The Hillhouse Band has accepted the invitation to represent the state of Connecticut in the official 2025 Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. The trip features a tour of the memorials (MLK, Vietnam, WWII, etc.) and more, which would take place over the Memorial Day weekend. This trip will not only be for performing arts, but this trip will be educational for our students.
We are looking for sponsors and donors to help us reach our financial goal to cover the cost of transportation, lodging, food, the tour, and uniforms & equipment (including repairs), which totals about $45,000. We have hosted a few fundraisers since the start of the school year, but it is not enough to cover the cost of trip. We are calling out to the community for support.
Rev. Grubbs Gets Her Corner
by Laura Glesby
The corner of Davenport and Ward now officially bears the name of a cornerstone of New Haven’s fight against poverty.
Dozens of federal, state, city, and nonprofit leaders gathered Friday morning to unveil the sign marking the intersection “Reverend Bonita D. Grubbs Corner.”
The crowd convened to honor Rev. Grubbs for her decades of work at the helm of Christian Community Action (CCA), a local homelessness services organization that became a wellspring of grassroots anti-poverty advocacy under her leadership.
They filled the pews inside Christian Community Action’s soon-to-be-renovated ARISE job training and education center at that very Davenport and Ward corner.
A host of public officials including U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, Mayor Justin Elicker, State Sen. President Pro Tem Martin Looney, and State Rep. Juan Candelaria offered words of gratitude for Grubbs’ lifetime of service in New Haven. Several invoked the words of the late civil rights activist John Lewis, calling Grubbs a harbinger of “good trouble.”
From time to time, Grubbs buried her face in her hands as if unable to fully accept the praise.
“Especially at this moment when people are feeling anxious and sometimes a bit hopeless,” said Murphy, Grubbs is “a reminder that the person who decides to do the right thing by their neighbors can have a big impact.”
Grubbs’ impact can be felt in New Haven “far beyond this corner,” said Elicker. From housing to food insecurity to joblessness, “it’s hard to imagine a realm of need you didn’t touch.”
Grubbs dedicated the honor to her late mother, who died in August. “I didn’t do it by myself,” she said of her accomplishments. “I’m looking forward to whatever good trouble I’m gonna get into next.”
Rev. Grubbs took the helm of Christian Community Action (CCA) in 1988. She retired from the role of executive director in late 2023.
“She isn’t retired she’s just getting re-wired,” said local philanthropist Lindy Lee Gold with a laugh.
“I call it re-fired,” Grubbs replied in all seriousness.
During her tenure, the agency increased its emergency housing offering, started a transitional housing program on Winchester Avenue, and formed a job training and education center.
Grubbs also oversaw the founding of Mothers and Others for Justice, which evolved into a prominent local voice on housing, food insecurity, public benefits, and more, run by advocates who have personally experienced homelessness.
The group brought together a motley group of New Haveners who learned to advocate for their beliefs and find power in their own stories. Some of those advocates, like Myra Smith and Claudette Kidd, found careers in the homeless services field as a result.
“It’s not like you’re just getting shelter. You’re getting a village,” said Smith. “A lot of us have lived experience. We’re the professionals, we’re experts.”
The morning was filled with music, from the John C. Daniels Honor Band’s spirited renditions of “Danza Kuduro” and “Eye of the Tiger” to a performance of “This Little Light of Mine” from the Yale Gospel Choir.
Grubbs swayed as she sang along: “I’m gonna let it shine!”
The group also had a chance to sing her happy birthday, in honor of her 70th birthday that very day. Soon, it was time to unveil the sign. Friends and colleagues flocked around Grubbs as she pulled on a long string attached to the new street sign’s paper casing. But she tugged too hard. The string fluttered to the ground, with the sign still obscured by paper.
In true Bonita Grubbs fashion, the group did not give up. They scrambled to find a ladder. Elicker and city staffers Al Lucas and Lenny Speiller held the ladder in place, and CCA building superintendent Juan Vega ascended.
With a few extra tugs, Vega ripped the paper off to reveal the sign. The moment marked, in every sense, the Rev. Bonita D. Grubbs Way.
The New Haven independent
Laura Glesby Photos CCA's Juan Vega unveils the new street sign at Davenport and Ward...
...in honor of Rev. Bonita Grubbs, center, who turned 70 on Friday.
Local activists Merryl Eaton, Kim Hart, Myra Smith, and Claudette Kidd met each other through CCA's Mothers and Others for Justice initiative.
CCA's new director Charmain Yun shows off the awards Rev. Grubbs accidentally left behind.
Hill Alder Angel Hubbard presents Grubbs with an official aldermanic citation.
Call Forth A Woman Back at the Shubert For an Encore Performance
By Kirk Lang, Correspondent-at-large,TheInner-City News
The women of the Bible are often not talked about, as they often played second fiddle to the men of the Holy book. However, thirty-year-old West Haven resident Trenee McGee is looking to change that.
Her play, Call Forth A Woman, is getting an encore performance at the Shubert Theater on Saturday, April 26 after a near sellout show last May.
McGee has since been adding characters, adding scenes, fine-tuning dialogue and getting the best out of her actors in recent rehearsals at Abba’s House International Fellowship in North Branford, which is run by her parents, both of whom are pastors.
“New Haven needs this,” said McGee in the middle of a rehearsal last month. She subsequently told Inner City News, “The stories of women can truly impact anyone’s life. A story written, directed and produced by a New Haven magnet school graduate is what the city can continue to benefit from. There are so many of us who are creating, and it is what inspires the younger generations to create.”
