THE INNER-CITY NEWS

Alders, Neighbors, Yalies Clean Fair Haven

by Abiba Biao

With a swift motion of his trash picker, Fair Haven Alder Frankie Redente picked a metal hubcap up off the street and placed it on the sidewalk as he amassed a new pile of litter to clear from the English Street Mall.

The efforts, while seemingly small at first, led to the filling of 10 bags worth of trash, all as part of Redente’s efforts to show others just how beautiful his home neighborhood is.

Redente and nine fellow cleanup volunteers did that work Saturday at Clinton Avenue and English Street.

Participants included fellow Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller, Downtown/ Yale Democratic alder nominee Elias Theodore, and affiliates with the nonprofit Flynn Project, among others.

The cleanups, organized by Redente twice a month, are a way to uplift community spirit and beautify the neighborhood. For Redente, serving as alder is a “full circle” moment. With his grandmother moving to Fair Haven in 1953, three generations of his family have lived in the neighborhood.

“I made a living for the last 31 years on helping other people with their problems. It’s just natural now, you know?” he said about the twice-amonth cleanups. “This is how you rebuild a community; it’s by getting out here, being visible and showing that even the alder is not afraid to get his hands dirty.”

Redente highlighted the negative connotation surrounding Fair Haven, referencing a Yale police union memo in 2023 warning them about the dangers of New Haven. “One of the things I wanted to do was kind of break that bubble down between not just Yale and New Haven, but Yale and Fair Haven, because I represent one of the most beautiful wards in the city,” he said.

For Kyle Romans, a junior political science major at Yale, breaking out of the Yale bubble is one of his top goals this academic year. Encouraged by his professor James Hatch, lecturer at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, Romans decided to come out to Fair Haven Saturday morning, noting that it was his first time doing volunteer work in the city. Mending broader community relations and debunking negative stereotypes around New Haven doesn’t just start at a macro, institutional level, he argued, but also begins at a micro level among Yale students. He described some of these efforts could look like improving information circulation of city news and events

within the university and for students to interact with cultural spaces in the city. Romans has also taken his advice of “bringing my friends out” to heart, recounting an anecdote of visiting StretchMed in Wooster Square last Friday alongside a friend. He said that these small interpersonal efforts don’t have to be big and can gradually increase over time.

“We can’t just say ‘Oh Yale doesn’t do this’ or ‘The greater media doesn’t do this.’ For those of us that are actually taking that step out of New Haven, rather than just saying ‘Oh, lets go get pizza at Yorkside,’ maybe, ‘Lets go get pizza at a different restaurant.’ or you go to a cafe that’s maybe on Orange Street instead of, you know, right there next to Yale’s campus.”

Romans also mentioned how continuous stretches of not being involved can be a deterrent for students who may feel guilt over their late involvement. He encouraged students to explore the broader New Haven community, underlining that cultural awareness and competency only begins when people are willing to take the chance to learn.

“I think it’s really important for people to just realize that everybody starts from somewhere, and the most important step is the first one,” he said, “and it doesn’t matter whether you take that on your first day that you got to Yale, in your junior year, in your senior year, or what have you.”

For James Flynn, a longtime friend of Redente’s and the founder of The Flynn Project Fair Haven Matters, community cleanups are part of a higher calling of civic engagement. A Fair Haven native, Flynn was incar-

cerated at 20 years old, and served a total of 32 years in prison, getting out in 2024. It was during this time that he experienced a period of self-introspection, guided by his faith in Islam and commitment to his neighborhood.

“When I was locked up, I was like

In October 2023, the Flynn Project was born. Flynn’s visions for the nonprofit include becoming a prominent community resource, gaining more involvement among high school students to earn volunteer hours, and expanding partnerships with other groups. Currently Flynn has done cleanups on behalf of the City Angels Baseball Team as well as partnering with Redente.

“It’s about helping people in the community, knowing that there’s people [around]: I see you, I here you, I’ll be there… I want it [people] to be like

‘Hey, I heard about The Flynn Project.’ ”

Prior to starting The Flynn Project, Flynn was a library production associate for the nonprofit Freedom Reads, which works to expand book access to incarcerated individuals by establishing libraries in prisons nationwide. While Flynn is the sole person running the nonprofit and has no direct staff, he doesn’t do this work alone, getting ample help and collaborations with community members. He listed supporting figures behind his nonprofit, such as Reginald Dwayne Betts, CEO and founder Freedom Reads, who paid for the Flynn Project banner proudly displayed on the fence of Clinton Avenue park, as well as Hatch, who paid for t shirts and promotional material for the organization.

Flynn has no plans of slowing down, and is currently planning on cleaning Chatham Square Park or Dover Beach Park in the coming weeks.

In the midst of picking up garbage Saturday, Theodore was silently taking notes on initiatives he could bring to Ward 1 if he’s elected in November. Currently, Theodore said he’s interested in beautification projects. He underlined how projects like cleanups can serve as avenues for social connectedness.

‘You know what? I got to give back to my community,’” he said. “And I was like, ‘Inshallah, [when] Allah lets me get out, I know what I’m gonna do: I’m gonna go back to my community and clean up the streets that I dirtied as a youth.’”

“Observing what Frank is doing in Ward 15 and what other alders [are] doing in the city is definitely giving me ideas, but, I think my goal and how I will brainstorm is, like, what can I do as alder to bring as many people in?” Theodore also highlighted how he wants his term to be involved with the community. He listed items such as building the committee infrastructure and co-chairs for Ward 1 and getting involved on boards and commissions as ways to achieve community engagement.

“I want to be an alder who asks things of my constituents. Like, ‘Let’s brainstorm what public art could look like on the New Haven Green’ or ‘I want to host an event this month. What do you think is a good idea?’”

Abiba Biao photos Saturday's cleanup crew, led by Alder Frank Redente (second from right).

Ward 1 Democratic alder nominee Elias Theodore.

Yalie Kyle Romans: Doing his part to break towngown bubble.

The Flynn Project's James Flynn.

The New Haven independent

AFT Prez Plays Musical Chairs

The New Haven independent

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten stopped by Truman School Thursday to dance and sing with Ms. Gomez’s fifth graders during a bilingual game of musical chairs and to promote wraparound services and Career and Technical Education (CTE), while opposing the Trump administration’s education-focused budget cuts.

Weingarten visited the 114 Truman St. elementary school alongside New Haven Teachers Union President Leslie Blatteau, AFT Connecticut President and state Sen. Jan Hochadel, New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) Supt. Madeline Negron, and Truman School Principal Aurea Evelyn Jaca.

This isn’t the first time the long-time national teachers union president has come to New Haven to learn how the city’s classrooms work and to take lessons from the Elm City across the country. Click here, here, and here to read about previous visits.

On Thursday, when the music in Loles Gomez’s classroom a song called “Crucero Del Exito, or Cruise of Success” stopped, the student left standing fished a folded slip of paper out of a hat. Printed on it was an English phrase: “Classical music is boring.” After she read that out, her classmates responded with English expressions of agreement or disagreement, like “No doubt” or “I’m not so sure about that.”

“I see a lot of bilingual classrooms across the country, but this is a lot of fun,” Weingarten said.

On the NHPS website, Truman states that it offers “one of the largest bilingual programs in the district.” According to the state Office of Legislative Research, bilingual education serves students who “have a dominant language other than English” and are not considered “sufficiently proficient in English to assure equal educational opportunity in the regular school program.” In Connecticut, bilingual classes teach academic content in both English and another language.

State law requires public schools to offer bilingual education whenever they have 20 or more students who meet the above criteria.

Research paper upon research paper upon research paper back up the claim that compared to traditional schooling, bilingual education achieves better outcomes for English Language Learners.

For Jaca, part of the “special sauce” of creating a “welcoming” school environment is simply greeting students in English, Spanish, and Pashto. (Throughout the day, this reporter witnessed Jaca speaking to students in both English and Spanish).

Before stopping by Ms. Gomez’s classroom, Weingarten visited the school’s dental office and donation closet, run by

a parent volunteer, that gives clothing, hygiene products, and other basic necessities to families in need. After seeing a space for social workers, she praised its separate, private entrance for families using the services.

“Every school, every teacher, every principal we’re competing with all societal ills,” lamented Weingarten. She commended Truman for offering “wraparound services” to deal with those challenges and declared that “every school should be a school with wraparound services.”

She also said it was good to hear the district-wide mandate for magnetically sealed phone storage devices, Yondr pouches, in all middle and high schools.

“Parents see the value,” said Jaca, adding that only one parent had complained about the policy.

Jason Bedient, a teacher at Truman, said that because “most of our conflicts stem from social media,” going phone-free also made the school safer.

TCB With CTE

Later in the day, Weingarten visited The Sound School in City Point to see its CTE programming. Back in May, she wrote an opinion piece for the New

York Times arguing against the school system’s “overly simplistic formula: 4 + 4 the idea that students need four years

of high school and four years of college to succeed in life.”

She said on Thursday that she wrote the

piece to fight against the stigma placed on students that opt for vocational pathways.

“Schools need to be safe and welcoming, and curriculum needs to be engaging and relevant. CTE is the perfect example of engaging and relevant,” she said. All students should be exposed to vocational paths, even if they intend to go to college, she argued, “because that is the intersection of what used to be the soft and hard skills.”

She pointed to examples of that intersection succeeding. In Philadelphia two weeks ago, she watched digital media students troubleshoot printers while planning a podcast. At Wilbur Cross High School two years earlier, she saw aspiring medical students practice putting tourniquets on mannequins.

“That is education,” she stressed. “I’m a big, big believer in experiential learning,” which is what she thinks CTE can provide all students, whether or not they end up at a four-year college.

She also pointed out that some students like a Truman eighth grader who told her that he wants to be a firefighter already aspire to careers that don’t require college degrees.

She’s also not worried about low-income students or students of color being funneled into vocational paths, even when they want to go to college.

“In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the powers that be…basically decimated vocational schools around the country,” she said. At the time, when she advocated to preserve CTE, she said, “I was told I didn’t care about kids of color,” which she found “offensive.”

“I care about choice,” she said. “You can make these programs really rigorous,” she added, and treat them as legitimate alternatives to college.

New Haven Federation of Teachers President Leslie Blatteau helps a first grader with his math puzzle.

Ms. Gomez unfurls a piece of paper for her student to read: "Fast food is the best."

"I am so proud to meet you," said Gloria -- a Puerto Rican who's been in a union since she was 17 -- to Weingarten.

“Fred Harris Way” Unveiled, Celebrated

by Lisa Reisman

It began with an effort to have functioning bathrooms in his daughters’ school. It grew to a fight for better conditions in classrooms, improved treatment by the police, high-quality housing, free summer camp, the creation of a park in a vacant lot, and employment programs and adult education classes. All along, as Rev. Donald Morris put it on a sunny, wind-swept Friday, Fred Harris Jr. the co-founder of the Hill Parents Association and Hill Health Center, grassroots activist, and community leader “stood in the gap.”

That legacy was honored Friday during a ceremony to rename the corner of South Frontage Road and Park Street “Fred Harris Way.” The event was organized by the Hill North Community Management Team and the Yale School of Medicine’s Community Histories Lab and attended by 50 of Harris’ friends, fellow soldiers, and family.

“I knew him, I walked with him, and I can tell you Fred Harris would stand up and fight for righteousness, and it came from his heart, he led with his heart, and he led with dignity,” said Morris, pastor of Life Kingdom Outreach Ministries, to the spirited crowd. Harris Jr., who will turn 87 next week, was unable to attend due to a health issue.

“We stand in the shadows of Brother Harris’ works,” said Rev. Scott Marks, the strong breeze flapping the cover over the street sign. Testifying to that influence, he said, as director of New Haven Rising, “we’re working on jobs, world-class schools in this city, and opportunities for our youth.” He asked the group to remember Annie Boyd, the Hill stalwart and community activist, who died Thursday at the age of 80.

“Fred Harris set the standard for what community leadership could and should look like, and he led with humility, never seeking recognition but always lifting up those alongside him,” said organizer Sophie Edelstein, a Yale School of Public Health graduate who has specialized in the work of Black organizers on community health efforts in New Haven, including Fred Harris.

Day’Shawn Lyons, Harris’ grandson, referred to his breadth of compassion.

“In a lot of things he did in this community, it wasn’t just Black and Brown people, he had Caucasian people by his side, Hispanics, because his bigger message was community coming together for the greater good,” he said.

“Yes it was,” someone in the crowd called out as a horn sounded.

“If it wasn’t for Freddy Harris in my life, I don’t think I would be where I am now,” said Connecticut NAACP

President Scot X. Esdaile. When Harris came back to New Haven by then, he had moved to Detroit “he brought me to Ann Boyd’s house and I would sit there at both of their feet listening to the great stories of the movement,” Esdaile said.

While expressing gratitude for a hearty turnout that included friends and family from Chicago and Detroit, Fred Harris III adopted a cautionary tone.

“We thank everyone for their support, but the struggle isn’t over,” he said.

“We live in a time where advocacy and fighting for what’s right is still necessary and it’s going to take all kinds of people coming together and saying we will not accept less than what our taxes pay for and what we expect from our political leaders.”

He recognized his mother Rose Harris “a significant part of the struggle” then allowed himself a smile.

“I have a whole lot of sisters and they make sure we don’t forget the women and the mother,” he said.

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After the unveiling, one of those sisters, Vanessa Harris, who had traveled from Detroit for the ceremony, stood on the corner, regarding her father’s name high atop the street as trucks and cars rumbled by.

“It’s a great privilege to be here today and to be able to honor my dad and his legacy,” she said, a pride in her voice as the September sun made the sign gleam. “I can’t wait for him to see it.”

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The Fred Harris family, with grandson Day'Shawn Lyons, son Fred Harris III, and daughters Vanessa Harris, Faith Brown, and Shamay Amupadu.

Lisa Reisman photo The unveiling, with grandson Day'Shawn Lyons, daughters Vanessa Harris and Faith Brown, son Fred Harris III, daughter Shamay Anupadu, co-organizer Pamela Monk Kelley and co-organizer Sophie Edelstein.

