East St., and, newly opened for the first time this year, the former elementary school site at 130 Orchard. Each overnight warming center will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., seven days a week, from Dec. 1 through April 15, according to Elicker and George.

People in need of a place to sleep at night can walk in, without a reservation, on a first-come, first-served basis. Each center is open to people ages 18 and up only, and will provide clients with a place to sleep, meals or snacks, clothing, and wraparound social services designed to help those in need of shelter find more permanent places to live. The new 47-space warming center at the former Strong School, which is owned by the Board of Education, will be run by Upon This Rock Ministries, which also contracts with the city to run a 50-bed emergency shelter on Terminal Lane in the Hill. Washington said that her church will have four employees on site at 130 Orchard to staff the warming center. “As a city, it’s important to be sure people are safe and warm, and to have pathways to connect to more permanent” places to live, George said about the goals of the city’s warming centers. The opening of this latest shelter comes as the city amid a citywide increase in homelessness. City government has sought to address that rise through the

City Coordinator for the Homeless Velma George ...

conversion of a Foxon Boulevard hotel and a Hill industrial building into spaces to sleep for those with nowhere else to go. A leading local homelessness services nonprofit is looking to build a new 80room shelter with one- and two-person bedrooms and private bathrooms on Ella T. Grasso Boulevard. A community of Hill activists have also set up tiny homes on a private backyard and tents on adjacent public space to provide shelter for those displaced from government-cleared tent encampments. And another local homelessness services nonprofit is looking to open the city’s first warming shelter exclusively for young adults. At Friday’s presser, Margaret LeFever, the director of the Connecticut Coordinated Access Network (CAN) for the United Way of Greater New Haven, said that there are currently 270 individuals “unsheltered, outside,” in the New Haven region. “We believe in a Connecticut where no one should be living out on the streets,” she said. Where homelessness does not exist.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

A Night of Gratitude: Celebrating the LEAP Community With Thankful Dinners Melissa Liriano | November 22nd, 2023

These special gatherings bring together LEAPers, counselors, and community volunteers in a spirit of gratitude, where they share home-cooked meals and enjoy each other's company. Students arrived at their school-based sites as volunteers began prepping the food. LEAPers and counselors started the evening with high energy, chanting LEAP cheers and dancing to their favorite songs. In addition to the dance party, LEAPers played games and shared stories with their counselors and friends. Laughter filled the air, creating a sense of unity and shared joy that set the tone for the evening. After the games, the focus shifted to a moment of reflection and gratitude. Students and counselors shared what they were most thankful for this year. LEAPers expressed their appreciation for their counselors/mentors at LEAP and the love of their families. Many of them mentioned that they were grateful for their homes, the food that was prepared for them, and the gift of life. Equally touched by the gratitude of their LEAPers, the high school- and college-aged counselors reflected on the privilege of guiding and nurturing these young minds. Parents who volunteered at the Thankful Dinners also joined in the spirit of

The following citizen contribution was submitted by Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP) Communications Coordinator Melissa Liriano. On Tuesday, Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP), an education-based nonprofit, celebrated its annual “Thankful Dinners” at each of its seven school-based sites.

gratitude, expressing their heartfelt appreciation to the counselors who ensure the safety and growth of their children. One parent acknowledged LEAP’s positive impact on her family, creating a space where her children can thrive and make friends without bullying concerns. Afterward, children lined up to be served delicious Thanksgiving meals and sweet treats, including turkey served with rice, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cupcakes. These meals were provided by the LEAP staff, who cooked 27 turkeys at the Dixwell Community “Q” House to serve over 600 children who are part of LEAP’s programs. Throughout the meals, conversations flowed freely, filled with laughter, shared experiences, and moments of genuine connection. As the evening ended, site coordinators and assistant site coordinators gave closing speeches. The air was filled with warmth and gratitude as LEAPers and counselors departed for home. The Thankful Dinners are more than just a meal; they embody the values LEAP holds dear – kindness, compassion, and a deep sense of community. These dinners serve as a testament to the strong bonds that form within the LEAP community, and LEAP is grateful for their staff and community volunteers who helped make the evening extra special for their LEAPers.

U R CA R E O Y YOUR WAY

If you’re a Medicaid member eligible for nursing home care, then you may be eligible for Community First Choice, or CFC. CFC offers services from personal care to housekeeping to meal preparation and beyond to help people with their daily needs right at home.

Go to MyPlaceCTCFC.org or call the toll-free number 1-888-992-8637 to learn more about your options.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Trans Lives Remembered On The Green Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

Cayetana Navarro stood at the corner of the New Haven Green, a blue, white, and pink flag draped over her left shoulder. Behind her, buses trundled by on Chapel Street, completely unaware of the sacred space they were disturbing with every hiss and beep. As she began to speak, she wound the clock back to the first Transgender Day of Remembrance she attended in New Haven several years ago. She’s known since that moment that she’s not alone. Almost a decade later, that spirit keeps her coming back, even in a thick fog of grief and mourning. Monday evening, Navarro was one of roughly four dozen people who gathered to commemorate the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on the New Haven Green, as a bone-cracking cold fell over the corner of Church and Chapel Streets. Amidst electric candles and an altar laid with red fabric roses and a neatly folded trans pride flag, attendees remembered the dozens of lives lost to anti-trans violence in the U.S. alone this year. “I saw someone post an image that said, ‘Happy Trans Day of Remembrance,’ and I didn’t really know what to do with that,” said Kirill Ivan Staklo, program director for PeerPride. “I want us to be happy. I want us to have hope. I want us to have all the good things because we deserve all the good things. But it’s okay to not be happy

today. It’s okay to not be okay today. It’s normal and natural to not feel okay in a world that does not want us to be alive.” Transgender Day of Remembrance began in 1999 to honor Rita Hester, a Black trans woman who was stabbed to death in her apartment in November 1998. Over two decades later—and as the case remains open—the National Center for Transgender Equality has reported at least 53 trans lives lost to violence in the U.S. since November of last year. Another 33 trans and nonbinary people have died in the past year of suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, dial 9-8-8 for the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Of those lives lost prematurely, the overwhelming majority were Black and Latina trans women, many killed in acts of intimate partner violence. They include artists, activists, faith leaders, elected officials, beloved sisters, aunties, uncles, and daughters, all taken from the world before their time. Among them are 25-year-old Emma May, a bright-eyed Vassar grad who advocated for trans rights as a member of Wallingford’s growing LGBTQ+ community. The center also reported that 438 trans and nonbinary people have passed away worldwide this year alone. This year, Staklo and others noted, the news of those deaths feels particularly raw because of the sheer amount of violence in the U.S. and across the globe. Since January, state legislatures have introduced over 500 pieces of anti-

Kirill Staklo, who is a program manager for Peer Pride, with Anchor Health's Michael DeWolfe and PSL's Norm Clement.

LGBTQ+ legislation across the country, the bulk of it targeting trans youth and gender-affirming care. Throughout the evening, many who spoke stressed the importance of trans solidarity with people facing oppression around the globe, from those living in states barring gender-affirming care to families fearing for their lives in Gaza, Congo, and Sudan.

Connecticut has not been immune to that violence: a bill that died in January of this year targeted trans women and girls in sports. Last year, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski also proposed a “Parental Bill of Rights” attacking both gender identity and inclusive education in the state’s public schools. Those efforts, multiple speak-

ers noted, are also an attack on trans lives and the basic existence and human rights of trans people. One attendee, who asked not to be named or photographed, remembered starting her transition in 2009, while living in a different state. Over 10 years later, “half of the people I’ve ever been in love with are gone,” she said, fighting back tears that ultimately came, and seemed to give attendees equal permission to cry. Scanning the dozens of faces that looked back, she emphasized the importance of actively grieving as a way to move forward. “When we grieve, we know that love is possible,” she said. Another attendee looked at the importance of education. Sometimes, they explained, people default to anti-trans behaviors because they are fearful of what they don’t know, or have never been exposed to something outside of their standard of normalcy. “It’s important to reach out to people who don’t actually know what being trans entails and talking to them, and getting them to understand,” they said, stepping forward to take the bullhorn as their breath hung in white puffs around their mouth. They remembered working to educate an elderly family member, whose difficulty understanding trans rights came largely from their lack of knowledge around the subject. Those discussions ultimately paid off: when a younger, recently-out trans family member came to them, their response was “it’s the most natural thing in the world.”

86,000 Job Matches Await by PAUL BASS

The new haven independent

Some 86,000 jobs are going begging in Connecticut, many of them paying a living wage and not requiring a college degree. Thousands of people without college degrees need those jobs. So put those people in the jobs — simple, right? Not so simple. That’s what the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (CFGNH) learned. It held 40 “listening sessions” with employers and job-seekers and training agencies, crunched the numbers and produced an 87-page report about what’s actually a “mismatch” — and how to fix it. The report is called Labor Market Study of Greater New Haven and the Valley. It showed that too often people who seem right for those jobs don’t find out about them, or don’t land in the right training programs, or don’t end up mov-

PAUL BASS PHOTO Marcia LaFemina, Yolanda Caldera-Durant, Ann Harrison at WNHH FM.

ing into the jobs or keeping them, due to child-care or transportation barriers. Despite all the necessary efforts at reaching people over social media and through official channels, ”it’s still who you know, how you hear about jobs, who you trust,” Ann Harrison concluded after reading the report. Harrison discussed the report’s findings and steps forward along with CFGNH Vice-President Yolanda Caldera-Durant, who took the lead on the project, and employer and trainer Marcia LaFemina, on an episode of WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven.” Harrison serves as chief strategy officer at the Workforce Alliance, the long-distance runner in the region’s job-training field. The report reinforced to her the need to develop and maintain contacts with influencers like clergy and other community figures, to offer paid training for people who need stipends to af-

ford training for light-manufacturing or health care jobs (which abound right now), and to continually develop new community contacts. Caldera-Durant also spoke of the need to strengthen links between employers and training programs. LaFemina is on both ends of that relationship: She runs a streetlight-manufacturing facility that hires some of the people the report is concerned with. She also is in the process of ramping up a new-generation training facility on Mill Street in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood. Called MATCH (Manufacturing And Technical Community Hub), it trains people on the equipment they’ll use in jobs currently available in regional factories, and is developing a track for women who need to work 25hour weeks in order to take care of kids outside their school hours.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

HUSKY Health Members!

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10/18/23 10:57 AM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

On World AIDS Day, Faith Meets Art At St. Mary's Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

Pastor Sampson Denny’s voice filled St. Mary’s UFWB Church, rolling down the aisles. When you're weary/Feeling small/ When tears are in your eyes/I'll dry them all. It pressed itself gently to the brick walls, hanging in the doorways with an echo. I'm on your side/Oh, when times get rough! In the cool, damp night, it undulated out onto Shelton Avenue, as clear as a bell. And friends just can't! Be! found!/ Like a bridge over troubled water/I will lay me down. Back inside, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Saturday evening, music, dance, rafterraising praise and the gospel of public health converged at St. Mary’s on 266 Shelton Ave. for “The Healing Starts Here,” a commemoration of World AIDS Day from lifelong New Havener, artist, and advocate Andrea Daniels-Singleton and A2A Productions. Part memorial and part celebration, the event doubled as a form of grassroots activism, asking community members to spread the message of HIV awareness in their homes, schools, neighborhoods and houses of worship. Roughly four dozen attended. “I feel it’s imperative to get the correct information out in our communities, dispelling the myths and sharing the facts,” said Daniels-Singleton, who has attended St. Mary’s since she was a baby, and sees the church as a way to disseminate vital information around HIV prevention and awareness. “My hope and desire is that we continue to grow, learn, prosper, and be in good health. Knowledge is power!” Throughout the event, artists and speakers alike came back to that message, from musical and poetic interludes to a final benediction that closed the night in food, fellowship and free HIV testing. As they opened the evening, Bethel A.M.E.’s Visions of Praise dance troupe ushered it in, members gliding toward the front of the church in billowing black dresses. No sooner had they begun to move to Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s “Put A Praise On It” than attendees were cheering from their pews, some moving along to the music. In front of the pulpit, April Smith and Karissa Kee-Conyers swayed to the music, their bodies fused with the sound. When dancer Khaili Dingle-King leapt into their arms, it was as though she had taken flight. The whole night seemed full of possibility. In the church’s back room, Tiny and Jordan Beall of A Place To Nourish Your Health (APNH, formerly AIDS Project New Haven) assembled neat cotton to-go bags with condoms, lubricant, rainbowcolored pins, keychain-sized pill holders, and information about the work that APNH does every day, including a forthcoming van for mobile testing. Nearby, they set up a station for free HIV testing, the results for which are ready in 20 minutes.