She added, “One of the newest scenes in the show is The Wailing Women.
These women were grieved and sent by God to weep over the destruction of their land.
This includes violence, selfish ambition, their land being uprooted and in complete disarray. Every single time I hear these women cry out, it almost sounds as if they were the voices of mothers and grandmothers in New Haven. Truly timely.” McGee, besides working full-time and perfecting her play, is also Connecticut’s youngest State Representative. She said the play was a year-and-a-half in the making “but I wrote the full script in about two weeks.” The first time around, “It was a huge leap of faith and courage,” said McGee. “I didn’t necessarily feel prepared. I just had passion, passion and pursuit, really more than anything.”
McGee earned a BFA in acting from Marymount Manhattan College, but while pursuing her degree, she realized she wanted to direct as well.
“And I just knew I would want to produce,” she said, “So I established a production company and knew that in order to see the art I wanted to see I had to create it.”
As for the encore performance of Call Forth A Woman, McGee said she feels “a little more prepared because we’ve done it already.”
She added, “It is a little bit more pressure because it’s more of an expectation. People know what to expect but we feel very prepared and excited. We sort of know what to do now. The first time was kind of a whim but now we know what to do, we feel more prepared to do it. The more experience you get the better you get at it.”
Call Forth A Woman has also brought her mother, Denya McGee, a social worker, out of acting retirement.
“I was in the last production, so this time, coming back, it’s like I have to dig my
heels in deeper, because I’m learning more about my daughter [in the play], Naomi, than I did before. It’s been a journey, almost like starting over again.”
Denya McGee added, “Part of our scene
and a chemistry that we need to be able to have on stage to make it believable, so we spend time with each other in that way.”
Victoria Gordon, who is in the scene of Ruth and Naomi, also announces Ruth and Boaz, and celebrates their union, said, “We’re like a family.” Gordon, playwright herself, loves directing and writing and getting points across, and Call Forth A Woman is in her wheelhouse.
“A lot of my plays were Biblical plays, but a lot of them relate to things going on in the world today,” she said.
The youngest actor in Call Forth A Woman is 11-year-old Jeremiah Brabhaam, who portrays Jehoash, who was the eight king of Judah, and the sole surviving son of Ahaziah, after the massacre of the royal family, ordered by his grandmother, Athaliah.
Later in his reign as king, he led the men of the Kingdom of Israel in the defeat of King Amaziah of Judah.
Brabhaam has been in three plays so far, all under Trenee McGee productions.
“Acting is very fun,” he said. “What I like most about this play is the religious aspect, because I’m Christian, and it’s truly an honor to be in the play. It’s resembling God and we’re resembling the characters that were in the Bible of Christ and for me, this is really a big deal.”
McGee graduated from downtown New Haven’s Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School in 2012. She’s proud of how far she’s come and what she’s doing because as she noted, there’s no other play like Call Forth A Woman.
“There really isn’t any story on stage about women in the Bible. It takes you on a journey of the powerfully dynamic women of the Bible, often forgotten but notably heroic.”” said McGee.” “Women like midwife Shaiphrah, who stood against Pharaoh for future generations to come, and Queen Esther, whose bravery and humility claimed the highest seat in Persia as she fought against the destruction of her Jewish heritage.”
McGee added there were also figures such as, “Battle heroine Jael, whose hands rendered the defeat of Sisera’s army with Deborah’s sharp battle strategy, and Biblical scholar Huldah, whose academic excellency educated and prepared young prophets to enlighten and lead. These women reflected the life and times of women who are called by God into different stratospheres today.”
The encore performance is scheduled for April 26 at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, log onto www.shubert.com There are two acts separated by a 20-minute intermission.
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is having that chemistry, so it takes bonding with one another, spending time with one another outside of here [the rehearsal space]. In the play, she’s my daughter and I’m her mom, and so there’s a connection
“We have this idea that women did not exist in these times, and that they weren’t effective,” said McGee. “But this woman right here [at rehearsal] is portraying Huldah , who was a professor, in 60 B.C., so it [the idea for the play] mainly came from a desire to really show people that women were really powerful and effective in Biblical times.”
McGee said after the encore, the next goal “is to take it around the country and hopefully get it to Broadway.”
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Troup Kindergarteners Sound It Out
by Maya McFadden
Ever heard of a digraph? It’s “two letters that come together to make one sound,” Troup kindergartener Jose told his classmates.
That was just one of the many takeaways from Gyna Grant’s kindergarten class Wednesday morning at Troup School at 259 Edgewood Ave.
The class of 14 students started their day at 8 a.m. by filing into Grant’s classroom in the morning and storing their bags and coats in their cubbies. They sat at their desks with their school breakfast.
As students took the start of the class to eat, Grant navigated YouTube in search of their daily “good morning song” and a “phonics song” by Gracie’s Corner. Some students updated Grant on what they got up to after school the day before, while others sang along.
Earlier in the morning, Grant was recognized for her hard work at Troup over the last 15 years with a surprise award. After morning announcements, students cleaned up their breakfast scraps. Like clockwork, one student gathered a boxful of leftover unopened foods, like milk and almond butter. Another student then carried that box over to a mini refrigerator in the corner of the classroom.
A duo worked together to organize the items and place them into the fridge and a designated storage bin, which acts as a classroom foodshare.