The New Haven independent

Jazz & Gospel Brunch ConnCAT Culinary Arts Program Science Park

Brunching Toward New Futures

by Jisu Sheen

Three thumbs up for French toast casserole that’s what I got from the kitchen crew at youth and adult education nonprofit ConnCAT’s second annual jazz and gospel brunch Sunday afternoon.

I was asking the cooks, who were students in the adult learners’ Culinary Arts Academy program, what their favorite item on the menu was. Three of the four students I asked gave me the same answer: the fluffy, soft French toast casserole (the fourth vote was for the shrimp and grits, which looked amazing as well).

The brunch was a fundraiser for the culinary program as well as an awards ceremony honoring three powerhouses in the community: Yale Office of New Haven Affairs’ Karen McIntosh, NewAlliance Foundation Director of Programs LaKisha Jordan, and New Haven Free Public Library Stetson Branch Manager Diane Brown. ConnCAT President Erik Clemons introduced each with admiration. Director of Programs Steve Driffin called them “pillars of community care.”

Clemons also took a moment to introduce the 13th and 14th cohorts of ConnCAT’s Culinary Arts Academy, inviting the chefs to line up in front of the afternoon’s audience and receive well-deserved congratulations on a brunch well done. They were the students, representing ConnCAT’s educational programs, but they were also the chefs, feeding everyone in attendance.

Culinary student Sol Concepcion called it “relieving and exciting” to see the crew’s food on display, noting how pretty it was all together. Fellow student Barbara Chow-Yea agreed, saying it was “awesome” and took a long time, keeping the chefs busy since 5 or 6 that morning. Aniya Brice said her favorite things to make were the cookies and muffins, as she loves baking in particular.

One of the students caught Brown’s eye before she went up to give her speech. When the awardee reached the mic, she looked around for him, saying she wanted to keep him close and that she would explain in a moment. It was Michael Spencer, who Brown knew by his childhood nickname, and now his musician name, Peedi.

Spencer grew up going to the Stetson branch of the New Haven Free Public Library, where Brown got to

know him over the years. He and his sister, Brown emphasized, “beat all odds. They beat all odds.” At a recent music performance of Spencer’s, Brown recalled him wanting to avoid a few choice words in his song out of respect for her. Retelling that story to the ConnCAT crowd, Brown spoke with both high regard for Spencer’s craft as well as a reciprocated respect for his consideration of who was in the audience.

She was moved upon seeing Spencer in his role as a student and chef at the brunch Sunday, and even more so when she heard him say it was people like her that made all the difference in his life. “Little did Erik know that I had him as a little boy, and now he has him as a man,” Brown said at the mic, evoking tears and a standing ovation from the crowd.

“Let him know that you see him,” Brown continued as people applauded. She is looking forward to seeing Spencer achieve dreams like getting his own food truck.

After Brown’s speech, I asked Spencer to tell me more about that vision. He said his future food truck would serve Southern food, like oxtail and loaded fries. He’s been in the culinary program for about seven weeks so far, and he’s moving forward surrounded by loving community.

Rachel Graziano, who works in ConnCAT’s youth program and was assisting with the event, kept a watch-

ful eye on the festivities. At ConnCAT, her students call her “Miss Rocky,” which comes from her barber moniker at Girlz Code Suite, a hair, makeup, and nail salon in Hamden. Looking toward William Fluker and his jazz band, Graziano called Fluker “ConnCAT family.” She told me he’s been there since day one, back at the start of ConnCAT in 2012. He’s been a consistent figure ever since, teaching music for the organization’s summer program.

Fluker’s band took a break to make way for gospel singer Lisa Bellamy Fluker, who is also William’s wife. She was flanked by backup singers and close friends who came from New York just for the occasion: Beatrice Cano, Letrice Sturdivant, and Esther Kennerly of the Bobby Lewis Ensemble.

The singers gave a moving rendition of “I’ll Go,” a gospel song about answering God’s call to help others, making their point in such glorious harmonies people kept referring to the message later as a fitting example of what ConnCAT and their honorees were aiming to do in the community. Lisa told me she goes by just Lisa Bellamy in the industry. When she collaborates with her husband, though, she uses the full three-part name to highlight the family connection. She floated between identities for the show, sending her backup singers safely on their way back to New York and joining her husband’s band for an energized, playful version of jazz classic “Summertime.”

The three women honored in Sunday’s celebration talked about their commitment to, as Jordan put it, “keep lifting as we climb.” McIntosh talked about her church and thanked the people in her life who brought her to God. Jordan spoke of her dedication to “service to our people, service to our babies.” Brown said she has received many awards in her life, but that this one was dearest to her heart. She talked about the roles she plays in the community and how even when she’s struggling herself, she has to go to the library every day and give people hope.

If community means wearing many hats, ConnCAT might as well open a hattery. Sure, Michael Spencer, Rachel Graziano, and Lisa Bellamy were in attendance at Sunday’s Jazz and Gospel brunch. But so were Peedi, Miss Rocky, and Lisa Bellamy Fluker.

Michael Spencer in the kitchen, Sol Concepcion ready at the brunch line, Tyrese Narcisse, and Barbara Chow-Yea.

Diane Brown lifts up culinary student Michael Spencer.

Karen McIntosh receives words of praise from Erik Clemons.

The New Haven independent

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Lights. Camera. Amalgamation!

Shaunda Holloway

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If you were not at the Shubert Theatre at the end of last week, you missed the velvet voice of Remone D. Watson as he sang Mickey Spice’s adaptation of “I Am … I Said.”

As Watson released melody into the air, the packed room sang along with sweet familiarity. Many knew the song. Now, none will ever forget it. Watson’s vocals became the bridge between performers and spectators, creating a true amalgamation in real time.

That sound came to the Shubert Theatre last Friday, as Plié for the Arts brought the dance troupe Amalgamation to the venue’s College Street stage for a glorious evening of music and movement. Performing across media, the company lived up to its name, providing a true blending of artmaking, audience engagement, and Caribbean culture miles away from home. Some of the loudest applause came from members of the Jamaican American Connection (JAC), who helped get the word out about the event.

The evening began with Jamaica’s national anthem “Jamaica, Land We Love,” and a word from Marisa Benain, artistic director for Plié for the Arts. Benain thanked each team member— and herself—for persisting, even when the work and the world are challenging. Benain is a professional dancer who performs with National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica and is also an attorney.

“Always have a dream. The universe has no budget on greatness, and we all should take our share,” she said.

As the curtains rose on“The Calling,” danced by Ashley Gordon and choreographed by Jessica Lang, light poured down on a dancer wearing a stark white dress, which puddled into a circle nearly encompassing the stage. The dance itself, a combination of light, form, and movement, welcomed viewers into an oasis. What is Amalgamation? In some ways, it feels like a dream. It is a composite of

over 20 dancers from a variety of companies under the umbrella of Plié for the Arts, acting as a unit. When these dancers move, they effortlessly become a single body . Each individual movement speaks to the other in symbiotic expression. Most members of the troupe are from Jamaica, and others come from other islands within the Caribbean.

As they graced Shubert’s stage, it seemed that each group of dancers was as powerful as the next. Movements were quick and sharp, long and reaching. In some instances, they were performed forehead to forehead. Fingertips held bodies in midair. Wrists locked in unity while bodies made their way along the floor, pulled in a metaphor for unyielding strength and unification. With every leap, turn, spin, and sway, it was no challenge to wonder just how long each member had been dancing. Since the womb, perhaps?

Amaya Gomes, a native of Antigua, moved to Jamaica to attend Edna Manley College for Performing Arts in 2023. The invitation to join Amalgamation came that same year. Gomes has been a part of the collective since 2024. The opportunity has granted her more than the chance to share her talents with the world, she said Friday: it has given her a connection away from home.

“I want to see how far it takes me,” said Gomes. “Amalgamation is [a] sense of community and belonging not being from Jamaica. A family bond."

It is no secret that Jamaica is steeped in talent: its culture is as rich as its soil, and New Haven is lucky enough to see that through its vibrant Caribbean community. And yet in its performance at the Shubert, Amalgamation revealed intricate layers of what the world hadn’t fully seen, a dance beyond dancehall. The troupe delivered a multidimensional experience, from ballet to jazz to traditional folkloric movement to dancehall to Dunham technique. Friday night’s show had drawn attendees from New York, Connecticut, and as far

away as Jamaica to experience.

Janice Tyson, mother of dancer Joshua Craigle, beamed in the theater. “I came from Jamaica to see my son perform,” she said. Tyson expressed a deep belief and gratitude in Benain. “Marisa has a dream of taking something like this internationally.”

Blending tension and flow, tradition and cutting-edge choreography, stunning musical selections and uniformity in costumes, the company created a style that was both dance and visual art in motion, a perfect balance between collective dance and solo performances that made dreams come true.

“There is no way to see one point or specific color or person. You have to see the whole image,” said Dr. Hanan Hameen Diagne, herself a dancer and arts educator who has helped grow New Haven’s dance scene and also deepened her practice in Senegal. “When you look at them you don’t see one person. And if you do see one person it brings you right back to the whole.”

“It was a kaleidoscope,” she added.

Karaine (or as she is fondly known, Kay) Smith-Holness, who leads the Jamaican American Connection, called the performance just one of the ways the Shubert Theater continues to innovate in its 110th anniversary year. She was thrilled for the performance, of which she said there would almost certainly be an encore.

“Our boots were on the ground when we found out about Amalgamation coming to the Shubert. I knew I would have to go hard to bring attention that they were coming. I see them coming back next year. I am very proud,” she said. The dancers arrived in New Haven on Friday morning and performed as if they had been here on stage at the Shubert many times before giving New Haven its best and leaving lasting impressions. Or as Benain said, “I want to showcase excellence.” Mission accomplished.

And it was, nowhere clearer than in the silhouetted glow of two children grooving in their seats, eyes locked on the stage. Imagine if all the dance companies in New Haven with school-age children had been there.

A "Resistance Toolkit" Pages Through Arts & Activism

By Abiba Biao

Holding an original zine in the air, she traced a middle crease in the paper, outlining where an incision should occur. On both sides, she had marked the front and back of the booklet, her handwriting large enough to spot across the room. Soon, the snip of scissors filled the space as participants followed instructions to create their own zine.

Arts and activism collided at the New Haven People’s Center last week, during a “Resistance Zine Night” that became at turns a call to arms, launch party, tutorial on shared safety and gathering space for cultural community. Mejias, a graduate of Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School who is now a senior at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), is the brain behind the revamped City of New Haven Peace Coalition’s 2025 Resistance Toolkit.

The toolkit is available in both English and Spanish. In the interest of full transparency, Mejias has also appeared in these pages, as a freelance writer for the Arts Paper (catch her byline here).

The decision to format the toolkit through a digital zine was intentional, Mejias said. She—with members of the city’s Peace Commission—wanted it to be digestible for college students and younger audience members, who don’t always engage with printed matter or with the commission’s work. For months, she’s been working with commissioners on tips and resources to include, from a guide to the U.S. Constitution to ways for residents to get civically engaged.

Zines, short for fanzine or magazines, are small home-made booklets that can cover a wide variety of issues and topics.

“It’s a way to sort of communicate to each other within your own community and empower and lift one another,” she said to the intimate audience during her workshop.

The toolkit includes explanations on political terminology, provides an overview of the powers of the president, discusses where the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) operates within the executive branch, and a summary of Project 2025, the controversial conservative federal policy outline published by The Heritage Foundation.

It also highlights local demonstration efforts against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), DOGE, and school funding reforms. Included at the end is a call to action for individuals looking to get civically involved, listing nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups like Citywide Youth Coalition, the New Haven Climate Movement, New Haven Immigrants Coalition and New Haven Pride Center

among others.

The project, which Mejias worked on this year, intersects with her academic work and budding interest in print and digital culture as a way to grow one’s activist footprint.

An English major at SCSU with a concentration in creative writing and minor in arts administration and cultural advocacy, Mejias was first introduced to zines during her freshman year at Co-Op, but didn’t think much of them until the concept resurfaced while taking classes for her minor (she has written about another SCSU student, Daniel Ramirez, making waves in the zine world with his own press, El Rincón de Papel).

Then in June, Peace Commissioner Joelle Fishman put out a call to make a resistance toolkit from the group more

accessible to young people. Mejias got in touch, and the rest was history.

"It’s a really good resource for people trying to understand what’s happening now with the current administration, and what the city is doing to fight what the current administration is doing,” said Renee Deminne, cultural director at the People’s Center. "That combats a lot of hopelessness people feel about the situation, I think, when they understand what can be done.”

Deminne added that hosting this event aligns with the center's goal of becoming a designated “third space” for community members, including with more art-themed events. She listed other events the center will host, including a Local 33 union meeting alongside a movie screening of Union by Stephen Maing and Brett Story later this month and a Halloween-themed movie night in October.

Mareika Phillips knows firsthand the communal power of the People’s Center, she said. When she moved to New Haven seven years ago with her husband, Jamie Myers-McPhail, the duo began frequenting the space often. Both are organizers with New Haven Rising and supporters of Local 34 Unite Here, and the space was their entry into New Haven’s activism scene. Now, they bring their young daughter along with them.

‘I love to collage. I love to make zines and I love coming to the People’s Center,” Phillips said. Phillips also had a message of hope for others: “No act of resistance is too small right now,” she said.

At the end, participants shared their zines around the room. In solidarity with the immigrant community, Susan O’Leary based her zine off of immigration rights, including information from posters made by the New Haven Immigrants Coalition.

“This book is a sample of different flyers that have information on them with numbers and QR codes that they can access,” O’Leary said.

“Things are a little bit scary. There’s so much going on, but there is also a lot that New Haven is doing,” Mejias said. She also attributed the toolkit to feeling a more heightened sense of civic literacy, adding that during the research process, she learned more about legal action the city has taken against Trump’s executive orders and withholding of funds.

This ultimately reflects Mejias’ goal behind the toolkit: “giving peace of mind, giving information, and giving resources.”

Nelani Mejias at the New Haven People's Center. Abiba Biao Photos.

Susan O’Leary folding a zine with Nelani Mejias as Issac Chase follows along.