“We came to really provide people with knowledge of our services,” said Beall, a community HIV counselor and tester with the organization. For him, the work is personal: he learned about APNH through the organization’s visibility at clubs and gay bars, and now is part of the organization's work to stem the spread of HIV. “We really want to get the word out about what we do.” “We just want to let everybody know we are here,” added Tiny. Nearby, attendee and volunteer Shatalla Stovall slipped the bags into winter warming packages with mittens, hats, scarves and gloves. Born and raised in New Haven, Stovall reflected on the weight HIV has had on her own life, from an uncle who passed several years ago to a sibling who is living with the virus, and managing it through an active approach to treatment. “People just need to be knowledgeable, and they need to be aware,” she said. “For me, it’s just normal. I can appreciate people that are just living their healthy, normal lives.” Back in the church, emcee Sean Hardy launched into the event with both prayer and a public health message, bringing attendees back to the cause around which they had gathered. Since 1988, December 1 has been recognized as World AIDS Day, a chance to honor those who have both lived with and died from the virus. Three and a half decades later, it may no longer be a death sentence, but remains weighted with a stigma that has stymied both prevention work and the dissemination of correct information. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 35,000 new diagnoses, many among young Black and Brown people. “We are still in the land of the living, and that is a great blessing,” Hardy said. In the church’s pews, red and white balloons bobbed in place, as if they were nodding in agreement. And throughout the night, it was. Following liturgical dance, that message flowed through an address from Dr. Onyema Obuagu, an associate professor of medicine and director of the Yale Antivirals and Vaccines Research Program at the Yale School of Medicine. Introducing himself as both a physician and a devoted Christian, Obuagu stressed the importance of talking openly about HIV and AIDS, including the fact that it is spread through sexual intercourse. "I am a strong believer in getting information out there, but also the right information, to the public, so that we can be armed with truth," he said. "You know, we saw this with Covid. People get their information from all the wrong places ... we've gotta like, sift through the things that we hear, and make sure that we always go to reputable sources."

Dr. Onyema Obuagu.

Nadine Ruff, once a client at AIDS Interfaith and now an intensive case manager at APNH, speaks about her work and resources in the community.

For Obuagu, who is Nigerian and American, the work is critically important because HIV is more likely to affect people who look like him. While Black people currently make up 14 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 40 percent of new HIV diagnoses. That's especially true for Black women and young adults in their teens and 20s, who are the fastest growing demographic diagnosed with the virus. Looking out over the pews, he encouraged people to become messengers in their own communities, with a gospel of public health that is as dear to them as the word they bring home from church each week. That includes talking to children, teens, young adults, peers and elders alike about sex, sexual health, protection and

prevention. For instance, he said, most people don't know that they have options like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), as well as an antiretroviral injectable that they can take every two months. Or they're unaware that HIV testing options are available over the counter, through a simple saliva self-test. "My people, my friends, my brothers and sisters, it's time for us to get that message out," he said. "HIV is real. … [and] you can easily lose progress gained when you don't sustain the efforts that you have. We have the tools, but when you don't use them right or we relax, there's a risk that we can have a rebound or lose the gains that we've had, and that's going to really

be disastrous for our community." "I believe that stigma flies in the face of everything that God taught us to do," he added. "God bless you guys." That message echoed as HIV/AIDS advocate and organizer Gloria Searson took the mic to talk about her own experience living with HIV. The founder of Coalition On Positive Health Empowerment (COPE), Searson took attendees back to 1991, when she was a 30-year-old mom of two, newly divorced and newly diagnosed with HIV. As soon as she received the news, she began learning everything she could about her diagnosis. "The first thing I did was learn, what the heck is this thing, so that I could get love again," she said. "So that somebody could love me again, and that people wouldn't be afraid of me. I wanted to learn ... how can I prevent myself from dying prematurely from this?" Searson started attending a support group, aware that she was the only Black person and the only woman present. Each Saturday for two years, she came to listen and collect information around the virus. She didn’t keep it to herself, she said. Instead, she began making fact sheets for people who looked like her—members of her community who were rarely represented as the face of HIV. She also started taking care of her health, from getting enough sleep to monitoring what she put in her body. In her day job as a social worker, she opened up to clients about her own lived experience, to let them know that their HIV was not a death sentence. At home, she told her two young children about the virus, so that they knew what it was and how to protect themselves. "I didn't feel like I was doomed to death, even though you heard that it [HIV] was about dying," she said. "This disease and the people who have this disease showed me what it is to live and to fight for life." That approach continued to serve her years later, when she met the woman who would become her wife, the late Damaris Navarro Searson. The two were married for over three decades, in which they adopted two children and grew a life together, before Navarro Searson passed away in 2021. "It made me a different person," she said of her diagnosis. "It made me appreciate the fact that I am not a Mack Truck. How many people here know how to take care of their bodies?" "We gotta stop camouflaging the pain," she continued. "The pain is what keeps us not doing good things for ourselves. Try to feel that pain, and work through it, because on the other side is something so beautiful. " As Searson returned to a pew in the front of the church, musicians took up that message in song, with a selection of works that left attendees swaying in C O N’T ON PAGE 1 9

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Anti-Poverty Champion Bonita Grubbs Retires by PAUL BASS

The new haven independent

The Rev. Bonita Grubbs has more big plans for Christian Community Agency, the anti-poverty agency she runs. She concluded that it’s time for someone else to put them into practice. Grubbs, 68, is retiring after 35 years of turning big plans into action as CCA’s executive director. Her last day is Friday. Since assuming her CCA “ministry” in 1988, she has overseen the agency’s growth as both a direct lifeline for emergency help for families as well as a springboard for policy advocacy advanced by people directly affected. Its emergency housing complex has grown to 17 units by its original Davenport home, which doubles as a food bank and energy assistance provider. It developed a second iteration of a transitional housing facility on Winchester Avenue, now called New HOPE, giving homeless families up to 36 months to prepare for independence with training help. Since 2014 it has developed a skill-building and employment training center on Winchester called ARISE. At the same time, Grubbs guided CCA to a prominent advocacy role. She oversaw the creation of Mothers for Justice (since renamed Mothers and Others For

PAUL BASS PHOTO Grubbs: After 35 years, it was time.

Justice). The group originally enlisted single moms in CCA’s shelters to read up on government anti-poverty programs, suggest ways to make it better, then lobby

politicians and policymakers to make changes. CCA served as a leader in the grassroots movement to save low-income housing on surrounding streets in the Hill

during the construction of John C. Daniels School. Along the way, Grubbs put others in the spotlight. When it came time for her to

speak, she measured her words. She offered forceful arguments without ever calling people names or denigrating those with whom she disagreed. Hers became a trusted spiritual voice in New Haven. “Sometimes the louder the volume, the less you are heard,” Grubbs said in an interview Tuesday about her career on an episode of WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven” program. “I learned from the ministerial side that ‘ego’ is an acronym for ‘edging out God.’ If you’re called to do something and if you’re a person of faith, you want to make sure you operate in a manner that is respectful. It’s not about you. It’s about the larger cause, the larger opportunity, and hopefully the larger victories.” New victories loom. Grubbs envisions ARISE, for instance, growing into a “social services supermarket” that offers in one place many different forms of help for families struggling toward independence. After 35 years, Grubbs said, she is no longer the person to tackle such efforts. It’s her time to make room for a successor. “It’s time for young people with more energy to carry it forward,” she said. CCA is in the process of searching for that successor.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Church Street South Futures Floated by LAURA GLESBY

The new haven independent

A plan to rebuild at the site of the old Church Street South apartments will bring a new start not only for the neighbors still living in the Hill, but also for the people who lived there until hazardous conditions forced them out. After Church Street South residents were forced to leave their homes when the apartment complex was condemned, they secured an agreement from the then-landlord that they could someday move back to redeveloped apartments at that address. At a public meeting on Monday evening that drew sixty people from the Hill and beyond to High School in the Community, the property’s new owner, Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of New Haven, assured attendees that that promise to former residents still stands. ECC leaders also announced that it will demolish and redevelop the adjacent 93-unit Robert T. Wolfe building, which is still operating as public housing for elderly and disabled tenants. Tenants in those apartments, too, are guaranteed housing in the to-be-developed apartments. On Nov. 13, Elm City Communities (also known as ECC, the Housing Authority of New Haven and its nonprofit affiliates) spent $21 million purchasing the 8.27-acre property from the Massachusetts-based Northland Investment Corp., the landlord that owned the property at the time of the historic apartment complex’s demise. “This is a huge site, an important site, and we want to be intentional,” said ECC Executive Vice President Shenae Draughn. The now-demolished private affordable housing complex once comprised 301 apartments, which housed generations of New Haveners. Church Street South often made the news for its reputation as a site of drugs and violence, and eventually for the long-brewing mold and structural problems that gave numerous residents chronic asthma. But to many former Church Street South residents, the apartments were a site of strong friendships and community networks, of matchbox car races, hide-and-seek games, double-dutch teams, and block parties at the height of hip hop’s rise. When local and federal government agencies declared the apartments uninhabitable in 2015, the residents were forced to relocate, their community dispersed. Eventually, more than a thousand former tenants sued the landlord, Northland Investment Corporation, and received an $18.75 million settlement. Though Northland initially sought to redevelop the site into 1,000 new apart-

LAURA GLESBY PHOTO Elm City Communities Project Manager Haley Vincent, President Karen DuBois-Walton, and Vice President Shenae Draughn.

Hill residents Thomasine Shaw, former Hill Alder Dolores Colon, and former Newhallville Alder Delphine Clyburn.

Davante Mallard calls for homeownership opportunities.

ments, with 300 set aside at affordable rents, its plans stalled for years, leaving the property’s future in limbo until Elm City Communities purchased it this month. Monday’s meeting marked the first of many planned public conversations over the course of the next year about what the vacant expanse across from Union Station could potentially become. That planning process is supported by

a $500,000 federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department Choice Neighborhood Implementation planning grant. The agency plans to submit the outcome of many planning sessions and community conversations about Church Street South to HUD in November 2024 to try to secure more funds to actually build on the site. Former Hill Alder Dolores Colon, who worked with Church Street South resi-

dents to advocate for better conditions while she was in office, questioned the amount of money that the Housing Authority paid to Northland. “The price is $21 million,” she said. “How was that price determined? Was this an opportunity [for Northland] to recoup losses from the lawsuit?” Draughn replied that the $21 million figure arose from a variety of factors. If, for example, ECC were to build 1,000 units on the site, that purchase price would be divided into about $21,000 per unit. “That is money we can make up,” Draughn said. “This is a prime piece of property,” she added — especially given its proximity to Union Station just across the street. And finally, “if there was an outside developer that came in, you may not see a lot of affordable housing.” ECC’s purchase of the property ensures that much of the housing units there remain accessible to residents making lower incomes, she argued. Neighbors Imagine Gyms, Cafes, Homeownership ECC leadership informed meeting attendees that they plan to work alongside the city’s Hill-to-Downtown vision of a more walkable, “transit-oriented” accessible route between between Union Station and its adjacent neighborhoods. For now, Elm City Communities has few constraints or specific plans in mind for the development, which it plans to rename “Union Square.” The only certain thing is that the site will include ample housing units for low and verylow income tenants alongside marketrate units. “We are dreaming this together,” said ECC President Karen DuBois-Walton. She prompted the room to offer sug-

gestions for the site. “If you are a little [kid], what would you hope that community has?” And for people who work every day, who are aging, who live with a disability? “I wish I had that in my neighborhood — what’s on that list?” “Exercise rooms!” called out Leticia Counsel, whose mom lives in Robert T. Wolfe. Counsel said she’s observed flooding in the backyard; when she raised this problem at the meeting, DuBois-Walton said that the Housing Authority will still invest in maintenance repairs at Robert T. Wolfe up until its demolition, and that the new buildings will be constructed with attention to rising sea levels. “Trader Joes!” whispered Carmen Rodriguez, who represents the ward including “Union Square” on the Board of Alders, to the others at her table. She later raised her hand. “We have previously heard there was gonna be commercial space on the bottom,” she said. She suggested that some space be allotted for young people living in the building to use for businesses. For instance, “If they wanted to start a cafe. Then, they’re building wealth.” “Will residents have a chance to own?” asked Davante Mallard, a developer who grew up in the Hill. “We are looking at that,” replied Draughn. “I’m big on the ownership piece,” Mallard said later. In a largely Black and Brown neighborhood affected by redlining and predatory lending over the last century, having homeownership opportunities would “give our community a jump start in building that wealth.” “Don’t forget the elderly,” piped up Thomasine Shaw. “I want to see them there.” Throughout the meeting, attendees continued to raise questions about who would have the chance to actually live in the new buildings. Andrew Giering urged Elm City Communities to provide housing for former Church Street South residents who lived there within as broad a span of time as possible, and “not just the folks who stuck to the bitter end.” “Is their priority for New Haven residents?” asked Georgia James. She particularly had in mind people who have been on ECC’s housing waitlist, which as of October was about 30,000 households long and isn’t just limited to New Haven residents. “Anything we build that’s affordable, we go to the wait list we already have,” responded DuBois-Walton. James later said she asked the question because she knows a family who’s been on that