The students’ reading and writing lesson on Wednesday tasked them with identifying and using digraphs and vowel sounds to spell three- and four-letter words. Students practiced with digraph sounds
like “Sh” to write out words like “shop”. They also practiced identifying the first, middle, and last sounds they hear for each word.
After each learning accomplishment, Grant told the students to “give your brains a kiss” to which they responded by kissing two of their fingers and pressing them to their foreheads.
When students headed back to their seats, Grant said, “I love how safe you’re walking, amazing.”
Wednesday’s lesson in digraphs continued as students picked up white boards to spell out the letters of each sound Grant said aloud.
As students moved on to the independent period of their reading lesson, some
snapped their fingers to count the number of syllables in words.
Later during Wednesday’s class, Grant called on each student at random to share aloud some information each of their assigned Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Since the start of the school year, Grant has tasked her students with learning about HBCUs while also re-
warding them with pennies to place in a jar on each of their desks. The students shared the name of the college they were assigned and the year they were each founded. After, Grant rewarded each student a penny to add to their jar.
When Grant called on Isaiah, he declared that Delaware State University was founded in 1891.
By the end of the year, the students will get to keep their pennies and put them toward scholarship rewards.
As Grant moved on to displaying the class’s daily affirmations on the smart board, middle school students popped into her classroom to say good morning and note their excitement for spring break.
Grant then guided the students through checking the weather and date on Wednesday. The students in unison said what day of the week it was, and the date April 9, 2025. “How do we write the number nine?” Grant asked.
The students put their fingers in the air to trace the number in front of them: “Make a circle, and go straight down.”
To practice the days of the week, Grant asked the group, “If yesterday was Tuesday and today is Wednesday, what will tomorrow be?”
Then the seasons: Students said spring is a great time to go to the park, ride on scooters, and leave your heavy jackets behind. Meanwhile paraprofessional Jorgett Plunkett checked students homework folders and booted up each student’s Chromebook to later complete their writing and reading lessons.
“We have 100 percent!” Grant declared after Plunkett confirmed that all of the homework assignments were completed.
Handcuffing Of Children Advances
by Donald Eng
HARTFORD, CT – A bill restricting the use of handcuffs on children under age 14 advanced out of the Judiciary Committee on Thursday, but even one supporter acknowledged it needs further work, while one opponent praised the bill’s intent and the efforts of its supporters.
Senate Bill 1542 states that, “Beginning at the point of initial contact with a police officer, no preadjudicated child under fourteen years of age may be restrained using handcuffs, except as provided in subsection (a) of this section or when necessary for purposes of public safety.”
Subsection (a) in the bill deals with judicially ordered restraint during court proceedings.
State Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, the ranking House member, said he believed the bill had been improved from its original form but still had procedural problems with the language.
“Being able to ascertain who is 14 and who isn’t, and all of that,” he said.
Fellow Republican Rep. Greg Howard of Stonington agreed with Fishbein’s com-
ments, but indicated his intention to support the proposal.
“We need to drill down on some sort of ‘knowingly’ wording,” Howard said. “I do think, as a matter of practice, handcuffing juveniles under the age of 14 simply because they’re being detained, and even if they’re cooperating, does have some psychological effects.”
Still, Howard said he had received “enough commitment from proponents that that can be worked out that I’m inclined to support it and then work out the technical issues. I have full faith that it can be worked out.”
State Rep. Tom O’Dea, R-New Canaan, pointed out that the proposal specifically referred to handcuffs.
“So zip ties would not be included in this; is that fair to say?” he asked.
Senate Chair Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, agreed that the language was unclear.
“It does talk about mechanical (restraints) … I think there is some debate about what exactly we’re talking about. But I think generally the consensus is that zip ties are not included, but there is work to do on the bill.”
State Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, makes a point during a discussion in the Judiciary Committee on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Credit: Donald Eng /
The New Haven independent
Isaiah snags another penny for his Delaware State HBCU jar.
CTNewsJunkie
New Moms Take A Breath
by Lisa Reisman
Chantell Thompson’s teenage daughter recently came home from school with her nose pierced. Thompson was livid. Then she took a deep breath. She cooled her thoughts.
“Instead of telling her she did something that would mess up her face that’s a hot thought I reframed it as ‘she’s exploring, she really wants a nose ring, and my job is to show her the proper way to care for her nose to avoid infections,’” Thompson told the eight women listening intently around a table. “My job is to tell her that if you ever want to do anything in the future that involves piercing, let me know and let’s create a plan.”
The scene was the Q House on a recent Thursday evening. Thompson, along with Kaussar Rahman, was leading the penultimate session of a 12-week maternal health program run by the nonprofit Mind Blossom, Inc., which provides mental health education and consulting.
In its second iteration, the program has included sessions on building, or rebuilding, credit, and tools of financial literacy training. The participants, all new mothers, engaged in training on self-advocacy with the United Way’s Parent Leadership Training Institute. One week, a doula discussed self-care, mental health challenges, and well as the influence of hormones on behavior. Each session the group practices progressive muscle relaxation techniques. The program grew out of statistics
“showing the prevalence of mental health challenges among all mothers as one in five, and among Black and Brown mothers as one in three,” said Pernille Yilmam, co-founder, along with Thompson, of Mind Blossom. “If you want to change generations and make an impact in this world, we need to start with the mothers.”