Attendees Jamie Myers-McPhail and Mareika Phillips as they follow along to Mejias’ presentation.

Arts Council of greater New Haven

New Haven Throws World’s Largest Pizza Party

by Mona Mahadevan

The pizza capital of the United States just baked itself into the Guinness World Record books.

It took 10,000 slices, 4,525 revelers, and four hours on Friday afternoon for New Haven to be officially recognized for throwing the world’s largest pizza party. “Go pizza, go pizza,” chanted the volunteer “stewards,” cheering on participants as they entered the official party space.

The record-breaking party took place between 3:30 and 7 p.m. on the Upper Green during the city’s tenth annual Grand Prix cycling race and Apizza Feast festival. The event was engineered by Taste of New Haven founder Colin Caplan, who, upon winning the title, declared New Haven as the “pizza capital of the world.”

New Haven took the crown from Tulsa, Oklahoma, which previously held the Guinness World Record for largest pizza party by bringing together 3,357 pizza eaters in 2023.

“I like how they’re hyping us up, like we’re doing something difficult,” said Katie Goyette, one of the first pizza partiers to the Green on Friday. Her classmate at the Yale School of Public Health, Allison Traiger, agreed, and added that she hopes the Grand Prix cyclists get cheers too.

The rules of this party were exacting: participants, who had to buy a ticket for the event in advance, had 15 minutes to eat two slices apiece and drink one bottle of water within a fenced-in area on the Green. Volunteer “stewards” made sure that they ate the whole slice including the crust, contrary to what Caplan told the Independent last week.

After completing their 15-minute task, pizza partiers were instructed to keep partying at the Apizza Feast festival until 7 p.m.

While the festival featured dozens of pizzerias, the record-setting participants all ate cheese slices fired up by the Big Green Pizza Truck.

Liane Page, who’s been a part of the Big Green Truck business for 17 years, and her husband, Ken, purchased the Big Green five years ago. The couple was approached by Caplan and Guinness organizers, according to Ken, because Caplan insisted that he wouldn’t be able to throw a pizza party without a pizza truck. They brought five trucks, two trailers, and 21 employees to the party, baking over 10,000 slices of cheese pizza in total.

“If you go down the line of pizza trucks on College Street, half of them branched out from Big Green,” said Page. Caplan echoed that comment later in the day, declaring that Big Green started the “pizza truck trend.”

A love of New Haven pizza history brought Marc Giglietti and Mark Vuolo, two long-time New Haveners, to Friday’s event.

With a smile, Giglietti said, “I’ve loved pizza for years.” He’s convinced that New Haven apizza is better than any other vari-

ety, noting his affection for the “very thin, charred crust.”

“New Haven pizza was perfected years ago,” he added, explaining that the city’s Italian immigrants had spent decades developing the recipe. Indeed, according to a documentary directed by Gorman Bechard and produced by Caplan and Dean Falcone, the origins of apizza belong to the 1890s, when an influx of Italian immigrants moved into the city. Pepe’s was the city’s first apizza joint, opening in 1925, with Modern Apizza and Sally’s Apizza following 9 and 13 years later.

Given all that history, New Haven is indisputably the pizza capital of the world, agreed Giglietti and Vuolo.

“I’m exhausted, I’m excited,” said Page, while racing to find a generator to charge the event’s ticket scanners. He was motivated to help organize the event because of his pride in New Haven both its community and its pizza scene: “It’s never been about proving that we’re the pizza capital of the world,” he said. “Just announcing it, big and loud,” like they did on Friday.

Carefully monitoring the pizza partiers was a very tall, clipboard-carrying man in a navy blue suit. That would be Thomas Bradford, an official Guinness adjudicator flown in from Orlando. In addition to his day job, performing in Disney musicals in Orlando, Bradford spent five years training to become one of around 70 official Guinness adjudicators in the world. Before coming to New Haven, he was in

Lamont Assures CT Residents They Can Access COVID-19 Vaccine

by Jamil Ragland

HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont and other officials assured the public Thursday afternoon that they would be able to get access to vaccines for COVID-19 if they wish, despite confusion coming from the federal government regarding vaccine access.

“Don’t hesitate, vaccinate,” was the message from Lamont as he was joined by the leadership of Charter Oak Health Center, where the event was held. He was also joined by commissioners from the state Department of Public Health (DPH), the state Department of Insurance (DOI) and the state Department of Consumer Protection (DCP).

On Wednesday, Lamont issued a series of executive actions to protect COVID-19 vaccine access in the state. These include issuing interim guidance that children over the age of 6 months, as well as adults of all ages, receive the vaccine.

The FDA recently released updated guidelines for who can receive the COVID-19 vaccination, limiting its recommendations to adults ages 19-65 with at least one major risk factor for serious COVID infection, and for adults over the age of 65. However, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also issued a contradictory statement in which he says that the COVID vaccine will be available to anyone who wants it.

Cafferelli said that in the absence of federal 2025-26 COVID vaccine administration instructions, the department recommends that the pharmacies utilize the 2024-25 vaccine administration instructions by the CDC. This will allow pharmacists to continue to administer all FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines to any patient 18 years of age or older.

Las Vegas observing Alex Hormozi win the record for fastest-selling non-fiction book with almost 3 million copies. Unlike Friday’s pizza-party event, which involves “corralling lots of people,” that mostly required him to “watch numbers on a computer.” His most fun adjudication? Certifying the record for largest group of people dressed like dinosaurs. (The outfits had to be “serious,” he said face paint wouldn’t qualify).

As excited she was for this record, Greenwich resident Janine Cirilli noted that it wouldn’t be her first time in the Guinness World Record books. Many years ago, when she was in New York City for the premiere of Paul Blart: Mall Cop, she helped break a Guinness record for simultaneous 360-degree turns on Segways (108, if you were wondering). She and her husband, Ronald, were still just as excited to be part of Friday’s event. They both agreed that New Haven pizza is better than any New York slice, citing “the coal fire” and “char on crust.” As they chowed down, their dog, Coco, looked on longingly for a bite.

When the couple ate their slices and exited the fenced-in area, dozens of stewards clapped and cheered. They exclaimed, “You just made history!”

At around 7:30 p.m., from a stage on the Green, Bradford made it official. While handing over the Guinness certificate to Caplan, he declared, “Congratulations, New Haven! You’re officially amazing!”

The American Medical Association has argued that the FDA’s guidelines, combined with the potential for more limited recommendations coming from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in an upcoming meeting, will make it more difficult for many Americans to obtain COVID vaccinations.

At Charter Oak Health Center, DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani stressed that anyone in the state who wants the COVID-19 vaccine will be able to get one.

“What we have done, as we’ve seen changes coming out from federal guidance, is make clear what the recommendations are for people here in Connecticut,” she said.

“For COVID vaccines in particular, our most vulnerable groups certainly are people who are 65 and older. There is no doubt that if you’re an older adult, you absolutely benefit from getting a COVID-19 shot. For those adults who are 19 to 65, we want to be clear that you can get a shot in the state of Connecticut.”

Dr. Juthani said DPH would issue revised guidance after the upcoming ACIP meeting.

DOI Commissioner Andrew N. Mais said there will be no change in cost-sharing from insurance companies through 2026, despite potential limiting recommendations nationally, as long as professional medical groups continue to recommend the vaccine.

For pharmacies and other vaccine providers, DCP Commissioner Bryan T.

“In short, our guidance maintains the public expectation of access to safe and effective vaccines at their pharmacies,” he said. “This guidance creates clarity, consistency for pharmacies and pharmacists across Connecticut, as well as patients in the absence of federal clarity.”

The Connecticut Hospital Association applauded the governor’s executive actions. “These efforts are critical in supporting patients and protecting communities across the state,” the association said in a statement. “As we enter respiratory virus season, individuals are encouraged to protect themselves and their families from preventable infections. Vaccination remains one of the most effective tools we have to reduce illness and safeguard public health.”

State Sen. Dr. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, a doctor and co-chair of the Public Health Committee, said that while he is encouraged by the governor’s actions, they may not be enough due to changes on the ACIP committee that has seen its members replaced by vaccine skeptics. “Should [the ACIP] changes be significant, further restrict access to vaccines and ignore medical science and literature, I would urge the Governor to declare an emergency to broaden vaccine access to all state residents and ensure those seeking them can receive them,” he said. “As respiratory virus season will soon begin in Connecticut, I encourage members of the public to receive flu and COVID shots this autumn and to discuss any questions they have with trusted medical professionals.”

Crowds of people waiting to scan their tickets and be part of New Haven pizza history!

The prize for participating in the record-setting pizza party, other than bragging rights, is this pizza box memento.

Gov. Ned Lamont speaks Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, at Charter Oak Health Center in Hartford about access to the COVID-19 vaccine. With him are Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani. Credit: Jamil Ragland / CTNewsJunkie

The New Haven independent

CTNewsJunkie

CT Bans Warrantless Arrests, Masked ICE Agents in Courthouses

by Donald Eng

HARTFORD, CT — When people enter a courthouse, it is important that they feel safe, Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday. Sometimes those people may be undocumented immigrants, but that doesn’t change the importance of their safety, he said.

“In many cases they’re going into our courthouses as a witness to a crime,” he said. “Maybe they’ve been a victim of abuse, maybe it’s something regarding a landlord. Whatever it is, people should feel safe going into the courthouse. When you go into a courthouse, you’re going there because you want to do the right thing.”

Lamont, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Raheem Mullins and state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, attended a media briefing at the State Capitol to announce a series of changes to security at state courthouses. The move is in response to a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions at courthouses, including one in Stamford where masked ICE agents reportedly stormed a state courthouse despite a judicial marshal telling them not to pass and asking them to show him a warrant. The agents then broke a bathroom door and apprehended two men who were inside. Mullins said judges, staff, litigants and members of the public must be able to conduct business in courthouses without fear of disruption.

“The due administration of justice requires that courthouse security be protected,” he said. “I’m issuing this policy today to ensure that law enforcement activity in our courthouses is consistent with these principles while ensuring that law enforcement officers can discharge their duties.”

The policy Mullins announced prohibits warrantless arrests in the public spaces of courthouses and bans law enforcement officials from wearing masks while conducting their duties.

Stafstrom, who cochairs the Judiciary Committee, said justice should not depend on immigration status.

“If you are a victim of a crime, if you are someone who believes they have been taken advantage of by an unscrupulous creditor, if you’re someone who believes they are wrongfully being evicted from their house, if you are someone who seeks a divorce from an abusive spouse, you should be able to enter a courthouse in this state free of fear that when you try to achieve justice, a masked, unmarked individual is going to grab you and pull you out of the courthouse based on your perceived immigration status,” he said.

Stafstrom said critics of the new policy would cite examples of people who have committed serious crimes.

“Those people can still be arrested,” he said. “They have been arrested. They’re facing the charges they’ve been charged with. That is not the vast majority of folks that come into our courthouse. The vast majority of folks are those seeking civil

help, family help, landlord-tenant type issues.”

Stafstrom added he would push to have the new policy codified in legislation when the General Assembly next convenes.

In a written statement state Sen. Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, said the Judicial Branch “made this decision in consultation with ICE in an attempt to ensure the safety and security of courthouses and those that visit them. That’s their right to do.”

But Harding also again cited state officials’ statements that Connecticut is not a sanctuary state. He called Connecticut “the very definition” of a sanctuary state and criticized the changes to the state’s Trust Act, which among other things limits communication between state law enforcement and federal officials on immigration status.

In response to a question about what judicial marshals were expected to do should armed and masked ICE agents

attempt to enter a courthouse, Stafstrom said residents should be realistic in their expectations about the policy.

“What it says is coming into a crowded courthouse on Tuesday morning with a bunch of other folks around — court staff, other visitors to the courthouse — and grabbing someone with a show of armed force in that location is not safe to the public and is, frankly, not the best location to conduct that,” he said.

But Stafstrom also clarified that the policy essentially amounted to a request that ICE respect that state’s courthouses. Legislative action could take the route of making such actions tantamount to trespassing or breach of peace.

“Certainly, we are not going to put our marshals in the situation of an armed standoff with an ICE agent,” he said. “We are not going to be able to stop 12 armed ICE agents from storming the front door of a courthouse if that’s the level that the federal government wants to stoop to.”

Chief Justice Raheem Mullins and Gov. Ned Lamont listen to a question at a media briefing announcing changes to courthouse policy on Sept. 16, 2025. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie

State Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, speaks about courthouse policy changes on Sept, 16, 2025. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie

Amidst Federal Funding Challenges, A&I Celebrates 30 Years With Pearls

By Lucy Gellman

The first lines of Heinrich Heine’s “Das Meer hat seine Perlen” echoed over the carousel at Lighthouse Point Park, as Lukas Papenfusscline walked along one side of the dance floor, strings of pearls dripping down the front of their shirt. Overhead, lights twinkled, soaking everything in a golden glow. Beneath them, Anne Tyler Calabresi and Roslyn Milstein Meyer looked at each other adoringly, just as they have for decades.

Das Meer hat seine Perlen, Papenfusscline began, drawing out the word Meer with long, languorous emphasis until a person could nearly see the sea right in front of them. Der Himmel hat seine Sterne. Papenfusscline was picking up momentum, their voice hot at the edges. Aber mein Herz! Mein Herz! Mein Herz hat seine Leibe. They looked across the room, to where Jo Mei and Johnathan Moore waited to join in. They were just getting started.

That scene came to Lighthouse Point Park Sunday night, as the International Festival of Arts & Ideas marked three decades of artmaking in New Haven with its “Pearl” Gala, a fête and fundraiser celebrating co-founders Calabresi and Meyer on the festival’s “pearl anniversary.” Throughout, it became a glowing tribute to its founders, a nod to generations of artists who have come up through the festival, and a reminder that the arts can be a form of resistance.

By the end of the night, the organization had raised almost $36,000. In a follow-up call, interim Executive Director Rev. Kevin “RevKev” Ewing declined to comment on the Festival’s current financial status, which includes a loss of federal funding earlier this year. The organization’s most recent tax filings show a total revenue of $4,045,801 (in the fiscal year ending in September 2024, the Festival spent $4,021,539, leaving a net income of $24,262).