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Blumenthal Calls on Pharmaceutical Companies to Address Shortage of RSV Antibody Treatment by Hugh McQuaid CTNewsJunkie

As Connecticut experiences a surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal called Monday on drug manufacturers AstraZeneca and Sanofi to address an ongoing shortage of a new monoclonal antibody meant to prevent the illness in infants. Blumenthal, who was among a group of senators to write to the pharmaceutical companies about the issue last week, stressed the urgency of the situation during a late morning press conference at the InterCommunity Health Care office in East Hartford. Since Nov. 5, Connecticut has recorded around 1,000 cases of RSV, including four deaths, Blumenthal said. “That ought to be an alarm for Connecticut and the nation that this severe shortage of RSV [treatment] is having practical, tragic consequences for our state and they are preventable consequences because this treatment can and should be available,” Blumenthal said. RSV is a common virus affecting the lungs and is the leading cause of infant hospitalizations in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Con-

trol. The treatment, known as nirsevimab and sold under the trade name Beyfortus, is recommended for all babies younger than eight months and certain immunocompromised children up to 19 months as a preventative measure similar to a vaccine. The monoclonal antibody was hailed as an unprecedented shift in the prevention of RSV when it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration back in July. However, shortages of the treatment led the CDC to recommend prioritizing available doses for high-risk infants in October. Later, the CDC announced the release of 77,000 additional doses to be distributed to providers nationwide. “CDC and FDA are committed to expanding access to this important immunization so that more parents have peace of mind during the winter virus season,” Dr. Nirav D. Shah, CDC deputy director, said in a press release. Last week, Blumenthal was among a group of seven Democrats led by Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who wrote to AstraZeneca and Sanofi questioning when the manufacturers became aware of the shortage and what steps they had

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal calls for more RSV treatment during a Nov. 27, 2023 press conference in East Hartford. Credit: Hugh McQuaid / CTNewsJunkie

taken to address the issue. The letter asked the companies to respond by Nov. 30. The senators had yet to receive a response as of Monday, Blumenthal told reporters. Meanwhile, neither company immediately responded to requests for comments left Monday. Earlier this month, Dr. Manish Juthani, state public health commissioner, said

Connecticut had plenty of access to the treatment. However, she expected supplies to dwindle as the season progressed. As of Nov. 22, the Public Health Department had received requests for 14,432 doses and placed 10,905 orders for the antibodies, leaving a 3,527 dose shortfall, which a spokesperson attrib-

uted to lack of supply. Given the surge in RSV cases, Blumenthal called on the manufacturers to create more of the treatment on an expedited basis. “The point is it can be produced quickly and cheaply and that’s what these manufacturers should do,” Blumenthal said. “AstraZeneca and Sanofi owe it to the public, to patients, to parents and our hope is that they will help stem the surge of RSV.” In addition to the antibody treatment for infants, there are two RSV vaccines that have been approved for adults aged 60 and older. The CDC has also recommended a vaccine be taken between 32 and 36 weeks into a pregnancy in order to provide immunity for newborns. During Monday’s press conference, Dr. Chad McDonald, chief medical officer of InterCommunity Health Care, said patients should discuss inoculation options with their doctors. “The importance of getting the RSV vaccine can’t be understated for patients that qualify and that decision is best made between a patient and their health care provider who knows them well,” McDonald said.

Despite Setback, Proponents of Phasing out Gas-Powered Vehicles Vow to Prioritize the Proposal by Hugh McQuaid CTNewsJunkie Hours after withdrawing regulations to incrementally phase out the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative proponents of the proposal signaled Tuesday they would continue to prioritize its eventual adoption. During an afternoon press conference at the state Capitol, Lamont and legislative Democrats stressed the importance of the regulation that would have required auto manufacturers to sell an increasing share of zero-emission vehicles until 2035, when new gas-powered vehicle sales would have been discontinued entirely. “I really look forward to working with our friends in the legislature,” Lamont said of future efforts to adopt the proposal. “You’ve been amazing. You took the lead on this before, you’re taking the lead on it again. Reach across the aisle, see if we can satisfy some of the naysayers, get them on board.” The administration opted to revoke the proposal after learning it lacked the support to win approval from the legislature’s Regulation Review Committee, a panel made up of an even number of Democrats and Republicans, which had been scheduled to take a contested vote on the issue Tuesday morning. Proponents did not outline exactly how they would pursue adopting the regs during Tuesday’s press conference. House Speaker Matt Ritter said his caucus would “move with speed” on the issue and planned to meet to discuss a path forward next Mon-

Gov. Ned Lamont Credit: Hugh McQuaid / CTNewsJunkie day. Ritter stressed the importance of Connecticut joining other states in adopting the clean air standards based on regulations drafted by the state of California. Lawmakers in Connecticut passed legislation linking the state’s emission standards to California back in 2004. “If you don’t have a goal and you don’t have a target, especially if you’re dealing with government, it doesn’t happen,” Ritter said. “You need to have ambitious plans and designs to get where you want to get 11 years out.” Beginning this summer, Republican leg-

islators have hosted press conferences and public forums to highlight their concerns about the transition, which they argue the state lacks the energy infrastructure to implement. During a state Capitol press conference held immediately after the governor’s event, House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora and Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly said they were glad to see the issue headed for consideration by the broader legislature. They cited concerns about the regs expressed by the state’s fuel suppliers and trucking companies. Any consideration of

the proposal should be accompanied by hearings to allow the public to weigh in on the matter, Kelly said. “We heard loud and clear from Connecticut residents across the state that this wasn’t going to work for them and what we need is a solution that does,” Kelly said. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora and Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly Credit: Hugh McQuaid / CTNewsJunkie “There needs to be more transparency, more conversation,” Candelora said. “What was missing from the press conference were all the industries that are impacted.” The press conference did include Eversource President of Connecticut Electric Operations Steve Sullivan, who called for a more cooperative relationship with the state’s energy regulators at the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Democratic legislative leaders also out lined a number of areas of concern during the event. For instance, Ritter said legislators may be interested in forming committees to evaluate the affordability of electric vehicles and the need for state subsidies to ease a transition. Senate President Martin Looney said considerations needed to be made for urban communities where home chargers may be difficult to install for some consumers. “We also have to make sure that it happens in an equitable way, not leaving any communities behind,” Looney said. “One of the things we have to deal with is issues of cost.” State policymakers are somewhat constrained by how they implement the regu-

lations. Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes said that without action before the end of this calendar year, the state would be unable to implement the first stage of the phase out scheduled for 2027. Adoption during the next session would push the first year of implementation to 2028. During the event, lawmakers discussed adopting a provision to revisit the issue every few years to ensure Connecticut was prepared for 2035. The governor was open to the idea. “Maybe every two or three years, the legislature wants to take a second look — are we keeping to our roadmap, are we honoring the deals we did? Then we keep going,” Lamont said. “If we have to change then we do. Give the legislature a little more overview there, I think that may get us over the finish line.” Advocates in favor of the changes were disappointed in the lack of action. “Unfortunately, a misinformation campaign fueled by the fossil fuel industry won and Connecticut residents will pay the price,” Ruth Canovi, director of advocacy with the American Lung Association in Connecticut, said. “The Lung Association is in strong support of the Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Clean Trucks Regulations and is dismayed that Connecticut is now positioned to be the only clean car state from Virginia to Vermont to leave our residents out of these strong public health, climate change, and health equity policies this year.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Barack Obama Named “School Of Distinction” by LAURA GLESBY

The new haven independent

Principal Jamie Baker beamed at the hundreds of Barack Obama School students seated before her in the cafeteria. “How are the best scholars in the United States doing today?” she called out. “Good,” the students responded. “Just good or excellent?” asked Baker. “Excellent!” the children yelled in unison. Barack Obama University Magnet School students are indeed excellent — not just according to themselves, but according to the state’s Department of Education. The state named the Beaver Hills school, which has operated for just over three years and educates kids in grades Pre-K through 4th grade, a “school of distinction” in recognition of students’ improvement in reading. According to Baker, the school was recognized for an increase in the number of students, including “high needs students,” who reached their English Language Arts (ELA) growth targets on the Next Generation Accountability Index. In 2021 – 22, 71.1 percent of all students (and 70 percent of high needs students) met their ELA goal. In 2022 – 23, those

numbers grew to 77 percent of all students and 76.2 percent of high needs students. (Also in New Haven, LincolnBassett Community School was recognized as a school of distinction for its high needs students’ ELA growth.) On Friday, the entire Barack Obama School, including parents watching online and attending in person, gathered for an assembly to celebrate their new “school of distinction” status. Principal Baker opened the event with a shower of encouragement. “Kiss your smart brains!” she told the students, who kissed their hands and then touched their heads. “You’re worthy, right?” she called out to a sea of small applauding hands. “Raise your hand if you like reading! Raise your hand if you like mathematics!” she instructed, prompting most students to reach up enthusiastically. Vice Principal Melanie Thomas offered a pep talk on school attendance. “We care about you and want to see you. When you’re not at school, we ask about you,” she said. She reminded the kids that Captain Attendance — a staff member-turnedsuperhero who attended the assembly in full costume — visits the class with

the best attendance each week with a stuffed animal owl prize. One reason to come to school is that “when you come to school, your brain gets stronger,” said Thomas. “Make strong arms!” The kids flexed their muscles. Thomas and Baker recognized several “scholars of the month” who excelled in both academic subjects and in being kind to their school community. They also doled out certificates to each and every staff member in the room, honoring their hard work as educators. The school choir performed a song whose chorus embedded a school pride spelling lesson. “O-B-A-M-A, Obama!” the choir chanted. They promised in one of the verses, “Of course we’ll make a difference in a world that needs our help.” The assembly also featured spirited jazzy performances from the Hillhouse High School band, which made the Obama school kids dance, clap, and occasionally cover their ears from the booming sound. As the band wrapped up, Baker told the kids, “No one can tell us all the talent is not right here in New Haven!”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Labor Board Sides With Fired Cop by THOMAS BREEN

The new haven independent

A state arbitration panel has ruled that expolice Sgt. Shayna Kendall should get her job back after finding that the city did not have “just cause” to fire her for allegedly lying about a traffic stop-turned-civilian complaint. The state Department of Labor’s Board of Mediation and Arbitration handed down that decision on Nov. 22. Click here to read the ruling in full. A two-person majority of the three-person panel ruled that Kendall should not have been fired in August 2022 following an Internal Affairs investigation that led the city’s police chief and police commission to determine that she had lost her credibility as a cop. Instead, the panel’s majority found that Kendall should be reinstated in her city police job, that her discipline should be reduced to a one-day suspension, and that she should be “made whole” for lost wages and benefits resulting from her termination One of the panel’s members dissented on the majority opinion, arguing that a oneday suspension was not nearly enough given the board’s findings. (See more on that below.) The incident that led to Kendall’s termination took place in July 2021, when Kendall allegedly pulled over a driver who had honked her horn at her and was dishonest with police investigators who subsequently looked into the matter. “The crux of this case was about the allegations that Grievant [Kendall] was untruthful and

therefore unable to uphold the public trust or fully perform the duties of a police officer in swearing out subpoenas and reports or testifying in court,” the 18-page arbitration award reads. According to the award report, the police department and the city, represented by attorney Floyd Dugas, argued over the course of the arbitration hearings that Kendall deserved to be fired for making an illegal stop and for being dishonest. The report summarizes the position of the police union, represented by attorney Marshall Segar, as arguing that Kendall “is a highly decorated police officer,” that this was a “one-off incident,” that “there are dozens of similarly-situated NHPD police officers with veracity issues that have been promoted,” and that the police department conducted a “clumsy investigation.” Of the six allegations presented by Jacobson to the city’s police commission in support of his recommendation to fire Kendall, the state arbitration panel found that the city had “met its burden of proving” only one of them — that Kendall had violated General Order 12.01.02 and 12.02.04 “by failing to document and notify dispatch of the traffic stop.” The majority of the panel found that the police department did not adequately prove that Kendall had violated any other general orders, including those pertaining to an officer’s honesty. In regards to one such allegation, involving a dispute over how and when Kendall notified her supervising lieutenant that she would be late to work the day of the incident, the