The participation of Thompson, CEO of Mind Blossom, in the exercise on cooling hot thoughts wasn’t accidental. Neither was the inclusion of teenagers in the discussion; some of the mothers are parenting both newborns and teenagers. “We’re going to speak to the science, to the data, but we’re always going to relate it back to real life,” said Thompson, a certified life coach and
therapeutic support worker who had her children at 16 and 19.
At that moment, a woman hurried in, carrying her baby and a plastic tray of fruit salad to share with the group. The participants have started their own tradition of bringing in food. Co-program coordinator Ethelia Holt sprang up and took the baby. Nursing school volunteers watch them during the sessions. In addition to child care, the program, which is supported by fundraising, provides each member with Uber vouchers and a weekly stipend of $46 to encourage participation.
Another woman spoke up. She had gotten a call from her nephew’s school that afternoon, she told the group. He had been in an
altercation. His mother had died in January. “I’m trying to be there for him, but I’m really struggling because this isn’t like him,” she said. “And I just really wanted to punch him in the chest.”
Thompson paused. “In a moment of a hot thought, let’s speak to the facts, take emotion away,” she began. “He just lost his mother and he knows better, and you know he doesn’t usually act like this. He’s learning how to act, how to figure out who’s there for him, and now you have to take on a new role too. So you’re both finding your way.”
“I think you’re doing an amazing job,” said a woman two seats down, setting
down a slice of pizza. “Word,” said another. “You showed up for him. That’s what matters.”
They learned about the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for judgment and decision-making, and the amygdala, the emotional part of the brain “teens process information with the amygdala,” Thompson said and how development of the prefrontal cortex continues into the early 20s. “For anyone who was a teen parent here like me, wow, you did this when your brain wasn’t fully developed, which is not easy, so give yourself grace,” she said. They watched a video on the Circle of Security, with a visual map illustrating the interplay between a child’s need to explore and their need for security and comfort, with the caregiver acting as a safe haven. Thompson talked about the concept of rupture and repair. “There are times when you’re on the phone, say, with UI and you just can’t be there for your child,” she said. “That’s OK, and this takes work, but you just have to say ‘I know you needed me and I should have been there for you when I was on the phone, I couldn’t then, but I can now.’ Giving them that validation, it repairs the rupture.”
“There is no such thing as perfect parenting,” she went on, as a baby cooed. “Even when we feel like we’ve messed up, as long as we meet our child’s needs enough of the time, good enough is enough, and just by being here, by coming here, you all are helping yourselves get there.”
Bloomfield Tenants Demand Collective Action Over Rent Hikes, Conditions
by Mia Palazzo
HARTFORD, CT – Residents of the Manor House apartment complex in Bloomfield joined state Rep. Bobby Gibson, D-Bloomfield, and members of the Connecticut Tenants Union at the Legislative Office Building on Friday to demand that their landlord, Navarino Property Group, negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with tenants amid rising rents and deteriorating living conditions.
The press conference highlighted the tenants’ claims of persistent issues with mold, trash overflow, heating failures, and steep rent hikes that they say have intensified since Navarino took ownership of the complex last year. Tenants are now calling on Justin Goldberg, principal and cofounder of Navarino, to return to the bargaining table.
“Our landlord, we want to get him to sit with us as a union to reason a collective bonding agreement that will give us a little bit of control over what is going to happen when it comes time for lease increases, rent increases, and so on,” said Morrison Hughes, chapter vice president of the Manor House Tenant Union. “Without that agreement, we have no control.”
A message requesting comment from Navarino Properties was not returned. But Gibson said he had recently met with Goldberg and received a commitment from him to meet with the union.
“I looked him in the eye and he said that he and Navarino are going to try to make this right,” Gibson said. “So I’m going to hold him to that. He said he wants to be a good landlord. Navarino wants to be a good landlord.”
Hughes emphasized the deep roots many residents have in Bloomfield, and Manor House in general, emphasizing that many people who live there live with parents or grandparents, and raise their children in the houses.
“Bloomfield is our home, we don’t want to go other places. We are committed to where we live. We are going to fight for it until we get what we are looking for,” Hughes said.
According to tenant union organizer Luke Melonakos-Harrison, approximately 80% of the residents in the complex have joined the union.
Julian Alleyne, also a chapter vice president, talked about her experience in detail, including unresolved mold, inadequate trash disposal, and inconsistent heat and hot water.
“We had a lot of problems, and we still have a lot of problems,” Alleyne said. “But since Navarino has taken over, we have begun to have more and more problems.”
Alleyne pointed to smaller dumpsters, uncleaned nails from construction which have caused tenants to have to replace tires, and heating issues over the holidays as exam-
ples of worsening conditions under Navarino’s ownership.
He also criticized the introduction of extra fees, including for sewage and parking, and a required income threshold to rent units.
“Who makes three times their rent in a month to be able to afford to live here?” Alleyne asked.
Lisa Freeman, a long-time resident of Manor House, said she’s been battling health issues due to mold in her unit.
“I’ve been working with Navarino and long story short, the mold is considered surface mold, it’s not a priority, but it is impacting my health,” she said. “We just want them to hear us.”
Hannah Srajer, president of the Connecticut Tenants Union, praised the residents who made the trip to Hartford.
“Members of the Manor House Tenant Union are sick and tired of being treated like a paycheck by a greedy landlord that just sees their homes as dollar signs,” she said.