“Not many organizations come together and last as long as we have, and continue each year to put on incredible festivals,” said Ewing, the organization’s former board chair who has served as the interim executive director since Shelley Quiala’s departure last year. For him, the meaning of a pearl is particularly significant, because it comes from a mollusk’s built-in response to irritation.

“The International Festival of Arts & Ideas, for 30 years, has been making pearls,” he said. “We have been taking the irritants that come our way, and we turn it into dance. We turn it into music. We turned it into concerts. We turn it into theater. We turn it into precious jewels.”

That work has felt more urgent this year, he added. Since January, Ewing and Festival staff have watched as a national assault on arts and culture unfolds at the White House and across the country, with casualties that range from the Kennedy Center to the American Library Association to small, large and midsize arts organizations that have all come to rely on a chunk of federal funding in their budgets.

For years, Arts & Ideas has been one such organization, with frequent support from the National Endowment for the Arts that has made its programs not just possible, but vibrant and robust. In May, the NEA pulled $65,000 in expected grant funding that was set to cover projects in an already tight budget year, including performances from Minty Fresh Circus, A Broken Umbrella Theatre Company, and Squonk Opera. Less than a month later, the Festival opened its two-week run with scaled-down programming on the New Haven Green and in downtown New Haven.

That followed its signature “Big Read,” a film series and a number of new and well-loved neighborhood festivals across the city.

“The music, the art, the entertainment, the things that we do are designed to bring people together,” Ewing said. “Just like this. I am so happy to have you here.”

The gala, which nearly 300 people attended, comes at an inflection point for the organization that Calabresi and Meyer (along with co-founder Jean Handley, who passed away in 2010) could perhaps not have anticipated 30 years ago. When the Festival launched its programming in 1995, its goal was to bring people together through the arts, in a way Calabresi had seen the Special Olympics do in Connecticut the same year.

Its early years saw some of its most innovative and experimental programming, from large-scale puppetry on the New Haven Green to visits from Rabih

long, layered nods to New Haven’s rich history. (Click here for Arts Paper coverage of the Festival from 2017 on).

“We wanted New Haveners of all stripes to come together and discover one another,” Meyer remembered, crediting Calabresi with the foundational vision. “To share wondrous, unforgettable moments together. And to build a strong community where everyone felt welcomed and acknowledged. The amazing thing is that so much of that has come to pass. We couldn’t be more delighted!”

Now, the organization’s eyes appear firmly fixed on the future, while taking a page from its past. When staff and board members think of the next 30 years, they look at the vision that Calabresi, Meyer and Handley laid out in the 1990s, and the glimmer of hope that it provides for the work ahead.

“Their work at the festival and across New Haven inspires us all to dream bigger and do better, and we are so proud to celebrate them here this evening,” said Melissa “Missy” Huber, a longtime member of the festival’s staff who now serves as the organization’s director of artistic planning.

This year, that’s true even in the face of a precipitous slide into authoritarianism that opposes the very diversity that defines New Haven. Or as Ewing said to a few on-edge laughs, “it’s like most of the things we do have suddenly become illegal.”

Sunday, that dedication to the art was most clearly on display in the music and theater itself, which occupied only a small slice of the evening, but seemed to linger long after artists had headed back to their tables for dinner. In the fading light of day, it was palpable in the smooth groove of The Chill Project, a band anchored by artistic father-son duo Dudley and Doron Flake.

Then as Papenfusscline swept dramatically onto the floor before dinner, New Haven’s own Johnathan Moore set the tone, with a performance on cello that felt at once sacred and intimate. It was his musical thread, rich and luminous as a pearl, that knitted speech and song together, as Papenfusscline and Mei charted the pearl through literary and artistic history.

Abou-Khalil, Amiri Baraka and Sylvia Rivera to a choreographed history of the city’s Dixwell neighborhood (Judy Sirota Rosenthal, whose photographs grace this article, has captured 24 of those festivals through her lens). By the time it was five years old, it had grown to one of the largest presenting festivals in the country. Since that time, it has pivoted at least half a dozen times over, including during multiple leadership transitions and in the midst of a global pandemic. There have been, along the way, dozens of theater productions, deep dives into race and migration, storytelling through movement and on the mic, concerts that have shattered box office records, ideas programming that is ahead of the curve on climate change and Indigenous foodways, and

For her part, Calabresi said she was moved by not just the event, but the magic that the festival has become. Thirty years after its founding (which narrowly followed the creation of LEAP in 1992), she still holds tightly to the vision of strengthening New Haven—and bringing its people together—through the arts.

“The Festival was born from a vision of shared community that calls people to bring their best selves, to connect with one another, and to give generously,” she said. “Ours is not the path of a lone shark, but the world of an aquarium full of collaborators. My deepest hope for the future is that we remain steadfast in our pursuit of art in every form.”

Anne Tyler Calabresi and Roslyn Milstein Meyer, the ladies of the evening. Judy Sirota Rosenthal Photos.

Johnathan Moore. Judy Sirota Rosenthal Photos.

Interim Executive Director Rev. "RevKev" Ewing. Judy Sirota Rosenthal Photos.

Arts Council of greater New Haven

Catwalk Lights Up Dixwell Fest

by Aanika Eragram

“Are we feeling her?”

Draped head to toe in a red pantsuit and a veil that billowed in the wind behind her, model Jasmine elicited a cheer from a 50-person crowd at the Dixwell Neighborhood Festival’s fashion show on Saturday.

“Then show these kids some love,” said Donald Carter, the designer and emcee of the show, whose time as an instructor at Co-op High School rendered him a beloved New Haven figure. When looking for volunteer models for the show, his former students came to bat.

Originally slated to have 60 models before the festival was rained out in May, he had 15 on Saturday. Some were out of town for New York Fashion Week; for others, school was back in session. But Carter was undeterred.

He gestured towards one of his former students, now a model, who made it back to Dixwell during a break between shows. It is clear that when Donald Carter, an icon of the New Haven fashion scene, you answer.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in a side lot of the Dixwell Community “Q” House, it seemed that everywhere, calls were being answered. Every corner I turned, neighbors were running into each other, “Hello”s and “How are you”s ringing abundant. It was difficult to get a moment alone with Diane X. Brown, the organizer of the festival, who seemed to recognize every face she saw.

It was Brown’s 13th year planning the Dixwell Neighborhood Festival, which on Saturday was celebrating the legacy of Freddie Fixer, a fictional character named after Dr. Fred Smith, a heralded New Haven doctor. In 1962, Dr. Smith led a neighborhood cleanup effort in the Dixwell-Newhallville neighborhood. A children’s contest resulted in the birth of the festival’s mascot: Freddie Fixer.

Sixty-three years later, the spirit of Fixer is still alive in Dixwell. Four to five hundred attendees made it out this year, according to Brown. From paintings to lemonade to cigars, there was little you couldn’t find at one of the 50 vendor stands. Flanking this market space, affordable housing coalitions and NAACP volunteers sat ready to answer questions.

The Dixwell celebration was the seventh neighborhood festival hosted this year by the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, a New Haven organization dedicated to supporting arts and culture programming in the city. Other festivals took place in Fair Haven and Newhallville. The festival was also hosted by 94.3 WYBC, which ensured that a steady medley of house and jazz music rolled all afternoon.

“When I walk around I seldom see people that I know until I come to something like this,” said Shari Caldwell, a longtime New Haven dance instructor whose move to Maryland in 2018 made trips back to New Haven less frequent. Born here in the ‘60s, she’s seen many generations come and go. But for events like Saturday’s festival, she makes it back to Dix-

well. “Here I can see everybody, I see the new folks, so many of the older people.”

The Dixwell Neighborhood Festival created an intergenerational pulse in the city. Twenty dancers flooded the block with Scheri Walker, an instructor with Connecticut Line Dancers, an organization dedicated to promoting wellness through movement. Swaying in unison and turning on beat, it was clear that the partnerless dance was nonetheless still rooted in a spirit of community. It’s all about getting people young people, old people, everybody moving, said Walker. Her motto is “be well, or stay well.”

On the makeshift catwalk, the flood of former students was interrupted by a model that Carter introduced as very dear to him. “Who here remembers the ‘70s?” he asked as Lisa Gilliard walked out, donning an off the shoulder prairie dress in maroon. Carter and Gilliard have been friends for nearly 50 years. “Here’s a model from back in the ‘70s, into the ‘80s, and she is serving, serving, serving.”

Though Carter, in his Marie Antoinette-style yellow ball gown and cufflinks, was running the show, he certainly was not strutting alone. Every model he introduced was met with a response from the audience, cheers and names shouted out and choruses of “That girl, that girl!” Everyone was a participant.

“I grew up with this,” said Brown, who was born and raised in New Haven. “I grew up with this… these types of things happened all the time when I was a little girl.” Year after year, Brown pulls off the feat again, entirely on her own. “I don’t get paid, this is free. I do this because I want the little kids to have what I had.”

As the fashion show came to a close, a gaggle of children gathered on the grass. Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, a multi-hyphenate playwright and theatermaker, sat on a chair. He held up a buck-toothed rabbit puppet. “Mom, it’s starting!” one child shrieked. The rabbit opened its mouth. The kids squealed in delight. So the story began.

Iyaba Ibo Mandingo puts on a puppet show.

Aanika Eragram photos Scheri Walker dances with Connecticut Line Dancers.

The New Haven independent

Dixwell Fest Closes Out Summer With Community

Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

The words to “Lift Every Voice and Sing” sailed across the Q House’s wide, bright plaza, making their way onto Dixwell Avenue. Across the grass, vendors put the finishing touches on their tables, laying out blank canvases at one station, earrings at another, pink and red tubes of lipstick at a third. Back on the plaza, a voice carried the verse skyward—Let our rejoicing rise! High as the listening skies—trembling with the grandeur of the words.

“This is the village,” dancer and vocalist Shari Caldwell had said just moments before. “This is love. This is community. And when things happen, we come together.”

That multigenerational village came together Saturday afternoon outside the Dixwell Community “Q” House, to fête the 13th annual Dixwell Neighborhood Festival three months after it was moved because of rain. An initiative of Stetson Branch Manager Diane Brown and the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, the festival brought together food, fashion, music and movement, closing out the summer with a full-fledged party. It concluded, just as in years past, with a dazzling fashion show from designer Donald Carter; read more about that here and watch part of it here.

“This feels great,” said Brown, who has helped grow the festival into a vibrant celebration of community. “I’ve been doing it for so long now, people reach out and they actually want to participate. We’re doing good, and I’m happy. I’m going to start to wind down some things that I’m involved in, but this is one thing that I will continue to do.”

Normally, the Dixwell Neighborhood Festival is held at the beginning of June, on the day before the Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade and the day after the Freddy Fixer’s annual gala. The timing marks the informal start of summer in New Haven, where Dixwell Avenue fills with joyful noise and a week or two stand between students, graduations, and their summer vacations.

But this year, a rainy forecast had other plans, pushing the festival back from the end of May to the middle of September. Brown, who in her work has become an anchor in the neighborhood several times over, was unfazed: she worked with performers and vendors to find a new date, and knew instinctively that the community would show up.

She was right: the last community groups to join did so on Friday, after dozens of vendors and hours of live performances were already in place.

Saturday, the long-awaited celebration seemed to be in full swing, as vendors, organizations and social service providers set up beside the Q House’s plaza, and double dutch and drumming unfolded in front of the city's stage. Shamain (Sha) McAllister, associate director of edu-

cation and community impact at Arts & Ideas, buzzed around, checking in with a few attendees before making her way toward Brown and stopping to soak in the sounds of the healing drums.

McAllister later stressed how tenacious Brown has been (often as a committee of one), helping to build trust in the community where there was once a distrust of the Festival.

In front of the plaza’s stage, that was on display as Caldwell—a daughter of New Haven, although she now lives in Maryland—took the mic, holding it gingerly as she looked out at a growing audience. All around her, there were familiar faces: Brown smiled that gentle, knowing smile, Alder Frank Douglass gravitated near the stage, ready to unleash a gorgeous baritone, the actor Terrence Riggins made his way across the pavement and hovered by a chair.

Caldwell, who moved to Maryland in 2016, looked out over the audience and seemed instantly at home. She explained that when she reached the last verse of the song, which James Weldon Johnson wrote in 1900, she wanted attendees of all ages to call out the names of their ancestors, both those related by blood and those bonded by a deep sense of community. The words resonated in Dixwell, once a self-sustaining Black business corridor that is now working through its revitalization, thanks both to the new Q House complex, reimagined Stetson Library, and a new development from the Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology (ConnCAT) moving in across the street.

“Speak the name of your grandmother,” Caldwell said. “Speak the name of your teacher … remember your librarian. We are here today because of people whose shoulders we stand on.”

As she sang, that vision came to life. At first, Caldwell’s voice was quiet, certain but low and gentle. “Lift every voice and sing/’Till earth and heaven ring,” she began, and voices joined in across the wide, open space.

In her left hand, Johnson’s words fluttered across a page, as if they might take flight in the warm breeze. She pressed forward, the volume rising. In the plaza, a few people had pulled out their phones to record, singing as they held them up. The video footage captured the moment, as Caldwell tilted her head toward the sun and then looked back out over the audience.

By the time she had gotten to the first chorus— Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us—a few people had come closer, listening anew to words that seemed to echo anew in a week upended by violence. Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us!

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun/Let us march on 'til victory is won.

“Speak their names!” Caldwell cried when she had finished several verses later. Douglass, who had lifted a rafter-raising, silky tremolo to the sky just moments before, called out the name of his father.

Others invoked grandparents, parents and extended family that had passed on. It set a collaborative tone for the afternoon, which included everything from double dutch and line dancing to live music to stations for painting and puppetry to social service providers. Across the grass, arts organizations shared the space with food vendors, small Black-owned businesses and social service organizations, some of them making the time to trade information before the afternoon got too busy. For attendees with a sweet tooth, slices of Chauncey’s Butter Pound Cake and gem-toned bottles of Gorilla Lemonade waited patiently for passers by.