MAYA MCFADDEN FILE PHOTO Shayna Kendall.

panel stated that the time gap between the incident itself and when Kendall was interviewed by police investigators renders such discrepancies potentially more benign. “There is not sufficient evidence for this panel to determine that Grievant’s initial statement, four months after an incident that she thought was insignificant, was untruthful as opposed to mistaken.” In conclusion, the panel determined that a one-day suspension would be more appropriate than termination. “The City of New Haven did not have just cause to terminate Sergeant Shayna Kendall,” the award document reads. “For the reasons stated in the Discussion, the Arbitration

Panel finds that the City of New Haven did have just cause to suspend the Grievant for one day, and, accordingly, the termination shall be reduced to a one-day suspension. Grievant shall be reinstated and made whole for any lost wages (less any customary deductions and any earnings received during the period of termination), benefits, and seniority consistent with this Award.” Two of the panel’s members, Janis Jerman and Don Sevas, signed on to the majority opinion. Russell Melita filed a dissent. In his one-page dissent, Melita argued that Kendall’s termination “was not in itself just on this incident, but a culmination of Sgt. Kendall’s behavior over her tenure

as a police officer. “With public opinion being at a low, particularly in police actions and behaviors, police leadership is doing its best to repair damage.” After listing examples of Kendall’s alleged untruthfulness during the July 2021 traffic stop, Melita concluded that a oneday suspension without pay “will not be a deterrent tp police behavior or public perception.” Kendall’s attorney, Eric Brown, heralded the “outstanding outcome” of the panel’s decision, and praised police union attorney Segar for “his fine legal work” in this case. “I would expect that the City will appeal but we are hopeful that it will simply accept the decision and welcome a fine police officer back into its ranks.” Segar, Kendall, police union President Florencio Cotto, and Police Chief Jacobson all declined to comment for this article. On Monday night, Mayor Justin Elicker provided the following comment by email: “Chief Jacobson and the Board of Police Commissioners unanimously concluded that Sgt. Kendall’s actions warranted termination from the New Haven Police Department. Among the most important qualities in a police officer are honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness both with the community and with their fellow officers. We ask residents to be honest with our officers, and our officers must be held to the same standard. We’re disappointed by the board’s ruling and the city’s corporation counsel is reviewing the decision to determine next steps.”

Ronnell Higgins takes over CT state police at critical juncture

by Mark Pazniokas CTNewsJunkie Ronnell A. Higgins took over Monday as the civilian who oversees public safety in Connecticut, most notably a state police department coping with a traffic-stop reporting scandal and the challenge of filling about 260 vacancies in the uniformed ranks. “My hope for this new role is, first and foremost, to restore whatever trust that was lost,” said Higgins, who was named more than a month ago as Gov. Ned Lamont’s choice to take over the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Higgins said he already has consulted with Ken Barone, the leader of the University of Connecticut institute that found the falsified traffic reports, and Deirdre M. Daly, the former U.S. attorney Lamont hired to conduct an independent inquiry. Higgins said he has spoken to Barone on “a number of occasions” and Daly nearly daily. While her inquiry is being conducted independently, Higgins said he is not preempted from consulting her directly as he forms opinions about what changes might be necessary. “We’re going to be getting together, if not later this week, early next week for a very

Ronnell Higgins takes oath of office as commissioner of DESPP from Gov. Ned Lamont. He is the second Black commissioner to lead the agency, which includes the state police. MARK PAZNIOKAS / CTMIRROR.ORG

in-depth briefing,” Higgins said. The report by Barone’s Institute for Municipal and Regional Police revealed how

state troopers and constables may have submitted tens of thousands of falsified traffic stop tickets to the institute’s racial

profiling database. A federal criminal investigation also is under way. Want more in-depth Connecticut reporting? The Lamont administration recruited Higgins, the head of public safety at Yale University, as successor to James Rovella, the former Hartford police chief who was Lamont’s first commissioner of emergency services and public protection. His retirement was effective last week. Even before taking the oath Monday, Higgins had put his initial stamp on the agency, recommending the interim appointment two weeks ago of Daniel Loughman as commander of the state police, succeeding Col. Stavros Mellekas, who also retired. Higgins cannot make Loughman’s appointment permanent until he is confirmed as commissioner after the General Assembly convenes in February. In Loughman, he chose the commanding officer of professional standards and training. “Col. Loughman is someone who I believe is not only skillful and trustworthy, but someone who’s an emerging leader in public safety in the state of Connecticut,” Higgins said. “And I believe that working with him, coaching, mentoring and supporting him, I believe we’re going to be OK.”

Higgins promised a level of attention from him and Loughman to the small details that shape an agency’s culture and expectations. “My hope is to bring bring us a sense of ‘broken windows’ of policing within the agency internally — dealing with the little things, if I can say that, making sure that our practices align with our policies, making sure that leadership even at the sergeant’s level is doing as they should,” Higgins said. Higgins declined to offer examples of those “little things” that might be in need of more attention. “That would be premature for me to talk about,” Higgins said. “The colonel and I still have a lot to talk about.” Lamont administered the oath of office to Higgins in a ceremony at the agency’s headquarters in Middletown. The new commissioner’s wife, Robin, pinned a gold badge on the lapel of his suit, then lightly kissed her husband. She is a retired New Haven police officer, as is the commissioner’s father, Reginald Higgins Sr. “I think it’s in the genes,” Lamont said of policing and the Higgins family.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

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Growing up in the early 1990s, Thuso Mbedu dreamt of being an entertainTHE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December never 12, 2023 ment figure. At a very young age, she wanted to be a dermatologist, but after taking a dramatic arts class in the 10th grade, she became interested in acting. Her acting career has earned her fame and fortune locally and internationally, rising to become one of the most sought after actresses from South Africa. At 27, she was named in the 2018 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 List, and one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African Magazine. Born on July 8, 1991, at the Midlands Medical Center in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, to a Zulu mother and Xhosa and Sotho father, she never enjoyed the care of her parents who died when she was barely four years old. She was raised by her grandmother, a very strict school principal in school and at home. Her name reflected the multicultural tribes of her parents – Thuso is a Sotho name, Nokwanda is a Zulu name, and Mbedu is Xhosa. Mbedu went to Pelham Primary School and Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School and graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa in 2013, where she studied Physical Theatre and Performing Arts Management. Earlier in 2012, she took a summer course at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City. Career Her acting career began in 2014 when she played a minor role of ‘Nosisa’ in the popular South African Soap Opera ‘Isibaya’ from Mzansi Magic. In 2015, she played a guest role as ‘Kheti’ in the Second Season of the SABC 2 who youth isdrama series cham‘Snake resentatives a vocal — is housed in the U.S. Department portunities for Black Americans.” Park.’ pion of equitable funding for public of Education. It’s charged with ad- Its members come with the experiShe got her first starring in theOther teen schools, serves as the role chair. vising the Biden administration on ence the Biden Administration needs drama television series ‘IS’THUNZI’ from members include National Education the “development, implementation, to make the commission’s goals a re- Mzansi Magic where she played ‘Winnie.’ Association President Becky Prinand coordination of educational pro- ality. Malcolm Kenyatta, a member Her international debut was in ‘The Ungle and Secretary-Treasurer of the grams and initiatives to improve op- of the Pennsylvania House of Rep- derground Railroad’ an American fantasy American Federation of Teachers Dr. historical drama series based on the novel Fedrick Ingram, who are deeply ‘The Underground Railroad’ writtenconby nected to what teachers and students Colson Whitehead. are oninaher day-to-day baIn dealing 2022, shewith starred first film ‘The sis. Woman King’ an epic historical drama Jared Bass,where senior of about Agosie, anvice entirepresident female wareducation at the the Center American rior unit protected Westfor African KingProgress, says the of this inidom of Dahomey in thegoals 17 – 19th century. tiative are‘Nawi’, vast, but are centered on She played a zealous recruit in the addressing military unit. the inequities that directly In 2017, was nominated for for the impact theMbedu educational outcomes ‘DSTV Viewers Choice Awards’ and the Black students. ‘International for the ‘Best A school isEmmy “the Awards epicenter of comPerformance by an Actress’ hertorole munity,” Bass says. “We for need be ‘Winnie the schools, 2016 -2017too, televithinkingBhengu’ about inour as sion ‘IS’THUNZI.’he says. partdrama of ourseries infrastructure,” In 2018, wonBass the ‘South Film To that she end, says African systematic and Television Awards’ for ‘ Best Actress barriers like food scarcity, lack of –transportation TV Drama’ for her ‘Winnie Bhengu’ to role school programs, in the 2016 -2017 television drama series and the disproportionate percentage ‘IS’THUNZI.’ She was also nominated for of Black students being suspended the ‘International Emmy Awards for ‘Best are some of the issues the commisPerformance by an Actress’ for her role sion will need to address. ‘Winnie Bhengu’ in the television drama Bass, who previously served in the series ‘IS’THUNZI.’ Obama administration as a for senior In 2021, she was nominated the policy adviser within the Office of ‘Television Critics Association Award’ Planning, Evaluation, and Policy (Individual Achievement in Drama), the

New Biden Commission Focuses on Black Student Success by Aiah Siid, A Word In Black

The effort aims to rule out racial inequities in schools and to prepare kids for academic achievement and upward economic mobility Imagine being a high school student punished simply for refusing to cut the dreadlocks you’ve been growing for years. Or put yourself in the shoes of a student sweating — but still expected to learn — in a hot classroom without air conditioning or proper ventilation. Or maybe your local school is understaffed due to the nationwide teacher shortage, and there’s no one to teach special education, science, math, or foreign languages. These are just some of the racial inequity-based realities President Joe Biden may have been thinking of when he created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans. “Our nation’s schools and communities are irrefutably strengthened by the success, scholarship, and tenacity of Black students of all ages,” Biden said in his proclamation announcing the effort. “But our nation must go further to finally root out systemic barriers in our schools.” The 21-member commission — which was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris in late October

Development at the U.S. Department of Education and as the lead higher education staffer on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce — Democratic Staff, says policymakers have to consider how these challenges keep kids from achieving academically, and ultimately, being unprepared for the workforce. “We don’t just want to have education for education’s sake. We want to have education, so people have economic opportunity,” he says. Thuso Mbedu. Photo -IOL Instead of taking a siloed approach ‘Black Reel Awards’ (Outstanding Actress to solving the challenges facing –schools, TV MovieBass / Limited Series), the ‘Hollysays policymakers wood need Critics to ask,Association “How doTV weAwards’ get the(Best DeActress in aofLimited Series, Anthropology partment Transportation involved Series Television Movie), ‘Gotham in theorgame? How do wetheget these Awards’ (Outstanding Performance in New other sectors involved? And how are Series), the ‘Hollywood Associawe supporting not justCritics what’s haption TV in Awards’ (TV Breakout and pening the classroom, but Star), all those the ‘Critics Choice Television Awards’ social supports and barriers to struc(Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television tural barriers.” Movie), all for her role ‘Cora Randall’ in the 2021 TV series ‘The Underground RailCommunity Voices and Cultural road.’ Competency She won the ‘TV Breakout Star’ award from the Hollywood Critics Association Title under attack and facTVWith and won theI‘Outstanding Performance ing a potential 80% funding cut, in New Series’ award from the Gotham Bass says we can’t lose sight of the Awards. funding impact whether In 2022,issues Mbedu that was nominated for the schools andSpirit students re‘Independent Awardshave (Best the Female sources theyinneed. Performance a New Scripted Series), for “Making sure we have for her role ‘Cora Randall’ in thefunding 2021 televithings like‘The AP Underground courses — Railroad.’ and just sion series making opportunity is equiShe won sure the that ‘Critics Choice Television Awards’ for ‘Best in aitself, Miniseries or table within theActress system is imTelevision Movie’says. for her role ‘Cora Ranportant,” Bass dall’ ‘The Underground Railroad.’ To in effectively determine the path In her keynote TheWrap’s Powforward, Bassspeech says atthe commission er Women Summit, Thuso Mbeduattearfully has to connect with people the lospoke of how she overcame the loss of her cal level to hear what Black families, dear parents, and aunt. But students, andgrandmother, educators need. her Amandaon Lane’s Androle theinexperts the ‘IS’THUNZI’ commission gradually renewed her hope in life. likely are already thinking about how “…my world that blur,is until Aman“making surewas content culturally da Lane happened in 2016. The role that relevant to students” is critical. “A Amanda Lane gave me was the difference lot of research says having a teacher between life and death for me. Receivof color, especially for Black boys, ing that audition brief, I told myself that having a Black male teacher of color I would audition like it was my last audijust Ipays them, that theirI tion. gave dividends it the last offor everything educational journey and success,” had, that at the time I got the callback, I had Bass says. nothing left. I secretly made the decision Students also needbecause “a sense benot to do the callback I hadofnothlonging,” Bass “especially in ing left to give. Butsays, fortunately, I received Black and Brown communities.” the callback. So I didn’t do the callback beOur kids need cause the role was “to mine.know I had that givencomup. I munities that atthey belong in was in a veryknow dark place the time, and the school, that belong in the classcharacter, the they role, the opportunity, was a room,needed that light. they And belong boardmuch I told in myself that Irooms, will actthat as ifthey it wasbelong the lastincharacter that these placIeswill And throughita may great seem script that and — play. that sometimes an I earned two Internalikeamazing peopledirector, are trying to drive them tional that role…” out ofEmmy that, Awards but theyforbelong there.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023 C O N’T F OR M PAGE 1 0