State lawmakers joined the tenants in their call for accountability. Representative Geraldo Reyes, D-Waterbury, urged tenants to “keep fighting,” calling housing and rental issues a statewide crisis.
“You can’t treat public health as a secondary issue. That’s a big issue, that affects quality of life every day,” Reyes said.
Members of the most recent maternal health program: Shayla R., Kaussar Rahman, Chantell Thompson, Janae M., Letishag A., Taylor, Ethelia Holt, and Shannon K.
The New Haven independent
Julian Alleyne, chapter vice president of the Manor House Tenant Union, speaks about the conditions of Manor House at a press conference on Friday, April 11, 2025, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
Credit: Mia Palazzo / CTNewsJunkie
CTNewsJunkie
Adult Literacy Agency Shuts Down
by Paul Bass
A nonprofit that has taught adults in Greater New Haven how to read for five decades announced Thursday that it is closing its doors for good.
The agency, Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven (LVGNH), announced in a release that it will officially be out of business as of June 30 “due to unrecoverable financial and operational challenges.”
“Despite months of dedicated efforts to stabilize the organization including leadership changes, staff reductions, and the pursuit of potential funding and partnerships the organization is no longer in a position to continue its mission or sustain operations,” the organization stated.
LVGNH opened shop in New Haven five decades ago. It trained more than 6,500 volunteers to teach adults how to read and conduct English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) sessions. It ran sites in the Naugatuck Valley and Meriden as well as in New Haven, all of which are now shutting down. In New Haven classes were conducted at Gateway Community College and Science Park. Over 22,000 people upped their reading, speaking, and writing skills through the program over the years, according to the organization. The group began the closing process on Feb. 5 when it furloughed five of its six paid staffers. It then fired them on March 4. The board announced that it was investigating unidentified financial problems. It also ended up not drawing down an $81,089 state adult ed grant for which it had been approved.
The organization’s most recent 990
federal tax form, covering the 2023 fiscal year, reported $430,973 in revenues and $497,267 in expenses, for a $66,294 deficit. The agency lists its mission as “serv[ing] literacy deficient students with volunteer tutors trained in workshops provided by tutor trainers.” Its website describes the mission as “help[ing] adult learners achieve their life goals through reading, acquiring a second language, obtaining citizenship or being able to enter a job training program by increasing their
math skills.”
“Though we are saddened by the closure, we understand the importance of adult literacy services and remain committed to helping students and volunteers transition to other resources,” said Lyn Kobsa, interim executive director.
In response to a question from the Independent seeking specifics about the financial issues behind the closing, Kobsa emailed: “The previous leadership did not provide the board with transparent or
timely financial information that could have enabled earlier intervention. Beginning July 1, the board began requesting details about the organization’s fundraising and revenue-generating plans but did not receive the necessary information. As the organization lacked the operating funds to meet payroll, it was forced to borrow from its line of credit and tap into savings and investments twice to pay staff. In response, the board asked for a plan to reduce expenses and align them
with projected revenue. Unfortunately, the plan presented was insufficient, and the executive director subsequently resigned. The following week, most of the staff had to be furloughed.“
What next?
“The board is working with legal and financial advisors to ensure a responsible and transparent dissolution in accordance with nonprofit law. A list of alternative literacy programs is being compiled to help direct former students and tutors to continued support,” the group’s release said. It quoted Kobsa as stating, “Though we are saddened by the closure, we understand the importance of adult literacy services and remain committed to helping students and volunteers transition to other resources.”
New Haven has upped its efforts to help children learn to read with a citywide tutoring initiative.
Mayor Justin Elicker called the closing news “disappointing.” He noted that in the past the city has supported LVGNH with federal block grant money.
“This is an uncertain time for government and non profits. We will look for ways to help support our partner nonprofits where we can as they are important service providers in our community,” Elicker said.
New Haven Reads, which works with kids citywide, does not have current plans to expand offerings to adults, said Development Director Fiona Bradford, who said the agency was “saddened” to hear about Literacy Volunteers closing.
DeLauro, Dems Try Again To Expand Child Tax Credit
by Jonathan D. Salant
WASHINGTON — As part of their coronavirus stimulus package, President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats increased tax credits for working families with and without children.
The Child Tax Credit helped 608,000 Connecticut children and halved child poverty nationwide, while the increased Earned Income Tax Credit provided enhanced benefits to 154,000 state residents, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research group.
“It worked better than any other federal program that was out there,” said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D New Haven, one of the congressional champions of increasing benefits.
But the program was funded for only one year, and Congress failed to muster the votes to extend it again. That put 80,000 Connecticut children at risk of slipping below the poverty line or deeper into poverty.
The House passed a scaled-down exten-
sion last year, which would have helped 40,000 Connecticut children under the age of 6, but the Senate never considered the measure.
Now proponents are trying again.
On Wednesday, DeLauro, lead Senate sponsor Michael Bennet, D Colo., and other Democratic lawmakers gathered outside the U.S. Capitol to announce they had introduced legislation to restore enhanced tax credits for working families with and without children. Connecticut U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal are also co-sponsors of the Senate bill.
“The moral obscenity of child poverty in America is not an inevitable conclusion, an inevitable reality. It is a policy choice,” said U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D N.J. “We are again faced with a choice. Do we prioritize our babies or our billionaires? Do we prioritize our moms or our millionaires?”