Beneath a tent from artist and educator Sheree Baldwin-Muhammad, tiny painters worked on their canvases one brushstroke at a time, as paintings of flowers, rainbows and color fields bloomed into being. One tent over, puppeteer Iyaba Ibo Mandingo pulled out a character and began to tell a story, every word delivered with a gentle, almost musical lilt. Several yards away, Azaria Samuels greeted passers-by with news about the Shubert Theatre’s new season, including a chance to win free tickets through signing up for a newsletter.

“I just think the exposure to different people in the community, it’s nice,” said dad Julian Brown, in the center of the action with his young daughter, Savannah, and his partner Pilar Rodriguez. As Savannah uncapped a green marker and got to work coloring a white visor, both Brown and Rodriguez lauded the event, which they heard about through the Stetson Branch Library staff.

Savannah, Rodriguez explained, is a regular at Stetson’s weekly Stay N’ Play, which takes place Mondays and Saturdays inside the library. At the neighborhood festival, her favorite storytime buddy wasn’t far away: Young Minds and Family Librarian Phillip Modeen, who runs Stay N’ Play with the talent and precision of a Broadway producer, manned a booth for the library within waving distance.

Across the field, Sharon Stevens and Andrea Mastriano handed out information and free, pre-wrapped packages from Women of the Village, a food pantry that operates Tuesdays and Fridays out of the Dixwell Community Police Substation at 26 Charles St. As a service provider, they were in good company: stations for free clothing and blood pressure screenings stood nearby. Since January, Mastriano said, volunteers have seen demand triple at the food pantry, as the cost of food rises and so too does food insecurity.

“We want to get the word out to the community,” Mastriano said.

That warm, all-encompassing sense of a family fits, of course: the Q House and Stetson are both historic sites and present-day hubs of cultural connection. Long before the last bricks were laid at the new Q House in 2019, it held decades of New Haven’s history, from dance and drum classes to spaces where teens could safely hang out after school.

Artist Tracey

Shari Caldwell, Diane Brown, Fred Christmas and Shamain McAllister.

Puppeteer, musician and storyteller Iyaba Ibo Mandingo. Lucy Gellman Photos.

Alders Delay $3M-Schools Vote

by Laura Glesby

Should the city set aside $3 million in surprise state aid as “contingency funding” for New Haven Public Schools? The alders haven’t yet decided. Rather than voting to approve or reject the Elicker administration’s proposed $3 million allocation on Monday evening, the Board of Alders “passed over” the item.

Majority Leader Richard Furlow said he expects the board to take up the item for a vote at the next full-board meeting in October.

The $3 million in question comprises $2.5 million from the Supplemental Revenue Sharing Grant and $500,000 from the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM). It is not a direct transfer to the Board of Education. It would remain in the city’s general fund, but would be set aside “for educational purposes.”

At the end of the 2025 – 26 fiscal year, school leadership would be able to request that $3 million should they need it to close a budgetary gap.

At a Finance Committee meeting in August, City Budget Director Shannon McCue made the case for setting aside these funds as an acknowledgement that “there might be fiscal pressure” on the school system and a signal to credit rating agencies that “we have a plan in place.”

The school system is still chasing a $3.8 million budget gap for the current fiscal year that started in July. Recently-ap-

Alder Smith: “I would love to see a line by line item of how they're spending funds. They’re not being accountable.”

pointed NHPS CFO Amilcar Hernandez told alders in August that he plans to search for more budget efficiencies in the coming school year, but that the $3 million backup funds are currently necessary in order to commit to retaining current school employees for the coming school year.

Meanwhile, as of late August, the school system has a nearly $2.4 million budgetary gap from the previous fiscal year even after accounting for a $3 million contingency plan from last fiscal year, which alders would still have to ap-

prove as a transfer.

After Monday’s meeting, Furlow said that alders passed over the item because “we’re just not ready” to vote on it.

NHPS spokesperson Justin Harmon wrote in an email, “We don’t want to speculate about the Alders’ decision to

pass over the item. We do hope it will be discussed soon.” He noted, “A brief delay in voting will not affect operations appreciably.”

By the end of the August Finance Committee meeting, a majority of committee alders expressed support for the contingency plan.

West Hills/West Rock Alder Honda Smith, however, was opposed. She said on Tuesday morning that she still does not intend to vote in favor of approving the $3 million pool.

She said she needs more financial transparency from the school system before she’s able to support increasing NHPS funding. “I would love to see a line by line item of how they’re spending funds,” she said. “They’re not being accountable.” Smith noted that in the last school year, NHPS hired a new school administrator after threatening teacher layoffs. She said she would like the $3 million pool to be more specifically designated to fund student-facing educators and classroom supplies spent “wisely and not foolishly,” she said.

Leslie Blatteau, the president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, made the case that the school system does need more financial accountability along with all the funding it can get.

“This is an opportunity for the Board of Alders to provide that support with that $3 million,” Blatteau said.

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DeLauro Proposes Paid Family Leave

by Jonathan D. Salant

WASHINGTON — As an aide to then U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, Rosa DeLauro could take time off from work without losing her salary when she came down with ovarian cancer and then, as a member of Congress, could spend the last six weeks of her mother’s life with her.

“Nobody said, ‘You don’t have a job, you’re not going to get paid,” DeLauro said.

But millions of Americans don’t have that luxury. On Tuesday, DeLauro, Democrat of New Haven, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, announced legislation during a Capitol Hill press conference Tuesday to provide that benefit to all workers.

The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act would allow workers to take up to 12 weeks off with partial pay for several reasons, including during a pregnancy or after childbirth, while recovering from an illness, to spend time with newborn or adopted children, or to be able care for seriously ill family members.

Such benefits are provided in 13 states and the District of Columbia, including Con-

necticut, DeLauro said.

“It is about the cost of living crisis. This piece of legislation hits that square,” said DeLauro, the chief House sponsor. “People do live paycheck to paycheck. People are stretched to the absolute limit.”

Sponsors pointed out that the U.S. is the only industrialized nation to not offer this benefit to all workers, and that forces poorer workers needing to spend time at home with a sick child, to take time off to recover from an illness, or called upon to care for an elderly relative to choose to do that or bring home a much-needed paycheck.

“These decisions are not ones we should be asking Americans to be making,” said Gillibrand, the chief sponsor in the Senate.

“We know paid leave works. What are we waiting for?”

DeLauro said that advocates need to step up the pressure on members of Congress to support the bill and push for a vote.

“External pressure makes them change their minds,” DeLauro said. “This institution runs on external pressure.”

The existing Family and Medical Leave Act (which Dodd was the chief Senate

Con’t on page 18

Maya McFadden file photo

Jonathan D. Salant photo DeLauro (at podium) and Gillibrand (third from right) at press conference on Capitol Hill to announce legislation to provide paid family leave.

The New Haven independent

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

At Fiesta Popular, Community Wins Out Over Fear

By Abiba Biao

Despite the forecast of rain in the late afternoon, nothing could dampen the celebration unfolding just beyond the Mill River. The smell of pupusas floated in the air as members from La Cocina de Sandra cooked up a storm on the grill. Strains of mariachi would soon float through the air. And in discussions around immigrant justice, friends laughed, caught up, and exchanged stories of their families and their lives.

Community members, neighbors, and activists gathered at Criscuolo Park last Saturday afternoon for a “Fiesta Popular” held in the heart of the city’s Fair Haven neighborhood. Hosted by the New Haven Immigrants Coalition (NHIC), the event was a way for community members to gather in solidarity with the immigrant community and celebrate what volunteer and longtime organizer Fatima called “one victory at a time.”

She highlighted the Faxon Law New Haven Road Race’s decision to drop Avelo Airlines as a sponsor due to its running of deportation flights out of Tweed-New Haven Airport. She also referenced the case of Esdrás Zabaleta-Ramirez, a junior at Wilbur Cross High School who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in July. Thanks to a ruling by a federal immigration judge, he was recently released from a detention facility and allowed to return home.

“The fight just begins, but we celebrate that he is going to be fighting his case outside with his community, where he belongs, and at high school, where he belongs,” Fatima said.

Stationed at the resource table was Julia, who asked to use only her first name. A recent member of NHIC that joined the group in January, she called NHIC an outlet for civic literacy and engagement.

“I’ve lived around a lot of immigrants, and I have people that I know and care about and I want everyone to be able to have equal access to the life that they want to live and well-being,” she said. “And so, when Trump was elected, I wanted to be able to do something about it.”

On the table, NHIC offered copies of its own zine, an ICE Patrol Observer Pocket Guide. This year, Julia explained, she and other members of an NHIC “rapid response” team decided to create zines to more easily disseminate lifesaving infor-

mation about how to identify and speak to ICE.

Julia added that zines are sometimes more accessible than in-person interventions such as workshops (NHIC has also held several “Know Your Rights” trainings and has video and visual content that it shares via social media).

The guide provides an overview of ICE’s role within the federal government, phrases to use when questioning ICE agents, and tips for how to document ICE activity as a bystander (interfering with ICE activity is a felony offense). The team plans to make copies of the guide available in different languages, like Spanish.

During uncertain times, Julia reminds

herself of a lesson she learned from a friend in Ukraine as motivation: “If we don’t have hope, there’s no way that we’ll win.”

Similar to other attendees, Kiana Cintron is no stranger to organizing work. A UConn junior majoring in biology and on the pre-med track, Cintron first got her start organizing by working with Junta for Progressive Action. While she joined NIHC last November, it wasn't until the beginning of this year that she started getting more involved in the group.

“We’re building off of the roots that were already embedded in the community, right? The work that’s already been done here and we’re just celebrating that.”

Her activism efforts aren’t just limited to New Haven but also extend to her studies. She has led online “Know Your Rights” workshops for UConn students and faculty members and is currently planning some additional sessions this semester.

She suggested that social connectedness is a necessary component to preserve emotional well-being and retain morale on a personal and group level, even during dark times.

“This fiesta, being here for each other and knowing that you’re not alone and that you don’t have to go through this scary stuff by yourself is super important and that gives me hope,” she said. “When I’m like ‘Oh, I wish I could do more,’ I’m

with people that also believe in the same thing, [and say], ‘Ok, so then how can we do more?’”

Like Fatima, volunteer Ana Juarez also felt a higher calling to social justice work. While her introduction to advocacy was the Black Lives Matter movement, she could feel the news hit closer to home when mass deportations and immigration raids began earlier this year. As a Mexican American, she grew more compelled and steadfast in her activism efforts, wanting to support her community.

“I just want people to know that regardless of your status here you still have rights,” she said. “You’re still a human being. Even if they make you feel like you’re not, you still are.”

“I know what that anxiety feels like of looking over your shoulder and not knowing who’s friend or foe nowadays,” she continued. “That fear of possibly losing a family member, having someone get detained that you know and love.”

Another recent NHIC member was Sarah, who declined to give her last name. Sarah, who has only been in the group for less than two months, lauded on the open, welcoming nature of the collective. No one goes by a leadership title; instead everyone is on the equal playing field as volunteers. They contribute where they can to efforts or subgroups including social media, community engagement, food solidarity and demanding accountability of Avelo.

“I worked in the non-profit world and I see the limitations of working within the systems that exist,” Sarah said. That led her to embrace grassroots activism as a way to rectify systems, saying that the ethos that sustains her passion is the belief of benevolence within people and focusing on the goal of liberation.

“It’s been an incredible community to organize with,” she said. “Very welcoming, very enthusiastic about people’s ideas and it’s been a real joy honestly.” It’s this fortitude that Fatima hopes to continue inspiring among other volunteers and the New Haven community at large.

“We defeat fear with community building, we defeat fear with organizing, and we defeat fear with our diversity,” she said.

Trump Intensifies Campaign to Rewrite American History

By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Correspondent

The Trump administration has intensified its campaign to rewrite how America tells its history, ordering federal agencies to remove exhibits and materials that emphasize slavery and racial injustice by September 17. The directive, issued by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, has set off a wave of protests, most prominently in Philadelphia, where activists gathered this weekend to defend the President’s House site. That outdoor memorial, located steps from Independence Hall, documents the reality that George Washington enslaved nine people while serving as the nation’s first president.

The President’s House exhibit, formally titled “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation,” includes multimedia displays and detailed accounts of individuals such as Ona Judge, who escaped to freedom. Panels such as “The Dirty Business of Slavery,” which describe the economics and human cost of bondage, are now targeted for removal under the administration’s order. Community leaders warn that the directive is designed to sanitize history rather than confront it.

“Black history is American history, and we won’t be silenced,” said Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness of Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, speaking to supporters at Saturday’s rally.

Attorney Michael Coard, representing the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, told attendees that federal officials set the deadline after months of pressure from Trump and congressional allies. “This place could be shut down,” he warned, while outlining legal, political, and activist strategies to keep the memorial intact.

The fight over the Philadelphia site has become a flashpoint in a larger national battle over who controls the narrative of American history.

In March, Trump signed an executive order claiming the Smithsonian Institution was being influenced by a “divisive, race-centered ideology.” The order specifically named the National Museum of African American History and Culture, once praised by Trump early in his first term, as “oppressive.” It also empowered Vice President JD Vance to review Smithsonian programming and remove what the president has called “improper ideology.” Historians and curators say the move represents a direct attempt to censor scholarship and erase evidence of systemic racism.

Other federal agencies have already scrambled to comply. Earlier this year, the National Park Service briefly altered its Underground Railroad webpage to minimize the role of Harriet Tubman before restoring it under public pressure. The Department of Defense removed, then reinstated, information about baseball legend Jackie Robinson’s military service and the Medal of Honor earned by Maj. Gen. Charles C. Rogers, one of the highest-ranking Black servicemem-

bers in Vietnam. Meanwhile, the mural at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington was demolished in March, in what critics say was another symbolic effort to erase visible reminders of the struggle for racial justice.

Trump’s rhetoric has only sharpened. In recent weeks, he referred to museums as remnants of a “woke country” that dwell on slavery and racial injustice rather than celebrating national achievements. At a White House event, he declared that Smithsonian institutions were filled with “divisive propaganda” and threatened to cut funding if changes were not made. His remarks represented an about-face from 2017, when he called his tour of the African American History Museum “a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance, and hatred.”