On World AIDS Day

their pews, and sometimes breaking into tears as the words washed over them. Nowhere, perhaps, was that clearer than in an interlude from Denny, as he made Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” entirely his own. In the quiet after the performance had ended, he said he was thrilled to participate and to help get the word out about HIV prevention. “This is about being aware and assembling people through education,” he said. That was also true for musician Sean Gardner, who is proud to call DanielsSingleton his cousin. As a longtime member of St. Mary’s and a person who has watched HIV ravage families and friend groups in his own community, he stressed the importance of letting people know how to protect themselves, get tested and find the right antiretroviral therapies if they need them. “I think that we need to keep the fires and embers burning,” he said. “We need to re-energize this movement and speak out to make sure that we don’t have another epidemic.” As she thanked artists for their time, Daniels-Singleton said that she sees Saturday as just the beginning of a longer effort. The cause is close to her heart: In the early 2000s, she came onboard as a case manager for AIDS Interfaith, then a pioneering and singular organization in the field of AIDS awareness. At the time, her boss—the now-legendary Elsie Cofield—was one of the only faith leaders in New Haven willing to actively talk about prevention, support, and awareness. Daniels-Singleton has worked to carry on that legacy. "HIV/AIDS was a subject that was rarely discussed because of the stigma and shame attached," she remembered. "It was often considered the nasty disease, which in many cases led to isolation from family and friends. Some people believe the disease is a punishment from God as a result of sexual sin. Many suffer in silence. I want to continue to promote love and hope through education and the arts." That advocacy work intersects directly with her belief in a loving and forgiving God, who commands his followers to love their neighbors as they love themselves. As an active and lifelong member of St. Mary's—her aunt, Pastor Martha Green, founded the church 50 years ago—she's also seen firsthand how powerful the church can be in getting the word out about a public health crisis. That's where the idea of "The Healing Starts Here" came from, she said. Before the night was over, she urged fellow attendees to become public health messengers in their homes and churches, so that the night might have a ripple effect. “It’s the huge component [that’s] missing,” she said. “The conversation must continue so that we all can heal, both infected and affected. This isn’t only a gay or African American disease, it’s a community epidemic. Education plus love equals success—the healing starts today!”

Ex-convict who could not read goes viral for helping others to read on TikTok

Stephen Nartay, Face2FaceAfrica.com

He is neither a bestseller nor has he reviewed any literary piece but he has become a “BookTok” influencer who commands massive followers on social media. Oliver James could barely make meaning from a string of sentences in the book. However, he witnessed a significant transformation when he made a candid confession on TikTok in October 2022 detailing his struggles with reading. He posted on TikTok “What’s up? I can’t read.” This single post is responsible for his overnight success. After serving time in prison for firearms dealing in his early 20s, James experienced an unexpected viral breakthrough by sharing videos of himself reading in his van on TikTok. His follower count has surged to over 273,000, and he expressed surprise at the impact. He initially started the reading project for personal growth but he later found fulfillment in helping others, particularly children and adults facing similar reading challenges.

James, raised in poverty in Bethlehem, Pa., recounted a challenging elementary school experience focused on survival due to his single mother’s financial struggles, according to the Los Angeles Times. Battling ADHD and learning disabilities, he was placed in a segregated specialeducation classroom, spending his days avoiding teachers. Despite graduating

high school, he lacked basic reading skills, and he expressed a sense of neglect, stating that no one showed concern for his literacy challenges. Released from prison in 2014, James transitioned to a career as a fitness instructor in California alongside his girlfriend, Anne Halkias. Concealing his inability to read, he finally disclosed the secret to

Halkias in October 2022. Crediting her encouragement, James began sharing his journey to literacy on social media, having previously kept this aspect of his life hidden from everyone. Despite reading at a third-grade level, James is on a mission to complete 100 books this year, dedicating around five hours daily to reading. He admitted that his 10-year-old reads better but he takes pride in finishing his 81st book. James, who never considered owning a book for most of his life, now boasts two bookshelves holding approximately 300 books. Despite the whirlwind of the past year, James sees his journey as just the beginning. Determined to inspire millions of adults facing similar challenges, he said he finds immense value in messages from people who started reading because of him, considering those moments priceless and expressing contentment without needing anything else.

Miss Black America Pageant Returns to Atlantic City for 55th Anniversary Celebration By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia The Miss Black America Pageant is coming back to Atlantic City to celebrate its 55th anniversary. It will be held on the Boardwalk on Saturday, December 16th. The return to the city where the “Historic Protest Pageant of 1968” took place has generated considerable anticipation among many. As announced, a captivating parade and a series of exciting festivities are guaranteed as the prelude to the grand main event at the renowned Showboat Atlantic Hotel. J. Morris Anderson, an individual who performed at the forefront of his time, established the Miss Black America Pageant, and made a lasting impact as the founder of the “American Institute of Positivity.” “The Seeds of Positivity,” the term “Positivity,” and the “Success Seekers Seminars” hosted by the institute are all works Anderson authored. His influence transcends the pageant, as does his vision, which surpasses the conventional. Aleta Anderson, Morris’s daughter, stated that it’s critical to recognize the differences between the Miss Black America Pageant and a Black Miss America pageant. “I’ve been working with this pageant since I was a little girl,” Anderson declared. “The thing that it originally was meant for is still there, and it means so much more in that it provides an opportunity for the young women to participate.” Established in 1968, the organization carved its path, boasting a syndicated television network to showcase Black women’s often-overlooked beauty, talent, and intelligence in mainstream pageants.

“Miss Black America was always a pageant of access,” Anderson told the Black Press. “It wasn’t a beauty pageant, but a story of Black beauty, and of confidence, and self-esteem. And it continues to be a part of our learning process as we now have all these platforms of exposure.” Saundra Williams, a college student from Philadelphia, made history as the first Miss Black America. She used her platform to showcase an enchanting traditional African dance and to challenge the long-standing exclusion of Black

women from the Miss America pageant. “Miss America does not represent us because there has never been a black girl in the pageant,” Williams once stated. In 1970, Cheryl Browne became the first black Miss America contestant, and Vanessa Williams secured the historic title in 1983. Over 50 distinguished women will compete for the Miss Black America title this year, joining the ranks of past champions such as Oprah Winfrey, Toni Braxton, Bern Nadette Stanis, and Nicole Hibbert. Anderson underscored the

pageant’s lasting relevance as a symbol of hope for young women. The pageant was originally created to celebrate Black beauty, confidence, and self-esteem. Now it has become a platform for challenging traditional ideas of beauty and providing needed exposure. Anderson emphasized the pageant’s diversity, which transcended social, economic, and educational limitations. She described the Miss Black America Pageant as a national and global event that has shaped American history since 1968. “We have so many young women in the pageant and just because it’s the Miss Black America pageant doesn’t mean it isn’t diverse,” Anderson argued. “The diversity exceeds socio-economic status, and our education because the way we are educated is different. Every woman who has participated is vested and becomes a lifelong participant and we have so many coming back to Atlantic City to pay homage.” The first-ever senior Miss Black America will be crowned, Anderson believes, marking a historic event that will give the competition a new dimension. She promised to commemorate J. Morris Anderson’s devotion to Black women by keeping the pageant going forward as a legacy program. “I want everyone to walk away with the feeling that anything is possible and that they have the support and a window of opportunity,” Anderson stated. “It doesn’t start in Atlantic City, it starts before. Getting there and showing up, being highly motivated, and having a feeling of going into this that they are now a part of something that provides an experience that elevates the rest of their lives.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

A Ghana reparations summit agrees on a global fund to compensate Africans for the slave trade By Francis Kokutse, The Associated Press courtesy of Afro.com Chenzira Kahina, former president at the Caribbean Studies Association, speaks at the Africa Union reparation conference held in Accra, Ghana, Nov. 16, 2023. A Global Reparation Fund will be set up to push for overdue compensation for millions of Africans enslaved centuries ago during the transatlantic slave trade, according to resolutions reached by delegates at the summit. (AP Photo/ Misper Apawu) ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Delegates at a reparations summit in Ghana agreed Thursday to establish a Global Reparation Fund to push for overdue compensation for millions of Africans enslaved centuries ago during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The Accra Reparation Conference adds to the growing demands for reparations after about 12 million Africans were forcefully taken by European nations from the 16th to the 19th century and enslaved on plantations that built wealth at the price of misery.

Centuries after the end of the slave trade, people of African descent around the world continue “to be victims of systemic racial discrimination and racialized attacks,” concluded a recent report by a special U.N. forum which supported reparations as “a cornerstone of justice in the 21st century.” “It is time for Africa — whose sons and daughters had their freedoms controlled and sold into slavery — to also receive reparations,” said Ghana’s President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo at the conference, attended by senior government officials from across Africa as well as the diaspora community. Slave reparations have become an issue the world “must confront and can no longer ignore,” said Akufo-Addo, calling out the British and other European nations who enriched themselves during the slave trade while “enslaved Africans themselves did not receive a penny.” Delegates to the conference in Accra did not say how such a reparation fund would operate. But Gnaka Lagoke, an assistant professor of history and pan-African studies, said it should be used to “correct the

problems” that the continent is facing in all sectors of its economy. Compensations are based on “moral and legal rights and dignity of the people,” said Ambassador Amr Aljowailey, strategic adviser to the deputy chairman of the African Union Commission, who read out the resolution titled The Accra Proclamation. In addition to the Global Reparation Fund, which will be championed by a committee of experts set up by the A.U. Commission in collaboration with African nations, “a special envoy will engage in campaigns as well as litigation and judicial efforts,” said Aljowailey. Activists have said reparations should go beyond direct financial payments to also include developmental aid for countries, the return of colonized resources and the systemic correction of oppressive policies and laws. The required amount for compensation will be decided through a “negotiated settlement (that will) benefit the masses,” said Nkechi Taifa, director of the U.S.based Reparation Education Project.