The bill would increase the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $6,360 for newborns, $4,320 for those between the ages
of 1 and 6, and $3,600 a year for those aged 6 to 17. A newborn also would receive a $2,400 baby bonus in their first month of life. The benefits would be indexed for inflation.
The benefits would begin phasing out at the annual income of $150,000 for a married couple.
Just extending the tax credit passed in 2021 would lift 20,000 Connecticut children above the poverty line and boost the household income of 530,000 children, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“The Child Tax Credit is virtually essential to making America the kind of place we’ve always wanted it to be,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D N.Y. Under the stimulus law, the Earned Income Tax Credit rose from roughly $530 to roughly $1,500, and the income cap to qualify increased from about $16,000 to at least $21,000. In addition, younger adults aged 19 to 24 who weren’t full-time students and workers aged 65 and over became eligible for the first time.
The Democrats’ proposal came on the same day House Republicans took action that will enable the party to bypass a filibuster in the Senate and renew the tax cuts approved during President Donald Trump’s first term, which gave almost two-thirds of its benefits to the wealthiest 20 percent of taxpayers, as the new proposal would, according to the Tax Policy Center, a research group.
That bill also penalized Connecticut and other high-tax states that send more money to Washington than they receive in services by capping the federal deduction for state and local taxes at $10,000.
“Congress will have to decide: Do we listen to the massive corporations, the biggest corporations, who are trying to lock in billions more in profit, or do we have a Child Tax Credit,” DeLauro said on Wednesday.
But even when Democrats controlled the White House and both houses of Congress, they failed to extend the tax credits, thanks to the opposition of every Republican and one Democrat, then U.S. Sen. Joe
Manchin, D W.Va.
Now Republicans own the trifecta, which proponents of the higher tax credits acknowledged made their job harder – but not impossible.
“I stand by two principles that my mother taught me years ago: Never give up and don’t take no for an answer,” DeLauro said. “If we can provide tax cuts for the wealthiest people in the nation, then, by God, they’re going to have a Child Tax Credit. Times change. Environments are different. I think we have one hell of a good case to make to the American people.”
As the Senate’s chief sponsor, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D Colo., put it: “Public pressure is the only thing that will change their minds. We have choices to make right now in America. This is a moral moment, We are making moral choices. Our view is we don’t want to leave America’s children behind as we make those choices.” Wednesday's press conference.
The New Haven independent
A nonprofit that has taught adults in Greater New Haven how to read for five decades announced Thursday that it is closing its doors for good.
EFFY Rolls Into Its 17th Year
Adrian Huq, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org
Twenty people took their seats in the eclectic mix of chairs at Best Video Film and Cultural Center, waiting for a film to transport them across the country. Some stopped to grab a bite at the in-house cafe. Voices fell to a hush as the 2023 documentary First We Bombed New Mexico began to play on the projection screen.
Audience members watched solemnly as New Mexico residents spoke of the present-day health risks from 20th-century nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining and their ongoing battle with the U.S. government to seek action and accountability.
This scene unfolded last Tuesday at Hamden’s Best Video, during the opening night of the 2025 Environmental Film Festival at Yale (EFFY). EFFY, which this year ran from April 1-5, is the largest student-run environmental film festival in the world. Active since 2008, it has established itself as a public cultural event with over 3,000 followers online and hundreds of collective in-person attendees.
“EFFY is free and open to the public, and we really want [it] to be integrated into New Haven,” said EFFY co-leader Daniel Morgan, a graduate student at the Yale School of the Environment. “I think this [event] was a great way to get out more into the community off-campus and show an excellent film and tell an excellent story.”
A feature length documentary directed by Lois Lipman, First We Bombed New Mexico tells the story of the Trinity test, the world’s first nuclear bomb detonated in South Central New Mexico in July 1945, a month before the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
It sheds light on the enduring health struggles, loss, and trauma of thousands of New Mexicans--mostly Hispanic and Native American--who were exposed to catastrophic levels of radioactive fallout and toxic elements. This resulted in cancer and other diseases across generations of families, including but not limited to killing infants directly after the blast.
In short, “this is the story that Oppenheimer doesn’t tell,” Lipman wrote in the film’s description.
The film focuses on Latina community leader, mother, and cancer survivor Tina Cordova, who co-founded the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium in 2005 to bring attention to the negative health impacts suffered by victims of Trinity, throughout the state and nationally, to reach politicians to take action on their behalf in Washington, D.C.
The film follows her efforts rallying fellow New Mexico residents, fostering collective healing for their loved ones lost from illness, and seeking compensation for New Mexico residents who continue to be harmed by the federal government
research, development, testing, and burial of bombs in their backyards without their consent or awareness.
The ultimate goal of the Consortium is to pass an amended Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include New Mexico downwinders. RECA is a federal statute that passed in 1990 and ex-
pired in 2024 despite expressed support from President Biden after House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to bring it to the floor of the House of Representatives. It provides monetary compensation to people who filed a claim that they developed illnesses as a result of their exposure to U.S. atmospheric nuclear testing or
in from New Mexico. The conversation was moderated in person by Mays Smithwick, a PhD student in the American Studies department at Yale University and a nuclear abolition activist.
One event attendee was Peter Cyr, a lifelong Hamdenite, Farmington Canal Commission member, and regular of Best Video. “I think a lot of people don’t realize the impacts of nuclear waste and how far reaching and long they are,” he said. Cyr pointed to how Americans were quick to celebrate winning World War II without thinking about what was left behind.