Historians warn that the shift is part of a coordinated effort to control the country’s historical narrative. Chad Williams, a professor at Boston University, compared the administration’s approach to the “Lost Cause” ideology promoted after the Civil War, when southern states sought to glorify the Confederacy while downplaying slavery as the cause of the conflict. “It sends a very dangerous message about how the government is seeking to control this country’s narrative with a very narrow and propagandistic version of American history,” Williams told a local news outlet.

For community leaders in Philadelphia, the danger appears immediate. The President’s House exhibit opened in 2010 after years of advocacy and archaeological work confirmed that Washington enslaved people on the site. Its panels and digital displays have since served as an educational tool for millions of visitors. “The first time enslaved Africans were brought here, it was a ripping away of their history, a taking away of their names and their culture,” said Jo Banner, co-founder of the Descendants Project in Louisiana, connecting the federal order to broader patterns of erasure. “If we want our own liberation, we have to own telling our true history.”

Alan Spears, senior director at the National Parks Conservation Association, expressed similar concern. “When you start to fiddle around with history, that isn’t what makes a country great. It makes us weaker. And it makes us meaner, because we’re going to be much less informed about the broad sweep of U.S. history and all the people who have contributed to making this country a good country,” he said.

With the approaching deadline, activists in Philadelphia are pressing for urgent meetings with the National Park Service. They say the stakes are larger than a single site, representing a test of whether Americans will allow federal power to strip away the unvarnished truth of the nation’s past. “We will not allow our history to be erased,” Rev. Cavaness told the rally.

How to Spot Wellness Misinformation Online

By Dominique Lambright BlackDoctor.org

The internet is overflowing with wellness trends, viral health hacks, and socalled “natural” solutions—often marketed as quick fixes for everything from bloating to chronic disease. On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, these remedies can spread at lightning speed, gaining millions of views before experts have a chance to weigh in.

The problem? Not all of these tips are harmless experiments. Some can waste your money, delay proper treatment, or even cause real harm to your health. For example, detox teas labeled as “all-natural” may lead to dehydration, while unproven supplements can interfere with prescription medications. Even seemingly simple hacks, like drinking large amounts of lemon water or trying extreme “immune boosting” diets, can backfire when taken to extremes.

What makes this especially tricky is that misinformation often comes wrapped in an appealing package: personal testimonials, sleek branding, and language that promises “ancient wisdom” or “science they don’t want you to know.” These tactics play on our desire for control over our health, especially when traditional medicine feels slow, expensive, or impersonal. That’s why learning how to spot red flags in wellness advice is more important than ever. Below, we’ll break down strategies to help you separate trustworthy information from misleading claims—before those trends truly harm you.

Red Flags in Viral Health Hacks

Dramatic claims with little basis

Headlines like “doctors don’t want you to know this cure” or “the cure they’re hiding” are classic clickbait designed to provoke emotion—not truth. Run, don’t click.

Anecdotes over evidence

If the advice leans heavily on personal testimonials—“I used this and it cured me”—that’s often a red flag. Personal experience doesn’t replace scientific validity.

Too good to be true

Claims like “quick weight loss,” “detox in one week,” or miracle “nutrition secrets” often oversimplify or misrepresent science. If it sounds unbelievable, it probably is.

Viral ≠ valid

Social media virality doesn’t guarantee accuracy. Some TikTok health content is so misleading, it’s harmful. About two percent of viral nutrition hacks align with public health guidelines.

Hidden agenda: Follow the money

If the source is selling a product—especially via affiliate links or online shops— it’s likely biased. Often, financial gain takes priority over your well-being.

Why “Natural” Doesn’t Always Mean

Safe

One of the biggest traps in online wellness culture is the belief that if something is labeled “natural,” it must be harmless or even automatically good for you. This assumption is not only misleading, but it can also be dangerous.

The Marketing of “Natural”

The word natural is often used as a marketing hook rather than a scientific classification. In the U.S., for example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have a strict definition for the term “natural” when used on supplements or health products (FDA). This leaves plenty of room for companies to imply safety or health benefits without proving them.

Natural ≠ Harmless

• Plants can be toxic: Poison ivy, hemlock, and certain mushrooms are all natural but extremely harmful—even fatal—if ingested.

• Herbal supplements may interact with medications: St. John’s Wort, a popular natural mood enhancer, can interfere with birth control pills, antidepressants, and blood thinners

• “Detox” teas and laxatives: Often marketed as natural cleanses, these can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and even dependence with overuse.

Dosage Matters

Even beneficial natural substances can be harmful in high doses:

• Vitamin A from natural sources is essential for vision and immunity, but excess intake during pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects.

• Green tea extract is natural and rich in antioxidants, yet in concentrated supplement form, it has been linked to liver damage in rare cases.

Cultural and Traditional Medicines

It’s also important to approach traditional remedies with respect but caution. Many natural treatments from African, Indigenous, and Asian traditions carry real wisdom and effectiveness—but when commercialized for profit, they can be stripped of context, mislabeled, or used in

unsafe ways. For example, certain herbal tonics used traditionally in small, supervised doses can be risky when mass-produced and self-administered.

“Natural” is not a guarantee of safety. Just like synthetic medications, natural remedies can have side effects, interactions, and risks. The key is not to dismiss natural options altogether, but to evaluate them with the same critical eye you would for any other health product: check research, talk to a qualified provider, and remember that more “natural” does not always mean safer—or more effective.

Trusted Sources You Can Count On When seeking health information, turn to reliable, credible institutions:

• .gov and .edu domains

U.S. federal agencies (CDC, NIH) and universities generally offer accurate, upto-date information. Websites ending in .gov or .edu are a good signal of quality.

• MedlinePlus (medlineplus.gov)

A trusted, consumer-focused health portal from the National Library of Medicine and NIH. Provides vetted information on thousands of topics.

• CDC (cdc.gov)

Authoritative guidance on public health issues, disease prevention, and health emergencies.

• Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health Publishing

These authoritative sources produce evidence-based content with oversight from qualified professionals.

• RxList, Drugs.com

• For reliable info on medications, side effects, and interactions, these pharmaceutical reference sites remain valuable

• Vaccine Safety Net (by WHO)

• A curated network of credible sites offering accurate vaccine-related content. Ensures content meets high standards for quality and transparency.

How to Fact-Check Before You Try

Before implementing any wellness advice you encounter online, follow these steps: Evaluate the source

• Look for credentials: reputable organizations, expert editorial boards, and clear

Alders Delay

“We know our per-pupil funding is not comparable to wealthier per-pupil [spending in other] towns in our state,” Blatteau said. “And we know that the ECS formula has taken 10 years to be fully implemented.”

She cited a School and State Finance Project statistic that New Haven has been shortchanged $86.9 million since 2019 due to the state’s underfunding of the Education Cost Sharing school funding formula until now.

funding sources.

• Beware of generic titles like “nutritionist,” which aren’t always regulated. Registered dietitians are far more credible.

Inspect the website and URL

• Trust reputable domains and watch for mimicry like “cdc.org” vs. “cdc.gov.” Secure sites show “HTTPS” and a padlock icon.

• Unprofessional design, typos, or flashy layouts can signal unreliable content.

Check for scientific support

• Reliable articles cite studies, link to peer-reviewed journals, or include expert opinions. Look for clear references and recent updates.

Cross-verify with trusted sources

• Confirm the advice with sites like NIH, CDC, Mayo Clinic, or professional health organizations.

Pause before sharing

• A surprising claim that triggers strong emotion? Take a moment and dig in further before accepting or sharing.

Consult a healthcare provider

• Your health decisions should never be based solely on social media. Verify with your doctor or a qualified health professional.

Be mindful of the “infodemic” effect

• Misinformation spreads quickly and widely—especially during crises. Recognizing this dynamic can help you stay cautious.

In today’s digital age, wellness misinformation can spread fast—and go viral— while carrying serious risks. Recognizing red flags like anecdotal claims, “natural is always best” messaging, and sensational headlines is a vital defense. Instead, rely on credible expert sources like government agencies, trusted nonprofits, and established medical institutions—always fact-check, cross-reference, and when in doubt, seek the guidance of a healthcare professional.

Protect your wellness by staying informed, skeptical of sensationalism, and grounded in evidence.

“New Haven has been underfunded for a long time. When you do that year after year, it is hard to deliver the worldclass education that we know our kids deserve,” Blatteau said. “Both things are true: We need the accountability and transparency,” and also the funding. The Board of Alders did vote to approve an additional $4 million allocation toward school building maintenance on Monday night.

Specifically, alders approved a mayoral proposal to reshuffle funds after the state issued an unexpected $8 million for upkeep and improvements to the city’s public infrastructure. The city decided to free up an equivalent amount already allocated toward that purpose, and divide it between the Board of Education’s capital fund ($4 million), the Fire Department’s fleet ($2 million), and additional infrastructure projects within the Engineering Department ($2 million).

Con’t from page 14

Family Leave

sponsor of) provides unpaid leave for up to 12 weeks, but many people can’t afford to go without a paycheck, said U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, Democrat of New Jersey, who also attended the press conference. “You shouldn’t have to choose between taking care of a sick kid and economic security,” he said.

DeLauro has been in the forefront of similar efforts for years, and said she will be continuing the fight even as Republicans control the White House and Congress and have been cutting funding back for social programs, not increasing it.

“You make the fight,” she said. “You can’t get tired. You can’t give up. This is not for the faint of heart. We’re not giving up. We’re not going away. This climate will change and the environment will change.”

All of the lawmakers speaking Tuesday were Democrats, but Gilllibrand said a bipartisan working group was at work dealing with such issues, and Republicans could use a noodge from their constituents to sign onto the bill.

“We need to bring Republicans to our side,” Gillibrand said. “The more advocacy we can do, the more times we can be advocates in our states and our districts, we’re going to bring more people to push their Congress members to want to vote for this bill.”

Black woman chosen to lead $120 million airport concessionaire

by Mildred Europa Taylor, Face2FaceAfrica.com

Airport concessions firm Concessions International (CI), which was founded in 1979, will have a new CEO in October.

The late H.J. Russell founded the company with two business partners – Felker W. Ward Jr. and Jesse Hill Jr. It started as a DBE (disadvantaged business enterprise) with 25 employees and one snack bar at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). In 1999, Russell bought out his two partners and CI became completely family-owned.

One of Russell’s children, Donata Russell Ross, who has been with the company for 42 years and has led it as the Chief Executive Officer since 2013, will retire as its CEO on October 6.

A search committee for a new CEO which included Russell Ross and her two

brothers, H. Jerome Russell and Michael B. Russell, chose Nikki Tinsley Harland as Russell Ross’ successor.

Harland brings 12 years of leadership experience in the travel retail industry, and before her latest appointment, she was the Chief Operating Officer at Paradies Lagardère.

She is known for her ability to drive growth, foster innovation, and lead with integrity, a release by CI said. Harland was made the 2024 Airport Experience News (AXN) Woman of the Year, while Russell Ross is the 2025 AXN Woman of the Year.

“I am excited to join Concessions International as CEO and build upon the incredible foundation and legacy established by those who came before me, and particularly by Donata, who has served as an industry role model for so many of us,” said Harland. “I

look forward to working with the talented team at CI to deliver excellence and innovation in our industry. I know for sure that we will continue to take CI to the next level, ensuring that it delivers strong results and is one of the best places to work.”

For now, Russell Ross will continue as the board chair of H.J. Russell & Co., and she will help Harland during the transition process, which is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

“We couldn’t have found a more perfect candidate to be my successor,” said Russell Ross. “With her Atlanta roots, knowledge of the industry, leadership skills, innovative spirit, and proven track record, she is the ideal person to lead CI into the future and take CI to the next level.”

CI is a dynamic food and beverage operator serving more than 30 national, regional, and proprietary brands, including

quick-service, casual dining, bars, delis, snacks, and café concessions at nearly 40 locations in eight airports, it said in the release.

As CEO, Russell Ross helped the company expand its airport operations in the United States and the Virgin Islands while building it into a business with an annual revenue of $120 million and 1,100 employees, according to Black Enterprise. It also added national brands and increased women and minority business participation. Russell Ross again successfully led the company through COVID-19 in airport environments across the country and in the Virgin Islands.

“It has been the privilege of my career to lead CI, and I have every confidence in Nikki and in the bright future ahead for the company,” Russell Ross said.

Getaway Society: Luxury Black-Owned Vacation Homes & Travel

Courtesy of Shaun White, HBCUNews.com

From a Hampton Ski Trip to a National Footprint

In the early 2010s, every year a group of Hampton alumni hit the slopes in the Poconos. One year, it was Carrington’s turn to plan the trip. He found the perfect house, coordinated with the owner, collected the group’s payments—and had a lightbulb moment: Why not own the home ourselves? That spark became Getaway Society in 2014—a vision to build and curate luxury vacation homes that make big moments feel effortless and welcoming for everyone.

Rooted in the “Dream No Small Dreams” mantra from former Hampton President Dr. William R. Harvey, the founders built the brand one home at a time. Today, Getaway Society hosts thousands of guests across sought-after U.S. destinations, offering design-forward homes with resort-style amenities—from private pools and movie theaters to chef’s kitchens and game rooms.

What Sets Getaway Society Apart Hospitality with intention. Getaway So-

ciety’s homes are stylish, amenity-rich, and often clustered in the same area—so groups can book multiple homes side-by-side for reunions, retreats, weddings, and milestone celebrations. The brand’s identity matters, too: as a Black-owned company, the team designs spaces where guests feel accepted. “Luxury here comes with open arms,” they emphasize.

Beyond the front door. On Martha’s Vineyard, the founders expanded the experience with Azimut yacht charters and Ford Bronco car rentals, leveling up itineraries on land and sea. Across markets, the focus is consistent: thoughtful design, premium touches, and a seamless path to memory-making.

For the HBCU & Black Travel Community

The founders know the rhythms of homecoming season, Greek life, and alumni traditions because they’ve lived them. Whether it’s a chapter retreat, line or class reunion, a celebration trip, or a family gathering, Getaway Society is built for multi-generational groups and young Black professionals who want elevated spaces that match the moment. (Heads up: you must be 25+ to book.)