Flurry of lawsuits under Adult Survivors Act roils entertainment and political circles The New York Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault law, which opened on Thanksgiving 2022 and closed at midnight on Thanksgiving this year, has allowed accusers from decades-old encounters to seek financial damages from those they said manipulated them, took advantage of their authority, raped, and otherwise sexually abused them. By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent,@StacyBrownMedia The clock struck midnight on the New York Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault statute, a law that opened a one year window for accusers to file a lawsuit against their alleged abusers. And when it was all said and done, more than 2,600 claims were filed, including some last-minute cases against Hollywood and music’s biggest names. The state law, which opened on Thanksgiving 2022 and closed at midnight on Friday 2023, has allowed accusers from decades-old encounters to seek financial damages from those they said manipulated them, took advantage of their authority, raped, and otherwise sexually abused them. Some of the earlier high-profile names were the twice-impeached, four-times criminally indicted former President Donald Trump, whom the writer E. Jean Carroll successfully sued in court this year. A jury found that Trump sexually assaulted Carroll in the 1990s and awarded her $5 million in damages. A week before the midnight holiday deadline, the R&B singer Cassie Ventura sued Sean “Diddy” Combs for

years of sexual abuse and a myriad of other damning accusations, and the two quickly reached a settlement that one report claimed netted Ventura $100 million. Before the deadline, Diddy was hit with two additional sexual assault lawsuits , as was Harve Pierre, the former president of Diddy’s

Bad Boy Records, who is accused of preying on the Jane Doe plaintiff “on multiple occasions in New York City and other locations throughout the country,” according to a complaint filed in the New York County Supreme Court. Actors Jamie Foxx and Cuba Good-

ing Jr. were among those to have allegations leveled against them. Entertainers such as Russell Brand, Marilyn Manson, and Harvey Weinstein were also hit with claims. Comedian Bill Cosby again faced allegations of sexual assault, while Guns N’ Roses front man Axl Rose was ac-

cused of a vicious assault in 1989. Photographer Terry Richardson and famed music producer L.A. Reid were also served with legal documents from accusations dating back to 2004. Record mogul Jimmy Iovine, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York State Sen. Kevin Parker, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams were among the many others accused by women of assaulting them in lawsuits filed this week under the Adult Survivors Act, signed into law by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in May 2022. The Adult Survivors Act evolved from the Child Victims Act, enacted in 2019, which gave individuals abused as minors a “lookback window” to file claims. Hochul noted that the Child Victims Act had overlooked many individuals, prompting the introduction of the Adult Survivors Act. The sheer volume and variety of allegations underscored the seismic impact of the legislation and its role in giving a voice to survivors who claim to have long felt unheard. Still, most of those accused issued public statements denying the allegations. “Diddy, LA Reid, Steven Tyler, and now they circle back to this,” Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt said. “When is it going to stop?”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Dece mber 2023 - Dece02, mber 12, 2023 INNER-CITY NEWS July 27,06, 2016 - August 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 work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valCT We 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 Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:will be mailied upon rebeen received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications Reclaimer and Milling with current quest byOperators calling HOME INC atOperators 203-562-4663 duringlicensing those hours. Completed preand clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the NorthLargeStreet, CT Fence applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Third Company looking for an individual for our east & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits PVC Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com measure. Use of CNC Router machine a plus but not required, will train the right person. This is an in-shop production poWomen & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and AffirmativeMACRI Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer VALENTINA VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDESsition. DISPONIBLES more. Must have a valid CT driver’s license & be able to obtain a Drivers Medical HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com. Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipaceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of AA/EOE-MF ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos operating heavy equipment; be willing to travel throughout the máximos. Las We pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m.tscomenzando Martes 25 Northeast & NY. offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefi Full Time julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100)Administrative assistant position en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición for a steel & misc metals fabrication shop who will oversee the llamandoEmail: a HOMEdana.briere@garrityasphalt.com INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirseof clerical duties such as answering phones, acdaily operations Women & Minority encouraged to apply a las oficinas de HOMEApplicants INC en 171are Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .purchase orders/invoicing and certified payroll. counts payable Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer Email resumes to jillherbert@gwfabrication.com

NOTICE

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

NOTICIA

Union Company seeks:

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

NOW HIRINGNEW FOR 2024 SEASON HAVEN

Roma Construction, 242-258 Inc. has openings forAve Laborers, CDL Drivers Fairmont with Class A & B Licenses,1.5 andBA, operators. are,an Equal 2BR Townhouse, 3BR, 1We level 1BA Opportunity Employer and have training availability. All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Please contact Rebecca 860-996-8766 Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested partiesat contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

or put in an application at romaconst.com

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 1:30630 Plainfi eld Rd Jewett 3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. City, CT 06351 (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster

ROMA CONSTRUCTION, INC.

St. New Haven, CT

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

is looking for licensed and insured towing companies who Sealed be bidsinterested are invited by Housing of the of Seymour would in the signing upAuthority to be on ourTown monthly towuntil 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, ing rotation. Interested vendors will be subject to a due diliSeymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Repairs and Replacement at thea gence check. Vendors placed Sidewalk on our rotation will be assigned SmithfieldinGardens Assisted Livingall Facility, 26 calls Smithfor Street month(s) the year, in which towing allSeymour. of HACB’s properties will be placed with that assigned vendor. Interested A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith parties should email their Company name and address, conStreet Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. tact person and phone number, along with a W9 and Certificate ofBidding Insurance to procurement@parkcitycommunities.org . The documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Ofcut-off date for submissions is COB 12/18/2023 fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. 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

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO. Invitation for Bids SNOW REMOVAL SERVICES 360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking bids for Snow Removal Services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems. com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at 3:00PM.

The Town of East Haven is currently accepting applications from qualified

candidates for the position of Mechanic. The starting salary is $55,393 per year and the town offers an excellent benefit package. Only candidates with at least 6 years of experience in motor-mechanic work, a High School Diploma or GED supplemented by trade school training and a CDL, class 2 will be considered. Applications are available online at http://www.townofeasthavenct.org/civiltest.shtml or the Civil Service Office, 250 Main Street, East Haven CT. The deadline for submission is November 22, 2023. The Town of East Haven is committed to building a workforce of diverse individuals. Minorities, Females, Handicapped and Veterans are encouraged to apply.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN Notice of Public Hearing Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 8-44 With Respect to the Acquisition of Real Property and Improvements located at 16 East Grand Avenue and 36 East Grand Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut, Notice is given, pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Section 8-44 that the

State of Connecticut Housing Authority of the City of New Haven ("Authority") will hold a public Office of Policy hearing at 10 a.m./p.m. on December 13, 2023, via RING CENTRAL AND IN and Management Invitation to Bid:

PERSON, to receive public comment on the acquisition by the Authority or one

2nd Notice of its affiliated entities of the real property located at 16 East Grand Avenue and

The State of Connecticut, Office of 36 East Grand Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut, (the "Property"). A portion Policy and Management is recruiting for an OPM Assistant Division of this property will be developed by the Authority to meet the needs of, among Director in the Office of Finance.Old Saybrook, others,CTFamilies, Individuals (including Elderly and Disabled) Extremely Low

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

17 Units) Further information regarding (4 Buildings, Income and Very Low Income Households. the duties,Tax eligibility Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project requirements and application To connect to the meeting VIA Ring Central, please use the following: instructions are available at:

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Casthttps://www.jobapscloud.com/ 267-930-4000 CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Meeting ID: 230908&R2=0104MP&R3=001 Passcode: 685184917 Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. To attend in person the meeting will be held at: strongly encourages the applications of women, This minorities, contractand is persons subjectwithtodisabilities. state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. Housing Authority of the City of New Haven

Board Room Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 360 Orange Street Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 QSR STEEL New Haven, Connecticut 06511 Project documents available via ftp link below: CORPORATION http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Authority staff is available at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, Connecticut, and

APPLY NOW!

by telephone Authority staff - Yadira Vargas at (203) 498-8800 ext. 1096, to

assist persons with disabilities. Authority’s TTY/TDD phone number is (203) Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses 497-8434. Authority is an equal opportunity housing agency. Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders AA/EEO EMPLOYER HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN Top pay for top performers. Health By:________________________________ Beneﬁts, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Karen DuBois-Walton President Date: November __, 2023

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Dece 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023 INNER-CITY NEWS Julymber 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

NOTICE

The West Haven Planning & VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE Zoning Commission

HOME INC,aonPublic behalf of Hearing Columbus House the change New HaventoHousing Authority, will hold on a and text Article 3 of is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develSection 49.1 of the West Haven Regulations on Tuesday, opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apnd Floor, November 28, 2019 the Harriet North Room, 2Monday ply. Pre-applications will be in available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Ju;y City Hall, Main Haven,(approximately CT at 7:00100) PMhave to 25, 2016 and355 ending whenStreet, sufficient West pre-applications been received at the offices HOME INC. Applications will be mailiedSection upon reconsider amending theofregulations to include a new questentitled by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed pre49.4 Active Adult Community.

Town of Bloomfield

Salary Range:

$87,727 to $136,071 Deputy Finance Director/Controller Pre-employment drug testing.

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

Town of Bloomfield

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Salary Range - $101,455 to $156,599 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range)

This proposed text change to Table 39.2 of the zoning regulations adds deMarijuana Facilities and está HOME INC, en nombre la Columbus House y de la New(Dispensaries Haven Housing Authority, aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de by un dormitorio este desarrollo Producers) & Cannabis Establishments SpecialenPermit en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. limitaciones de ingresos inubicado the Regional Business District (RB).Se aplican The proposed text máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 change to section 49.1 of the regulations establishes the julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) following requirements: en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse 49.1.C: Marijuana Dispensaries, Production a las•oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

Facilities, and Cannabis Establishments shall be permitted in the Regional Business District (RB) subject to a Special Permit and Site Plan Review. Presently the use is limited to the Light NEWManufacturing HAVEN Zone (LM). 242-258 Fairmont Ave

•

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 to BA,exclude 3BR, 1Cannabis level , 1BA 49.1.D.2. is amended

All new apartments, carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 Retailer fromnew thisappliances, section new of the regulation. highways, near bus stop & shopping center • Pet Section is added to the under 40lb 49.1.D.2.1 allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

regulation to allow a Cannabis Retailer not less than 250is pleased feet tofrom residentially zoned CT. Unified Deacon’s Association offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates land as defined in 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

•

Section 49.1.D.5 of the zoning regulations is amended by adding section 49.1.D.2.1 in calculating distance as required by the regulation.

St. New Haven, CT

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm from on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, ing applications qualified candidates to participate in the Civil Service ExSeymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at theof amination for Accountant. A Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting plus 2 years SmithfieldisGardens experience required.Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

Accountant I: $71,503/year. The Town of East Haven is currently acceptCandidates bilingual in Spanish are encouraged to apply. The town offers an excellent benefi t package. Applications participate in theOffice examination are A pre-bid conference will be held at the to Housing Authority 28 Smith available at The Civil Service Office, 250 Main Street, East Haven CT or online Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. at http://www.townofeasthavenct.org/civiltest.shtml. The deadline for submission is November 22, 2023. The Town of East Haven is committed to building a Bidding documents are availableMinorities, from the Seymour Authority Ofworkforce of diverse individuals. Females, Housing Handicapped and Veterfice, Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. ans are28 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 Hamden Public School System (HPS) located in Hamden, Connecticut seeks Connecticut certified teachers who have a passion for working in diverse and dynamic school settings. The ideal candidate has experience working in culturally, socioeconomically, and racially diverse learning environments. HPS has approximately 5,600 students attending 8 elementary schools, 1 middle School, 1 high school, and 1 secondary alternative program (HCLC). Our demographics are as follows: 32% Black/African-American students; 25% White students; 28% Hispanic (Latinx) students; 7% Asian students; 7% Two or more races; and less than 1% Native American and Pacific Islander students. We are seeking candidates for multiple positions, including but not limited to:

applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

AMENDMENT TO TABLE 39.2 & ARTICLE 3SECTION 49.1 ENTITLED MARIJUANA NOTICIA FACILITIES

HAMDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

• Special Education (pre-K thru 12) • World Language • Social Work • Head Girls Gymnastics Coach • Head Boys Lacrosse Coach • Custodial • School Nurse

Finance Director Fully Beneﬁted – 35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website – www.bloomﬁeldct.org

Portland Police Officer full-time Go to www.portlandct.org for details

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

While we are seeking candidates for these positions specifically, we encourage holders of certificates in other areas to apply as well. It is also important to note here that the Hamden Board of Education is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse teaching staff. Interested candidates can access Hamden.org, click on the Personnel tab, and then click on Online Applications. Anyone seeking additional information can contact Hamden Public Schools Assistant Superintendents, Erin Bailey (Elementary) at ebailey@ hamden.org or Linda Tran (Secondary) at ltran@hamden.org. For coaching positions, please contact Director of Athletics, Tom Dyer at tdyer@hamden.org.

Invitation to Bid: It is the policy of Hamden Public Schools that no person shall be excluded from, de2nd Notice

nied the benefits of, or otherwise discriminated against under any program including

Old Saybrook, CT APPLY NOW! (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

employment, because of race, color, religious creed, sex, age national origin, ancestry, SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE marital status, sexual orientation, past or present history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability.