EFFY is organized by a team of students at the Yale School of the Environment.
This year, its co-leaders are Morgan, Jack Hatajik, and Isabela Valencia, all second year master’s students.
Hatajik said he was thankful that this screening provided an avenue to spread awareness of a case of the country’s “horrible history” in perpetuating environmental injustice. “To be able to showcase this kind of story and bring it to more audience members is really really critical in a time like this,” he said.
Following Tuesday’s opening night, EFFY hosted a panel exploring different forms of climate change communication on Wednesday, followed by film screenings and moderated discussions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
The film lineup featured diverse themes including Indigenous culture and sovereignty, redwood forest preservation, Jamaican spiritual ecology, urban agriculture, natural burials, and scientists undertaking civil disobedience to propel climate action. View their 2025 agenda on their website.
Documentary films range from Bring Them Home (2024) which was executive produced by Golden Globes-winner Lily Gladstone to Farming While Black (2023) starring farmer and author Leah Penniman, who was previously bestowed a Visionary Leadership Award by New Haven’s own International Festival of Arts and Ideas.
working in the uranium industry.
The amendment would provide health care coverage and partial restitution to residents who have suffered with the negative health effects from overexposure to radiation over the last 80 years.
Following the screening, organizers held a Q&A with Cordova, who Zoomed
Most of the films screened in person, in addition to a few online exclusives, can be viewed for free until April 20th as part of EFFY Online, allowing people to view or rewatch film selections for the two weeks following the in-person festival. "I feel honored to have had the chance to help provide a platform for stories that might not otherwise get told,” Valencia said over email. “We need more events that bring people together to share stories about their relationship to nature, to others, and more generally, the world around them. I believe this would go a long way in promoting mutual understanding.” Watch EFFY Online offerings until April 20th via Eventive. You can also keep up to date on their work through their Instagram, Facebook, or website. If you are interested in submitting your film to EFFY for 2026, keep an eye on their FilmFreeway page for an announcement of their winter deadline.
Tina Cordova on screen. Smithwick stands on right. Morgan (left) and Hatajik (right).
Design by Paul Evan Jeffrey | Passage Design
Christine Carmela
Mara Vélez Meléndez
Javier Antonio González
Samora la Perdida Cast
Final Beam Frames Dixwell Dream
by Laura Glesby
As the final beam of ConnCAT’s future health-job-childcare hub rose on Dixwell Avenue, Kim Harris and Julia Ficklin each thought of generations past and generations to come.
For Ficklin, that beam meant a longtime dream of her late husband, Alder Tom Ficklin, clicking into place.
For Harris, it meant a trove of resources for the children she teaches starting to materialize.
Harris and Ficklin joined dozens of politicians, developers, and community members Wednesday morning at the construction site of “ConnCAT Place,” a long-awaited overhaul of the historic Dixwell Plaza commercial strip between Webster Street and Charles Street on Dixwell Avenue.
ConnCORP, a development-focused affiliate of the local career training nonprofit ConnCAT, convened the group to mark the completion of the metal frame for the initial phase of the $163 million development project. The first building will house ConnCAT’s future headquarters as well as a childcare center run by Friends Center for Children and a children’s mental health center run by Cornell Scott Hill Health. Future construction is slated to bring mixed-income housing, shops including a grocery store or food hall, and a public plaza to the block as well.
Among the speakers was U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who had secured $1.1 million in federal funding for the project last year. “Given the environment we’re in, I’m glad that the money is in the bank and they can’t come get it!” she declared, alluding to federal funding freezes under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We are so thankful that you stuck by us, that you believed in us,” ConnCAT and ConnCORP CEO Erik Clemons told the small crowd.
In order to place the final beam into the frame, construction workers affiliated with Whiting-Turner had to tie it to the hook of a crane, use the crane to elevate it about 30 feet into the sky, and then slowly lower it so that crew members balancing atop the structure could slide it into place and secure it.
Before that, everyone from the mayor to the neighbors living down the block had a chance to sign their name on the beam in colorful Sharpie.
Julia Ficklin thought of her late husband, Tom Ficklin, who died in October in the middle of his term representing Beaver Hills’ Ward 28 on the Board of Alders. Ficklin said that her husband, a stalwart of local Black culture and community life, was deeply committed to the mission of reviving Dixwell Plaza.
“It’s very emotional. At the moment, I’m missing him,” Ficklin said. At the same time, having grown up in the nearby Newhallville neighborhood, she described feeling joy in “seeing the community growing despite strife.”
She wrote on the beam in blue sharpie: In memory of Thomas R. Ficklin Jr., Ward 28 Alderperson.
Harris, meanwhile, thought of her young students at the Newhallville-based preschool and afterschool center Harris and Tucker. She’s watched them watch the building slowly rise in their own neighborhood and believes it will not only provide them with resources, but offer them a model for how they can get involved in their own community life. Harris herself is a board member of ConnCORP alongside Dixwell Management Team member Nina Silva.
“Here’s the thing: Black owned and operated,” Harris said. “That doesn’t come around every day” and it can provide inspiration for “the kids of the next generation.”
She wrote in red Sharpie: Ms. Kim Harris, 4/16/25, Much Love.
“You have to have development. The world moves,” Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison said in an interview. As Dixwell moves alongside the world, she said, her priority is “making sure the community is also taken into consideration.”