They also collaborate with HBCU alumni chapters, Greek organizations, and affinity groups to create custom packages and exclusive discounts—circulating dollars within the community while delivering five-star stays

Flagship Flex: The Grove in Orlando

Ask any Getaway Society loyalist about a

“bucket list” property and you’ll hear about The Grove—a 12-bedroom, ~14,000 sq. ft. home in Orlando that’s basically an adult playground. Think bowling alley, indoor basketball court, fitness center, multiple game rooms, and a resort-style pool that turns a long-weekend into a full-on experience. It’s the blueprint for what the brand means by “mini-resort”—everything you

want, under one roof, made for groups. The Bigger Vision Getaway Society is still just getting started. The team, composed entirely of Hampton University grads, is adding homes and experiences in more destinations, growing services on Martha’s Vineyard like yacht charters and car rentals, and pursuing a signature hospitality project in the Southeast that aims to make a major, Black-owned impact in tourism. Near-term, they’re planning a custom beach house on the Texas Gulf Coast (Cinnamon Shore) and expanding premium guest services on Martha’s Vineyard.

Why It Matters

Representation in travel isn’t a buzzword—it’s a better experience. By building luxury spaces that are culturally aware and genuinely welcoming, Getaway Society is shaping what premium group travel can feel like for everyone—and creating jobs and economic opportunity while they do it. Book with them, and you’re not just getting a house; you’re investing in a hospitality ecosystem born from an HBCU tradition of excellence.

Walmart is coming to Africa, here’s what to expect

by Mildred Europa Taylor,

US retailer Walmart announced on Tuesday, September 9, that it will open its first branded stores in South Africa by the end of 2025.

The new stores will offer fresh groceries, apparel, technology products, and household essentials, Walmart International President and CEO Kath McLay said in a news release.

Store locations, opening dates and hiring processes are expected to be disclosed in October.

“By partnering with South African suppliers and entrepreneurs, Walmart will bring its signature every day low prices Wikimedia Commons/MikeMozartJeepersMedia

and global standards to the market, while celebrating the country’s rich culture,” McLay added.

Walmart already owns the South African-based retailer Massmart, which operates the brands Makro, Game, Jumbo, Builders and Shield.

Walmart is now ready to compete with domestic retailers, including market leader Shoprite, Woolworths, and Pick n Pay. Online, it looks to challenge Amazon and market leader Takealot.com.

With fiscal year 2025 revenue of $681 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. In terms of its international brands, Walmart is present in Latin America, with over 900

retailers in five Central American countries. It also has 400 locations in Chile and more than 3,000 throughout Mexico. In China, there are about 330 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores throughout the country, with about 25 in India. The company also has about 400 retailers in Canada.

“We’re thrilled to begin this journey introducing the iconic Walmart brand to South African associates, customers and communities,” said Miles Van Rensburg, Massmart president and CEO.

“By listening and working together, we aim to build lasting relationships and deliver a delightful shopping experience that reflects the needs and aspirations of South Africans.”

Nikki Tinsley Harland. Photo: CI

PUBLIC WORKS MAINTAINER II

The Town of Wallingford Department of Public Works has openings for Maintainer II. Applicants should possess 2 years’ experience as a laborer in construction work involving the operation and care of trucks and other mechanical equipment, or 2 years training in one of the skilled trades and 1 year of experience in construction operations, or an equivalent combination of experience and training. A valid (CDL) Class B or higher is required. $24.87 - $29.16 hourly plus retirement plan, paid sick and vacation time, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, family medical & dental insurance, and promotional opportunities. To apply online by the closing date of September 12, 2025, please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

Crawford Manor Boiler Replacement

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

Monday, August 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM.

Request for Qualifications – Transportation Planning Studies

The South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) seeks the services of one or more consultants for the following transportation planning studies: Wallingford Route 5 Intersection Study, Guilford Route 1 Corridor Study, and Multitown Pavement Management Study. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms are strongly encouraged to respond as prime contractors or to play a significant role within a consultant team. Responses are due by October 1, 2025 (12 noon local time). The full RFQ document can be viewed at the Council’s website: www.scrcog.org or can be made available upon request. Contact James Rode at 203-466-8623 with any questions.

The Glendower Group

Request for Bids

ELECTRICAL RENOVATIONS AT McConaughy

TERRACE

The Glendower Group, Inc. invites sealed bids from qualified electrical contractors for electrical work associated with three groups of units McConaughy Terrace, Funded under the 9% low-income Housing Tax Credit LIHTC program. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https:// newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 3:00PM.

CONSTRUCTION JOB FAIR

Oak Woods Apartments

DATE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2025 12 PM – 3 PM

LOCATION: Plymouth Town Hall 80 Main St, Terryville, CT 06786 (Lower Level Community Room)

(Parking in the rear of the building, please enter through the right-side door) For more information, please contact Jennifer Severs PH: 203-888-8118

EMAIL: jsevers@haynesct.com The Housing Authority of the City of Hartford

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Request for Proposals

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Pay Per Use Laundry Services

A complete copy of the requirements may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 3:00PM

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Request for Proposals

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Youth Program.

A complete copy of the requirements may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 3:00PM

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Request for Proposals

Brokerage/Agent of Record Consulting Services for Insurance Benefits

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Brokerage/Agent of Record Consulting Services for Insurance Benefits. A complete copy of the requirements may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 3:00PM

The Glendower Group

Request for Bids

ELECTRICAL RENOVATIONS AT McConaughy TERRACE

The Glendower Group, Inc. invites sealed bids from qualified electrical contractors for electrical work associated with two groups of units McConaughy Terrace, Funded under the 4% low-income Housing Tax Credit LIHTC program. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 3:00PM.

Invitation to Bid:

This is our Project THE HOMES AT AVON PARK 1A & 1B 20 Security Drive Avon, CT 06001

New Construction of One Building, 100 Units, 110,000sf. The project will be all electric. Project documents include but not limited to: Site-work, concrete, masonry, structural steel framing, cold-formed metal framing, misc metals, rough and finish carpentry labor and material, wood trusses, waterproofing, insulation, wall panels, siding, roofing, doors and frames and hardware, storefronts, windows, drywall, acoustical ceilings, flooring, painting, signage, toilet & bath accessories, postal specialties, metal canopies, specialties, residential appliances, playground equipment, horizontal louver blinds, kitchen and bathroom casework, roller shades, elevators, trash chutes, fire protection, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, telecommunications, fire alarm, earthwork, exterior improvement, utilities, final cleaning and sanitary facilities.

This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

Invitation For BIDS

Agency- wide fencing- repairs and replacement

360 Management Group, Co. Is currently seeking bids for agency wide fencing-repairs and replacement. A complete copy of the requirements maybe obtain from 360 Management Group’s vendor collaboration portal. https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, August 11, 2025, at 3:00PM.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Parking Access & Revenue Control System Replacement At New Haven Parking Authority Facilities

Haven, Connecticut

Project #24 – 029

Proposals due on September 30, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. EDT.

The work for this project includes, but is not limited to: removal of existing equipment and installation of a new state-of-the-art Parking Access and Revenue Control System, refurbishment of designated booths inclusive of painting, metal repair, roofing and related finishes, installation of new HVAC and lighting with associated ductwork repairs and replacement, design and install integratable security cameras and door control system for all Garage pedestrian entrances, miscellaneous coordination, together with all incidental work thereto and in accordance with the Proposal Documents, as well as preventative maintenance and repair services at the New Haven Parking Authority facilities involving 7 parking garages and 8 surface lots.

The Proposal Documents will be available beginning September 02, 2025 at no cost by downloading from the New Haven Parking Authority / Park New Haven website at https://parknewhaven.com/request-for-bids/ . NHPA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Remembering the Four Little Girls

By April Ryan

It is 62 years later after the death of the four little girls in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, just weeks after the August 28, 1963, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Democratic, Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell said this anniversary reminds us to reflect on issues our forefathers fought for during the most powerful movement in this nation: civil rights, voting rights, and civil liberties. Twelve years ago, the four little girls received the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously: Addie Mae Collins, Dennis McNair, Cynthia Wesley, and Carol Robertson. Shavon Arline-Bradley of the National Council of Negro Women says we are commemorating one of the most gruesome acts of violence in our country's history, where 4 Black Girls from Birmingham, AL lost their lives at the hands of

White Supremacists.” Dr. Amos Brown, pastor of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco, says of the heinous, deadly bombing that there was “no respect for our humanity,” feeling the crime emphasizes “they don’t see us as being human.”

Bradley also articulated,” Their sacrifice sparked the nation to come to grips with the harsh realities of what it meant to be Black in America.” The children were in church during the Sunday School hour when, “These innocent young girls sought to learn more about their faith and how to love thy neighbor as themselves,” when the deadly explosion occurred, adds Arline Bradley. She also said, “Today, as we celebrate their contribution to the freedoms we enjoy today, let us be reminded that we shall overcome and victory belongs to those of us that fight for liberty and justice for all.” Meanwhile, there is a fifth survivor, Sara Collins Rudolph, Addie Mae’s sister, who lost her eyes and carries scars from the bombing.

By Lauren Burke

As news of the violent shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University soon became an announcement of his death, news of another mass shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado also pushed into the news feeds.

Members of the U.S. House took note of both developments. Members of Congress were on the floor for a lengthy vote series when chaos erupted on the floor as several Democrats began shouting about the school shooting in Colorado. Republicans returned verbal fire by telling the Democrats to sit down. "Pass some gun laws!” a Democrat shouted back. The tense moment ended as Speaker Mike Johnson hit the gavel from the Speaker’s chair. On June 14, 2025, when Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman was assassinated at her home in Brooklyn Park, another jolt went through the American psyche regarding political violence. Hortman was the leader of the State House Democratic caucus and was murdered alongside her husband, Mark. On July 13, 2024, President Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet, and Corey Comperatore, 50, was shot dead by a man with an AR15–style rifle.

Political violence once again has ev-

eryone’s attention. Few have answers they believe will be implemented into law. Since the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban in 2004, the number of mass shootings has risen sharply. Each time a mass shooting happens, many argue that incidents should not be “politicized.” But others maintain that something must be done. With the unexpected news of Kirk, who was 31, there are already attempts to political-

ly weaponize his death from the right. But with 16,000 people dying of gun violence in 2024 (excluding suicides), the problem is likely not going away anytime soon. Kirk was a fervent Second Amendment advocate.

Over 6,000 students and faculty signed a petition for Charlie Kirk not to speak at Utah Valley University. But the school viewed the appearance as the type of event that reflected free speech, and the event moved forward. Though political violence is not new in the U.S., the level of awareness and almost immediate showing of the violence is a fairly new phenomenon. With that, the level of tension around political discourse in the United States appears to be rising. “The Charlie Kirk shooting is beyond horrific. Legitimately disgusted at the broken state of this country,” wrote progressive YouTube superstar Brian Tyler Cohen. “This afternoon, in addition to Charlie Kirk, there was a school shooting. Bullets don't know and don't care if you are a Republican or a Democrat. It is time for Republicans and Democrats to find a way to work together to reduce gun violence,” wrote Fred Guttenberg. His daughter was killed in a school shooting at Parkland High School on February 14, 2018. Many are wondering what happens next.

The Murder of Charlie Kirk, January 6 and Assassinations in Minnesota: America Again

Charlie Kirk

The Truth About White-on-White Violence vs. Black-on-Black

ViolenceBlackNews.com

The phrase “Black-on-Black crime” has long been used in U.S. media and politics as a way to stigmatize African Americans, often implying that violence within Black communities is somehow unique or abnormal. However, when we step back and look at the facts, the truth is clear: most violent crime is committed within racial groups, not across them. In other words, white-on-white violence is just as real as Black-on-Black violence—but one gets politicized and weaponized, while the other rarely makes headlines.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI crime statistics, about 80–85% of violent crimes involving white victims are committed by white offenders, while roughly 85–90% of violent crimes involving Black victims are committed by Black offenders. The numbers are strikingly similar. The reason is simple: most people live, work, and socialize in communities with people of their own race, which means crimes of opportunity—robberies, assaults, even homicides—are usually committed within the same racial group.

neighborhoods. Meanwhile, similar levels of intraracial crime among whites did not prompt the same policy or media response.

The result has been decades of stigma, where the struggles of Black communities are blamed on culture rather than conditions, and systemic violence against Black people (including police brutality) is dismissed by pointing to “Black-onBlack” statistics.

The Real Conversation We Should Be Having

Instead of weaponizing crime statistics, the focus should be on what they really show: violence is most often committed within racial groups, regardless of race. The real issue is not Blackness or whiteness, but poverty, segregation, easy access to guns, underinvestment in communities, and a justice system that fails to prevent cycles of violence.

Put plainly: crime tends to be intraracial, not interracial. Yet only the term “Black-on-Black” has been turned into a talking point.

Why White-on-White Crime Is Ignored You almost never hear politicians or commentators use the phrase “white-on-white crime.” This is not because it doesn’t exist—it absolutely does. In fact, because

white people are the majority population in the U.S., the raw number of white-onwhite crimes is far higher than Black-onBlack crimes. What’s different is how society talks about it. White-on-white crime is framed as “crime” or “domestic violence” or “gang activity,” while Blackon-Black crime is framed as a cultural failing.

This selective language is not accidental—it’s part of a long history of racialized narratives that present Black communities as inherently dangerous, while treating white communities as the “norm.”

The Role of Poverty and Segregation

According to the Pew Research Center, a deeper look into violence in any community is strongly tied to poverty, inequality, and lack of opportunity. High-crime neighborhoods—whether predominantly Black, Latino, or white—share common traits: underfunded schools, lack of jobs, weak infrastructure, and high poverty rates. For example, Appalachia, a mostly white region, has long struggled with poverty, addiction, and violence, yet rarely is this framed as “white-on-white crime.”

Labeling violence as racial instead of structural shifts blame from failed systems to entire communities of color, while masking the real drivers of crime.