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project Top pay for top performers. Health Beneﬁts, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Invitation for Bids Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, State of Connecticut Unarmed Security Services Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. Office of Policy This contract subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. andisManagement

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for Services of a firm to provide Unarmed Security Services. A complete copy of the requirement may be The State of Connecticut, Bid Extended, Due Date: Augustfrom 5, 2016 obtained Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://neOffice of Policy and Management Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 whavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on is recruiting for an Information

Technology Technician hour). Project(40documents available via ftp link below:

Monday, November 6, 2023, at 3:00PM. Further information regarding http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

the duties, eligibility requirements and application Faxinstructions or Email Questions & Bids to:at: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com are available

Construction

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses

https://www.jobapscloud.com/ Seeking toSeymour, employCT experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamHaynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, 06483 CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= ster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and 230927&R2=7602FR&R3=001 AA/EEO EMPLOYER The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

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

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - Dece mber 2023 - Dece02, mber 12, 2023 INNER-CITY NEWS July 27,06, 2016 - August 2016

CONSTRUCTION NOTICE JOB FAIR

Electric Utility System Operator/Dispatcher

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

APPLY NOW! HIRING ALL TRADES! VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE ***LOW-INCOME/SECTION 3/LOCAL PERSONS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY***

HOMEHIRING INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housingconcrete, Authority, Trades include: Demolition, sitework, fire suppression, ismasonry, accepting carpentry, pre-applications for studio andplumbing, one-bedroom apartments at this develelectric, hvac, ﬂooring, struct. steel, opment located 108 Franklandscaping, Street, New Haven. Maximum limitations apwindow blinds,atpainting, roofing, siding,income FLOORING, ETC.

ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

NOTICIA VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está 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 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición SUBCONTRACTORS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ON-THE-SPOT INTERVIEWS! llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse DATE/TIME: a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

Monday, November 27, 2023, from 3PM-6PM LOCATION:

20 Starkel Road, West Hartford, CT 06117 COMMUNITY BUILDING (Building #24)

NEW HAVEN

242-258 Fairmont Ave For more information, please contact 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR,Jennifer 1 levelLacombe , 1BA PH: 203-888-8119 EMAIL: jlacombe@haynesct.com

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

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR BID HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DANBURY

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. BoilerBishop Preventative Maintenance and Repair Services (203)Commercial 996-4517 Host, General Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

IFB No. B23007

Please register here to obtain Bid Package: https:// ha.internationaleprocurement.com/requests.html?company_id=49968

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL RETURN: Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour Housing Authority of the City of Danbury, 2 Mill Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 until Envelope 3:00 pmMust on Tuesday, August 2016 atCommercial its office Boiler at 28 Services Smith Street, be Marked: IFB No.2,B23007, Lisa Gilchrist, Purchasing Agent Seymour, CT 06483 Attn: for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

December 18th, 2023 at 10:30am (EST)

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour,CONTACT CT at 10:00 am, onFOR Wednesday, July 20, 2016. PERSON IFB DOCUMENT: Lisa Gilchrist – Purchasing Agent Telephone: 203-744-2500 x1421 Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority OfE-Mail: lgilchrist@hacdct.org

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

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

Top pay for top performers. Health Beneﬁts, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Principal Labor Relations Specialist. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at:

Operates electric distribution substation and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for an electric utility serving 25,000 customers. Coordinates electric system switching and places equipment in and out of service during routine and emergency operations. Requires HS diploma/GED with 2 years experience in the operation of Distribution SCADA equipment and/or switchboards used in the distribution of electricity. Experience and training may be substituted on a year for year basis. Must maintain valid system operation certification from Connecticut Valley Exchange (CONVEX) or other approved agency or be able to obtain the same within 90 days of hire. Must posses and maintain a valid State of CT driver’s license. $ 34.63 - $ 41.15 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and emailed to wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be December 27, 2023. EOE.

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 230417&R2=6342MP&R3=001 The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for an Agency Labor Relations Specialist Trainee (Leadership Associate (Confidential)) position and a Planning Analyst position.

WANTED

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 231121&R2=5989VR&R3=001

to Bid: TRUCK DRIVERInvitation 2 Notice nd

and https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 231128&R2=6297AR&R3=001

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

CDL license(4 Buildings, 17 Units) Old Saybrook, CT

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

Please send resume to Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, CastNew Construction, Wood Framed, attielordan@gmail.com in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Invitation for Bids PJF Construction Corporation Flooring, Painting, DivisionAA/EOE 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Agency Wide Key and Lock Services Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. This contract is subject to state set-aside 360 and Management contract compliance Group, requirements. Co. is currently seeking bids for agency wide key and lock

POLICE OFFICER

services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management

Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/ Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 gateway beginning on Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Project documents available via ftp link below: Monday, November 27, 2023, at 3:00PM. http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

City of Bristol

$73,220 - $89,002/yr.

Fax or Email Questionstesting, & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com Help Wanted - Full Time Category Required HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Highway Safety Program Specialist general info, and apply Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER online: www.bristolct.gov The South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) is seeking to fill the Highway Safety Program Specialist position. Visit www.scrcog.org for the full position description, qualifications, and application requirements. Bilingual candidates DEADLINE: preferred. Applications are to be submitted by noon on December 29, 2023, or until 12-04-23 the position is filled. Questions may be emailed to jobs@scrcog.org. SCRCOG is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Tennessee Has The Most Flu Cases In The U.S.

only for respiratory illnesses like RSV but for any child or adult for that matter who may need a hospital bed which would find it occupied with someone with an RSV infection,” said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News Medical Director. According to data provided by Walgreens, Knoxville, Nashville, and Chattanooga are three of the top ten cities in the country for flu cases. Dr. Ashton says the holidays could worsen the situation and create a further spread. “We know that as people shift and they move around and congregate and are in cold weather areas of the country, indoors with poor ventilation, these respiratory pathogens like to do their thing, spread and transmit disease, and infect people, and that’s what we’re seeing,” said Dr. Ashton.

By BlackHealthMatters.com

Tennessee currently ranks number one in the U.S. for flu cases. As we head into the holidays, medical experts warn us of a potential “tripledemic.” The flu, RSV, and COVID-19 would make up the components of the viral trio. The CDC says a tripledemic was not seen last season due to increased masking and fewer RSV cases. It’s been reported that a high number of children are hospitalized with RSV. In addition, the local urgent care center reported that a record number of patients came in for care after Thanksgiving. “We can’t prognosticate or ‘guesstimate’ what’s going to happen in the future; we can only use the data we have here, and now, that is, the hospital situation is not good, not

World AIDS Day December 1: CDC Says America is at A Crossroads with HIV/AIDS

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia

On the eve of World AIDS Day, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out a call for urgency and a collective commitment to ending the HIV pandemic in America. Agency officials said while there has been recent progress in HIV prevention, the world remains at a crossroads. “Without sufficient investment in HIV prevention, we risk turning back the clock on the progress we’ve worked so hard as a nation to achieve,” Dr. Robyn Neblett Fanfair, Acting Division Director in the Division of HIV Prevention at the National Center for HIV and the CDC, wrote in a letter on Nov. 30. “Together with ongoing commitment, we can honor the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to HIV-related illness in the United States and millions worldwide by ensuring that everyone benefits equally from four decades of groundbreaking scientific advances,” Fanfair stated. The CDC estimates that 1.2 million people in America have HIV, and 1 in 8 carriers don’t know it. Although new infections have declined overall, the CDC noted that tens of thousands of people in America continue to get HIV each year—and progress isn’t reaching all groups equitably due in part to deeply entrenched social determinants of health. Officials said expanded ef-

forts will be vital to reducing these disparities, and HIV prevention resources have not kept pace with needs. “This progress is promising. However, substantial and widening disparities persist, and efforts must be further strengthened and expanded to reach all

populations equitably,” Fanfair continued. CDC officials added that community engagement has been a crucial part of HIV prevention work since the beginning of the epidemic, and ongoing community engagement remains core to Ending the HIV Epidemic in the

U.S (EHE’s) success. “Through EHE, CDC and its partners are implementing innovative, whole-person approaches designed to identify and address factors related to inequity and get powerful HIV prevention tools into the hands of every person who needs them,” Fanfair

wrote. “For example, implementation in limited EHE jurisdictions of the pilot #ShesWell: PrEP for Women initiative, part of CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together (Together) campaign, showed increases in a range of outcomes, including PrEP knowledge and awareness, and conversations with health care providers about PrEP.” For EHE to be successful, interventions must be brought to scale to address inequity and eliminate longstanding barriers to care that require a significant and sustained infusion of new resources, Fanfair asserted. “However, HIV prevention resources have not kept pace with needs, and allocated funding has consistently fallen short of former and current president’s requests for funding the EHE initiative,” Fanfair added. Investing in HIV prevention saves lives, health officials demanded, adding that effective HIV prevention is also cost-saving. Officials said reaching EHE goals by 2030 would prevent over 255,000 HIV cases and save over $100 billion in direct lifetime medical costs. However, the ability to make further progress in stopping HIV transmission hinges on the ability to bring to scale innovative approaches designed to address disparities and their drivers, including HIV stigma, racism, and other social and structural determinants of health, CDC officials cautioned.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

The BOSS Network Honors the “Divine Nine” Sororities for 14th Anniversary Conference By BlackNews.com Nationwide — The BOSS Network, an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through digital content, programs, and event-based networking, announces its annual Ladies that Lead Conference. The highly anticipated event is geared toward showcasing women of influence who inspire other women by sharing their strategies and journey to success. It will take place as a virtual experience on Saturday, December 2nd, from 10am to 1pm CST This year’s Ladies that Lead Conference will be presented by Sage, the global market leader for technology that provides small and medium businesses with the visibility, flexibility, and efficiency to manage finances, operations, and people. To register for the virtual conference, visit LadiesThatLeadTour.com Founded by BOSS Network CEO Cameka Smith, the purpose of The BOSS Network is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women. For almost fifteen years, BOSS has supported the careers and small business developments of more than 200,000 women of color nationwide. Each year, it’s “Ladies That Lead Conference” attracts more than 500 business leaders and entrepreneurs for an empowering day featuring robust panel discussions, dy-

(left to right) Dr. Cameka Smith, Danette Anthony Reed, Elsie Cooke-Holmes, Dr. Stacie NC Grant and Rasheeda S. Liberty

namic fireside chats, award presentations, virtual networking opportunities, and more. This year, the Ladies that Lead Conference boasts a slate of honorees who are leaders in their communities and the world at large, including leaders of the Divine Nine black sororities and the Chicago Urban League and more: Honorees: • Elsie Cooke-Holmes, National President,

Historic Esther Mahlangu BMW Art Car returning home to South Africa after three decades

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated • Rasheeda S. Liberty, National President, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated • Dr. Stacie NC Grant, National President, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated • *Danette Anthony Reed, National President, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated • Donna Jones Anderson, President, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated Special Leadership Honoree: • Karen Freeman-Wilson, President, Chicago Urban League * Alpha Kappa Alpha Executive Director, Jacquelyn Lewis Young will receive this award on President Reed’s behalf The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated (NPHC) — also referred to as the Divine Nine — is currently composed of nine International Greek letter Sororities and Fraternities: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity. The Chicago Urban League works to achieve equity for Black families and communities through social and economic empowerment. In addition, BOSS Network CEO Cameka Smith will lead a special Partner Fireside Chat with Chinwe Osuji, Senior IT Director for Sage. Other workshop topics throughout the conference include Leadership is Legacy, Building a Legacy and more. “Our entire BOSS Network team is filled with anticipation about our upcoming Ladies That Lead virtual conference. I am personally ecstatic to be able to champion this outstanding slate of honorees–from the head of Chicago’s Urban League to the

heads of the Divine Nine’s Black sororities. As our fifteenth anniversary approaches in 2024, I believe that incredible work that BOSS is doing has just begun,” said Smith. “Of course, I must thank our partner Sage for consistently supporting our efforts and vision.” To register to attend and for more information on the event, visit LadiesThatLeadTour.com or TheBOSSNetwork.org Follow @thebossnetwork to join the conversation via social. About Sage Sage is the global market leader for technology that provides small and medium businesses with the visibility, flexibility, and efficiency to manage finances, operations, and people. With our partners, Sage is trusted by millions of customers worldwide to deliver the best cloud technology and support. Its years of experience mean that our colleagues and partners understand how to serve our customers and communities through the good, and more challenging times. We are here to help, with practical advice, solutions, expertise, and insight. About the BOSS Network Founded by award-winning entrepreneur, influencer, and speaker, Dr. Cameka Smith. BOSS™ is an acronym for “Bringing Out Successful Sisters,” and the network’s mission is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women. The BOSS Network is an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through conversation, online, and eventbased networking. To find out more about The BOSS Network, visit TheBOSSNetwork.org. The BOSS Network was named as one of Forbes’ “Top 10 Career and Entrepreneurial Websites for Women.” It has more than 200,000 active subscribers throughout the United States.

Get ready to immerse yourself in the iconic basketball journey of LeBron James as his museum opens Dollita Okine, Face2FaceAfrica.com

Esther Mahlangu BMW Art Car/Photo credit: BMW art car collection by Stephen Nartey, Face2FaceAfrica.com The Esther Mahlangu BMW Art Car, a globally acclaimed piece of automotive art, is set to return to South Africa next year. Created by the 87-year-old Ndebele artist, Esther Mahlangu, in 1991, it marked her as the first woman to contribute to the BMW Art Car collection. The colorful masterpiece, a transformed 1991 BMW 525i, has been on display at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany, since its local debut in 1991. Despite its permanent residence, the car has traveled internationally, being showcased at events in Hong Kong, New York, Miami, Shanghai, and Italy, according to IOL.

The Esther Mahlangu BMW Art Car will now return to South Africa in 2024 for a public exhibition. Following the exhibition, the car will be displayed at the Iziko Museums in Cape Town for a year. It will then continue its touring schedule, with planned visits to the U.S. and the UK. Mahlangu, renowned for her bold largescale contemporary paintings reflecting her Ndebele heritage, previously collaborated with BMW in 2016 to refine a BMW 7 Series. This vehicle was showcased at the Frieze Art Fair in London in 2016 and has since become a part of BMW Group South Africa’s Heritage Collection. Mahlangu expressed delight in using the Art Car as a platform to introduce her tribal art to a broad audience.

In the heart of LeBron James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio, the LeBron James Family Foundation launched the LeBron James museum, called LeBron James’ Home Court. The Lakers star joined his teammates at the museum for a tour of the exhibit on Saturday. The museum provides an overview of the life and career of the perennial NBA all-star. James said, “It’s very special. To be a kid of Akron, I grew up 30 miles south of here and to be able to be drafted here and spend my first seven years here and then come back for four more years and do some special things that the franchise had never seen.” “When I [was] drafted, I said, I wanted to [light] this place up like Vegas, so I feel I did a decent job of doing that while I was here for my 11 years,” he said, according to ABC News. The museum’s panoramic multimedia experience will take visitors inside a reproduction of James’ childhood apartment

LeBron James opens a museum. Photo: LeBron James Family Foundation/Instagram

in Akron’s Spring Hill neighborhood. The room will be adorned with mementos from the 20-year NBA veteran’s career. Authentic jerseys from James’s career will also be on show in the exhibition, such as

his McDonald’s All-American jersey from when he was still in high school and stole the nation’s hearts as one of the best players in the country. Visitors will discover the all-white suit James wore at the 2003 draft when he was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by his local team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fans will then follow the future star as he plays with the Cavaliers in his early years and then as he makes the widely reported choice to join the Miami Heat. Visitors will be able to relive his championships in South Beach, Cleveland, and Los Angeles through multimedia and game-worn sneakers and gear. Visitors will also learn about James’ community service initiatives outside of the court. A timeline detailing the development of his organization from a 2009 Bike-Athon to the 2018 debut of his I PROMISE educational initiative will be on display. The Lebron James Family organization stated that all ticket sales will directly support his organization, and the funds will be given to I PROMISE children, parents, teachers, and family members.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

Caught in the middle: Blacks in Israel say war is ‘inhumane’

A child from the Hebrew Israelite community holds a placard that reads "We are all Hebrew," at a rally outside of the District Court in Beersheba, Israel, ahead of a hearing on deportation orders for

dozens of people from their community in July 2023. The community first made their way to Israel from the United States in the 1960s. While they do not consider themselves Jewish, they claim an ancestral connection to Israel. As the Israeli-Hamas war escalates, Black people in the region are facing the same effects of the violence and displacement. Credit: AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo

Special to ICN courtesy of Afro.com By: DaQuan Lawrence AFRO International Writer DLawrence@afro.com AFRO Exclusive Over the last month, the latest iteration of the Israel-Hamas conflict has led to thousands of casualties, with protests taking place across the globe. While the current conflict has captivated the world, many Americans are unaware of the large numbers of people of African descent in Israel, some who believe they are the descendants of African Israelites referenced in many biblical texts. Members of the African diaspora who are based in Israel and Palestine are affected, with many hoping for the violence to come to an end. Asiel Ben Judah, a 75-year-old Black man from Chicago, Ill. is currently based in Herzliya, Israel. The AFRO was connected with Judah for a phone interview after meeting and speaking with his acquaintance, Ashriel Moore, in D.C. during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in September. Judah discussed the ongoing situation in Israel with the AFRO, as well as the history of the African diaspora in the modern state of Israel. Judah said there are different groups of Black people who currently live in Israel, and called on members of the Black community to educate themselves on the conflict, which dates back centuries. “Members of the African community who come from areas such as Sudan and Ethiopia– that are based in this region– are aware of 2,500 years of unbroken history. They can tell you what has happened over the last 70 years,” Judah told AFRO. During the previous seven decades, multiple diverse communities of African ancestry with different places of origin, cultures and religions have migrated to Israel for different reasons. The groups rarely interact with each other and have distinct ethnic, religious and social practices. Collectively, Black people in Israel constitute a minority within a multi-ethnic, yet predominantly White Israeli society. The multiple groups that comprise the sub-Saharan African diaspora in Israel include Ethiopian immigrants – which are split into majority Ethiopian Jewish members of “Beta Israel” and minority descendants of Christian Ethiopians of Jewish ancestry known the “Falas Mura”; African migrant workers and refugees; Black Bedouins; and African-American “Black Hebrews” who identify as African Hebrew Israelites. “I arrived here when I was in my 30s and I left the U.S. with groups of AfroAmerican Jews. The original group of people that arrived in 1969 were not treated well,” Judah said.

Judah discussed how in the 1960s five disparate Black congregations in the U.S. united for pilgrimage to Israel. In recent decades, most migrants of African descent have come from nations on the African continent. “There’s a large population of Africans in Israel because of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa, within Eritrea and Somalia. So, there’s a large community of Somalians and Eritreans,” Judah said. In September, weeks prior to the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Prime Minister Netanyahu called for the deportation of Eritrean refugees in Israel due to violent clashes between opponents and supporters of the Eritrean government. “They got into a conflict about how Eritrea’s government was trying to have a celebration here, when many Eritreans that reside in Israel are refugees and have not been able to return because the present regime has not received them appropriately,” Judah said. There are approximately 25,000 African migrants currently living in Israel, mainly from Eritrea and Sudan, who have fled conflict or authoritarianism. The state of Israel, however, says it has no legal obligation to keep them and only a few are recognized as asylum seekers. This year, Black people in the area joined together to fight threats of deportation within their communities. Judah encourages Black Americans and members of the African diaspora to educate themselves about the African population in Israel and to financially support aid efforts for those in need in both Israel and Palestine right now. He implored those who are not directly affected by the conflict to think of what it’s like to find themselves suddenly in a war zone. “When you try to go into an area of safety,

you’d be surprised what you can’t take with you,” Judah said. On the day of the attacks he was traveling, and found himself away from home without important documents needed to completely change cities and take shelter elsewhere. As a leader in the community, he also had others to care for. “You can’t turn a blind eye to this and

ignore it. You’re talking about your brothers and sisters,” Judah told the AFRO. “We need financial assistance. I had to move 45 people from one city within a few hours, and we still have people in multiple places,” Judah said. Though certain cities along the IsraeliGaza border are severely affected by the conflict, others- even just miles away— are not. Many have sought refuge in other places, but Judah and others in his community have highlighted how life has not stopped. “It has been quite difficult,” said 53-yearold Monica Terry. “Imagine leaving and fleeing to a place of safety– but still having to pay your rent, all of your utilities, your bills– and being away from your job.” Terry is African American and moved to Israel in 2010. She told the AFRO the Israeli government had yet to disclose a plan to financially help those affected by the war with initiatives such as a pause on rent payments in affected areas. “All of those things come into account,” she said. “We’re in need of financial assistance and in need of support, not just from our community– but from abroad. It hits both sides, we’re just caught in the middle. We’re not the target, but we still feel a lot of the anguish and displacement of war.”

Terry said her heart breaks for those affected. “I personally know someone- a few people- who have family members that are still there- they are waiting for them to be returned,” she said, of hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants. “War is inhumane. There’s nothing that can justify what Hamas did–killing babies, ripping children from their mothers, the rape of women and girls- these are young girls, some of them that have just begun to start their lives. Their lives are shattered and they will never be the same,” said Terry. Various international bodies, nations and members of the global community have called for humanitarian assistance, with the U.N. General Assembly voting on whether a truce and a humanitarian intervention should be established. A total of 120 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while the U.S. and Israel led 14 countries that voted against, while 45 others abstained. To donate to the Black communities displaced by the Israel-Hamas conflict, please visit GoFundMe.com and search for the campaign titled, “Help Black Jews in Israel Displaced By The War.”

The only woman to have led the Black Panthers is now behind an $80M affordable housing project in Oakland by Abu Mubarik Meet Elaine Brown. She is an activist, writer, singer, and former chair of the Black Panther Party. Now 80, the activist has reinvented herself as a real estate investor, leading an $80 million affordable housing project in West Oakland. “Don’t misunderstand me,” she told the Guardian, sitting in the office of the multimillion-dollar project. “I’m still the same person I was in the Black Panther party – though maybe more ruthless.” Brown’s project is situated along Seventh Street in West Oakland, California, where a shootout occurred involving the co-founder of the Black Panther party, Huey Newton. According to Brown, the decision to choose this historical location for her real estate project was coincidental. The project, dubbed the Black Panther, is entering its final months of development, according to the Guardian. She plans to open the complex in May, with the name proudly embossed above the main entrance. Black Panther will have 79 units of affordable housing that will fill the upper stories of the building. Moreover, it will offer studios, one-bedroom, and twobedroom apartments to very low and

Elaine Brown. Photo: elainebrown.org extremely low-income people, with a maximum limit on their earnings set at 30 percent of the area’s median income, about $30,000 a year. She will open restaurants, fitness and tech centers, and a grocery store on the ground floor of the building. According to the writer and singer, her target is to resurrect some of the economic vitality of the Harlem of the West by opening spaces for new Black-owned businesses. Brown said that what inspired her to

build the 32,000 sq ft project in West Oakland was the same motivation that propelled her leadership of the Black Panthers in the 1970s. “My goal then and my goal now is to create a model and an idea that will raise consciousness and give people something to fight for,” she said. She noted that she wants Black people to have economic power. “We live in an environment where we have nothing. Black people don’t own anything in America. Not a goddamn thing. We are still an oppressed people, but we won’t recognize it.” Brown was chosen to lead the Black Panther Party in August 1974, at a time when no woman was leading any major civil rights group or political organization. Brown took over as chair of the party when founder Newton went into exile in Cuba to avoid murder charges, according to reports. When she was made leader of the party in 1974, she got involved in “electoral politics and community service” and helped develop the Panther’s Liberation School, which the state of California recognized as a model school. But when she began placing women in key administrative positions, she incurred the wrath of some men in the radical organization.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - December 06, 2023 - December 12, 2023

No power? No problem.

Don’t lose internet even if you lose power. Introducing Storm-Ready WiFi. Only from Xfinity. With a seamless, unlimited cellular-data connection and a battery backup, you can stay connected to what you love for up to four hours—even when the power goes out. Available only on the next generation Xfinity 10G Network.

1-800-xfinity

xfinity.com/stormready

Visit a store today

Restrictions apply. Only available in areas within range of applicable 4G LTE cellular signal. Limited to Xfinity Internet customers with 800 Mbps service or higher and compatible Xfinity Gateway. Storm-Ready WiFi device requires Xfinity Battery Backup, included in price. Fully charged Xfinity Battery Backup will provide up to 4 hours of power to the Xfinity Storm-Ready WiFi device. Device runs on cellular 4G LTE (data plans not affected). During outages, internet will be reduced to speeds up to 30 Mbps download / 7 Mbps upload. Actual speeds will vary and are not guaranteed and may be impacted by a variety of environmental and other factors, including network congestion. Xfinity does not guarantee that 4G LTE will be available in all locations or that a connection will be obtainable. Storm-Ready WiFi may not be compatible with all changes in the network. For further details, please visit xfinity.com/stormready. NPA400387-0001 NED-SRW-V9

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9/15/23 3:36 PM