The Political Use of “Black-on-Black Crime”

The phrase gained traction during the late 20th century, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, when politicians pushed “tough on crime” policies. By emphasizing Black-on-Black crime, lawmakers justified harsher policing, mass incarceration, and surveillance in Black

Acknowledging white-on-white violence alongside Black-on-Black violence exposes the hypocrisy of how crime is discussed in America. If the concern is truly about saving lives, then the solution lies in addressing inequality, opportunity, and safety for everyone—without racially charged narratives.

Con’t from page

and when that judge read all of Dante’s Inferno, and I’m listening, and he says you have any regrets? I shook my head because Joe’s voice said, ‘Let’s go!’ Joe passed that same day,” Cosby sadly recounted.

There was more to Joe Black than statistics and more than the World Series victory that newspapers still cite. He had been an officer in the Army, a teacher in Plainfield, a Greyhound executive who opened doors for Black workers and students, a columnist who urged young people to value education, and a man who carried his daughter Martha Jo through childhood with devotion when courts seldom granted fathers custody. He was also the man who told Jackie Robinson’s story in ways the white press did not record. He spoke of teammates holding Jackie back from fights, of players forming a wall to keep him from stepping into violence, of the toll carried by those chosen to be symbols.

“Because it’s always about them,” Cosby said. “What does that do to us?” What it did to Joe Black was give him the conviction that history must be guarded. Cosby spoke passionately of Josh Gibson, of the Negro Leagues, and of Dunbar High School in Washington. The Cosby Show icon insisted that these stories must be kept with a clenched fist, placed in the hands of the next generation, stored in HBCUs where young people could know the truth of who they were.

At 88, Cosby holds fast to Black’s last words. Not a farewell, not resignation, but a command.

“Let’s go.”

‘Let’s Go’ Beyond the Mound Joe Black’s Legacy of Brotherhood and Resistance

By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Correspondent

As the Trump administration and its disciples try to strip the nation of its memory, legendary comedian Bill Cosby said Black media cannot bend, cannot be silent, but must remind Black America that every inch of the nation’s 249 years was built with our sweat, our brilliance, our survival. Joe Black’s story is only one, yet if we allow it to vanish, we risk losing the truth of who we are.

There are men whose names ring louder than the game they played, men who carried history on their backs as if it were stitched into the uniform. Joe Black was one such man. He was a boy from Plainfield who became the first Black pitcher to win a World Series game, who walked onto the mound in Dodger blue with the eyes of the country fixed upon him, and who later carried himself into classrooms, corporate suites, and pulpits with the same quiet force.

Bill Cosby remembers him not as a figure in the record books, but as the brother he never had. “Joe Black pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers during the time Jackie Robinson was on the team, and so was Roy Campanella,” Cosby recalled. “His daughter asked me to write a preface about him; I wrote it, and then all these accusers came up and, I was told, they no longer wanted to use my preface in the story.” That daughter is Martha Jo Black, who wrote “Joe Black: More Than a Dodger.”

Cosby told how their bond began. “He came on the Dodgers and became known as a relief pitcher, but my entertaining the Black baseball players in Las Vegas during a convention, and he made himself known to me,” Cosby stated. “I found

him to be a strong guy with a great sense of humor. I took him on as a big brother. When Rachel Robinson asked me to be the emcee for the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Joe was then working for Greyhound, and he made sure that he had a table.” Cosby spoke of their brotherhood in the language of fraternity and blood. “Joe also is a Q. In terms of fraternity, he’s my brother, but in my soul also; nobody else but nobody else had the humor and my feeling is that if I ever had a big brother, Joe Black was.”

The bond deepened near the end of Joe’s life, when his daughter called Cosby. “We

talked on the phone. He had a house, and his daughter was taking care of him because he had problems with his prostate,” the comedian recalled. “She called me one day and she said, ‘Daddy was on the ladder, and he fell. He’s in the hospital. He’s on, I believe, morphine, a drug they give you that can cause the patient to hallucinate, and sometimes drug addicts get hooked on it. She said, ‘I’m in the hospital with Daddy, and it doesn’t look good for him. You want to talk to him?’

My heart dropped. I knew he was going, but when you get the notification, certain things happen.”

Cosby remembered that even then, Joe carried humor like a shield. “Joe had a great sense of humor and had control of it. Meaning he didn’t throw things out just to see if he was funny,” Cosby reminisced. “So she says, ‘Daddy, it’s Bill on the phone, he wants to say something to you.’ He said (in a very faint voice), ‘Hey,’ I said, ‘how you doing. I know it’s a stupid question, but how you doing?’ he said, ‘they’re trying to make it easier for me to go wherever I’m going.’ I said, ok, I said, your daughter told me you wanted to talk to me. He said, ‘Yeah. How are you doing?’ I said, this is getting stupid.

He said, ‘really?’ I said, yeah, because she said you fell down on the ladder and you’ve been ripping the IVs out of your arm and misbehaving. He said it’s just the sign that I’m going. I said nothing, just let the silence sit. And he said, ‘I want you to do me a favor.’”

Cosby tried to answer the call with laughter. “I said before I do you a favor I’m out at your house and I got the map you gave me – something I was making up to humor him – I said I got the map you gave me and I walked it in the backyard and I found the tree you’re talking about and I started to dig, and I dig and I dig and I dig and my back hurts. The money is not there! And he said, ‘wrong house!’” The faint laughter in that hospital room turned into a covenant between two men.

“He said, ‘I want you to do me a favor.’ I said OK,” Cosby recalled. “He said, ‘I’m on the mound, I want you on the hot corner.’ And I said now before you put me on the hot corner, I’m going to go, but I want you to know I played sandlot baseball and I played second base and I want you to know that I was always afraid of a hot ground ball coming to me and as I bend over to catch it, it hits something and jumped up and hit me in the face. I never wanted that, I always turned my head; I understand from coaches you are supposed to look it into the glove, but I’m not about to put my face down there and look it in. I said but Joe, for you I’m on the hot base, and if anything comes to me, I don’t care who hits it, I’m going to look it in. he said, ‘Let’s go!’ that was the last words from him.” Cosby carried those words into his own storm. “Sitting through the trial, the hatred, sitting through all of that,

Federal Cuts Strip $350 Million From HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions

By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Correspondent

The U.S. Department of Education has announced the cancellation of $350 million in federal grants that had been designated for historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that the department will “no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.” She added that the administration intends to redirect the money toward programs “that advance Administration priorities.” The funding has supported initiatives including laboratory equipment purchases, classroom improvements, student tutoring services, and endowment growth. The cuts immediately drew criticism from leaders of colleges and universities who said the loss would harm students

and damage institutions that depend on the resources.

“Without this funding, students will lose the critical support they need to

succeed in the classroom, complete their degrees on time, and achieve social mobility for themselves and their families,” said Mildred García, chan-

cellor of the California State University system. “These funds strengthen entire campuses, creating opportunities and resources that benefit all students, especially those pursuing STEM fields, as well as enhancing the communities where these colleges and universities are located,” said David Mendez, interim CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

University of Hawaiʻi president Wendy Hensel added that the cuts will affect “all of our students, the programs that support them, and the dedicated staff who carry out this work.” The department’s announcement follows a lawsuit filed in June by the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions, which argued the programs were discriminatory because of enrollment eligibility requirements. In July, the Department of Justice said it would not defend the grants, with Solicitor General D. John Sauer writing that they violated the constitutional right to equal protection.

According to HBCU Buzz, the decision has sent shockwaves across campuses, with advocates warning that programs supporting mentorship, STEM pipelines, and scholarships are at risk. Lawmakers, including Senator Patty Murray, have said the Education Department acted unilaterally without consulting Congress. The debate over funding arrives as HBCUs continue to face historic underfunding. CNN fact-checkers reported that while the Biden-Harris administration had directed $16 billion to HBCUs from 2021 to 2024, Trump previously proposed more than $100 million in cuts to HBCU programs during his term, despite later claiming he had been uniquely responsible for funding the schools. The Education Department confirmed that roughly $132 million in mandatory congressional allocations for fiscal 2025 will still be distributed, though officials said they are continuing to review the legal questions surrounding those funds.

Columnist Karen Attiah Fired at The Washington Post

By Lauren Burke

Washington Post opinion editor Karen Attiah posted on her Substack, The Golden Hour, that she was fired last week by The Washington Post. According to Attiah, she was the last full-time Black opinion columnist at The Post, where she was employed for 11 years. Other Black Washington Post staffers in senior positions who have recently departed, via the recent buyout round, include Monica Norton and Krissah Thompson. “Once many Black reporters, editors, and columnists at the upper ranks of Washington Post, but now: Courtland Milloy, Krissah Thompson, Eugene Robinson, Joe Davidson, Vanessa Williams, Ovetta Wiggins, Darryl Fears, Monica Norton, Perry Bacon, Jonathan Capehart, gone ~ soon Colby King,” wrote Vincent Morris on July 23 on social media. Norris is a former spokesperson for Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was also a media columnist.

Though the Black population in Washington, DC, has decreased from 70 percent in 1980 to 40 percent in 2020, the District of

Columbia has a substantial Black population at 40 percent as of 2020. The news regarding Attiah emerged on the morning

of Sept. 15 after Attiah wrote a lengthy description of her side of the events. They included the disclosure that she was fired because of a social media post related to controversial conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death on Sept. 10 in Orem, Utah, during an appearance at Utah Valley University. “I was the last remaining Black full-time opinion columnist at the Post, in one of the nation’s most diverse regions,” Attiah wrote. “Washington D.C. no longer has a paper that reflects the people it serves. What happened to me is part of a broader purge of Black voices from academia, business, government, and media — a historical pattern as dangerous as it is shameful — and tragic,” she added.

Since the start of President Trump’s second term in January, there has been a forced exodus of Black federal officials and a push by Trump’s Administration to end any police related to “diversity” or “inclusion.” Prominent Black officials

have been pushed out, including the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who was fired in May, and General Charles Q. Brown Jr., who was removed in February. Republicans have also moved to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) — moving to less regulation. The departure of Attiah for The Post is yet another sign that a rightward shift is underway in legacy media. “The Washington Post Guild condemns the unjust firing of columnist Karen Attiah. The Washington Post wrongly fired Opinions columnist Karen Attiah over her social media posts. The Post not only flagrantly disregarded standard disciplinary processes, it also undermined its own mandate to be a champion of free speech. The right to speak freely is the ultimate personal liberty and the foundation of Karen’s 11-year career at The Post,” wrote The Washington Post Guild on social media.

HBCUs Receive $1.38B in Federal Funding Boost for 2025 courtesy of Shaun White,

By HBCUnews.com

Monday morning, September 15, 2025 the Department of Education redirected $435 million of previous discretionary funding to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

When added to the existing appropriations approved by Congress for HBCUs, the total award now stands at $1.38 billion for fiscal year 2025, a 48% increase over the previous amount.

This funding is added to the following programs: the Strengthening HBCUs program, the Strengthening historically black graduate institutions program, and the HBCU master’s degree program. UNCF supports reprogramming the

funding.

“This additional funding is nothing short of a godsend for HBCUs,” said Lodriguez V. Murray, UNCF’s senior vice president for public policy and government affairs.

“We are grateful to have worked with the Trump Administration, Secretary McMahon, and her Department of Education team in achieving this one-time infusion of grant funding.”

“When President Trump released his executive order for HBCUs during his first 100 days of this term,” Murray elaborated, “many said that it did not produce funding. That is no longer the case. His order called for strengthening HBCUs by adding fiscal stability. These funds will begin that process. However, no

one should be confused: HBCUs are currently and have been underfunded since their inception. While we are grateful for these funds, we are still under-resourced. With the right investment and partners, our past, and present, does not have be our future. We hope the private sector will see this as a prime opportunity to invest in our going enterprise.”

“This funding mechanism, called ‘Title III,’ is considered the most essential out of all federal grants for HBCUs,” continued Murray. “To nearly double that funding will have unprecedented positive impacts on our institutions this year. The additional funding will be used for acquiring property, construction, campus maintenance, laboratory equipment, fac-

New CBCF Policy Playbook Targets Racial Wealth and Justice Gaps

By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Correspondent

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) has released Forward Together: The Black Policy Playbook for an Equitable America, a sweeping set of recommendations designed to dismantle systemic barriers and chart a course toward racial equity in the United States. Published in 2025, the playbook arrives at a critical moment, with Black communities confronting deep disparities in wealth, health, education, and criminal justice.

Authored by Jonathan Cox, Vice President of the CBCF’s Center for Policy Analysis and Research, and his team, the playbook outlines a bold agenda that ties equity directly to America’s long-term prosperity and democratic stability. It argues that structural racism remains a defining obstacle to national progress, and it sets out specific strategies to close the racial

wealth gap, expand access to quality education, achieve health equity, and reform the criminal justice system. “Equity is not just a moral imperative — it is a national necessity,” the playbook declares, calling on lawmakers, business leaders, and civic institutions to work in concert to ensure Black Americans can fully participate in and benefit from the nation’s economic and social fabric.

Among its central recommendations are investments in affordable housing, protections for voting rights, universal access to health care, and targeted support for Black-owned businesses. The playbook also warns that without deliberate policy shifts, the wealth gap between Black and white households will continue to widen, with generational consequences for families and communities. The report is also forward-looking, connecting today’s struggles to the future of democracy itself. It stresses that attacks on voting rights,

book bans in schools, and the rollback of diversity and inclusion efforts represent not only threats to Black progress but to the country’s core democratic principles.

The CBCF plans to spotlight the playbook during its Annual Legislative Conference, scheduled for September 24–28, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The conference theme, From Vision to Victory: Amplifying Black Voices, aligns closely with the playbook’s roadmap for action. Policymakers, advocates, and grassroots leaders will use the document as a touchstone for discussions on how to transform vision into measurable outcomes. Cox and his team insist that accountability will be key. The playbook is not meant to sit on a shelf, but to be used as a guide for legislation, executive action, and community organizing.

“We must hold institutions accountable,” the document states, urging that progress be tracked not only in policy language but in lived realities for Black Americans.

Photo by Nir Arieli