On Wednesday, the signatures on that beam testified to a degree of community involvement in ConnCORP’s plans.
“When you see a structure and you’ve been there since before there was a beam, it’s hard to describe the feeling,” said Morrison. “One day, when I’m old and I don’t remember anything, I’ll always be able to say: ‘My name is written on a beam inside that building!’”
The New Haven independent
Laura Glesby photos ConnCORP leaders, including Erik Clemons and Carlton Highsmith, celebrate the final beam...
... which bears Kim Harris's signature among many others, as Nina Silva photographed.
Julia Ficklin reflects on an "emotional" day.
Mayor Justin Elicker signs his name.
U.S. Rep. DeLauro: Good thing Trump can't touch those funds!
Inside Raven Chacon’s Creative World
By Babz Rawls Ivy, The Inner-City News
Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Raven Chacon is a multi-disciplinary artist and performer who brings a unique blend of theatricality, ritual, and community-centered engagement to his creative work. Prior to an evening of chamber works by Raven Chacon that featured the premiere of a new commissioned work for solo bass at the Yale Schwarzman Center on April 8, I had a chance to chat with him during a conversation on LoveBabz Love Talk.
In our chat, Chacon opened up about the philosophies and practices that guide his performances, his approach to identity, and the deeper meanings behind his work as both an artist and a facilitator of human connection. He is a Native American composer and MacArthur Fellow. Born in Fort Defiance, Arizona, he studied at the University of New Mexico and California Institute of the Arts. He expresses surprise but notes the rarity of Native Americans in the music composition field and the recent increase in indigenous composers.
Chacon’s work often defies traditional categorization. He blends elements of performance art, ritual, play, and theater
A central theme in Raven’s approach is play—a concept he views not just as en-
tertainment, but as a serious tool for transformation and self-discovery.
“I’m very interested in how play allows us to access parts of ourselves that are often suppressed in everyday life,” he shared. “When we play, we take risks, we imagine new possibilities, and we step outside of the roles we’re conditioned to perform.”
This idea of stepping outside fixed roles is central to Chacon’s exploration of identity. Rather than seeing identity as something static, he treats it as something fluid, performative, and co-created in real time.Through the characters he embodies often strange, humorous, or otherworldly, he invites others to question their assumptions and see themselves more clearly.
His Native Heritage and rituals also plays an important role in his work. Drawing inspiration from ancient traditions and contemporary practices, Chacon sees ritual as a way to mark transitions, create meaning, and reconnect with the sacred.
“Performance is ritual,” he explained.
“It’s a space where we agree something special is happening. We can make meaning together, witness each other, and hold space for transformation.”
When asked about his creative process, Chacon emphasized intuition and trust. “I listen a lot—to my body, to the space, to the people I’m with. I don’t go in with a script. I let the moment guide me.” This improvisational approach keeps his work fresh and responsive, allowing room for spontaneity and deep emotional resonance.
Throughout the interview, his warmth, humor, and sense of purpose shone through. Whether he’s donning a whimsical costume, guiding a meditative journey, or sparking laughter through absurdity, his mission remains consistent: to invite people into deeper connection with themselves, each other, and the mystery of being alive.
In a world that often feels rigid and disenchanted, Raven Chacon offers a powerful reminder of the transformative power of play, presence, and imagination. His work challenges us to question who we are—and who we might become—if we allow ourselves to step into the unknown.
Much of Chacon’s work also takes place outside traditional theater settings. He creates experiences in nature, public spaces, and community gatherings, favoring environments that feel open, intimate, and participatory. This accessibility and intentional informality reflect his values: breaking down hierarchies between performer and audience, and cultivating a shared sense of presence.
“OIC Day at the Capitol”
On Thursday April 3, 2025, the OIC’s in Connecticut (Opportunities Industrialization Centers) celebrated OIC Day at the State Capitol. Leaders of the organization from the Bridgeport OIC, New Britain OIC, New Haven OIC, New London OIC, and the Waterbury OIC sponsor this annual event “to give recognition to the important work that we do every day” according to Rev. Robert Lampkin. The OIC’s provide employment training and employment placement services at no cost for mostly low-income and unemployed residents.
Ms. Paulette Fox, the CEO of the New Britain OIC spoke about her forty years of service to the OIC Family and the work with youth as the most significant contribution in New Britain. Ms. Nekeisha Grant, the CEO of the New London County OIC provided a powerpoint presentation on the history of the “OIC Movement” in the United States and spoke about the outstanding leadeship of the Rev. Dr. Leon Sullivan, the Founder who started the first OIC in Philadelphia (PA) in 1964. Mr. Michael Hanley, a long-time State of Connecticut employee, received a leadership award for his effort to bring additional state funding to the OIC’s in Connecticut two years ago. This was the first OIC Day Program held at the Capitol since the pandemic.
The OIC’s in Connecticut have provided “job training and assisted its graduates
in starting careers” , said Deb Caviness, the CEO of the Bridgeport OIC. Seth Poole, Director of the New Haven OIC noted that the times are tough due to inflation.” Reginald Beamon, the Director of the Waterbury OIC (and former State Representative) was pleased to see that
the OIC’s are continuing to fulfill all its mission but noted that “increased funding is necessary.”
About seventy- five people attended the program and several state legislators spoke about their on-going support for the OIC’s in Connecticut.
to craft immersive experiences that invite audiences into a deeper state of presence.
photo courtesy Yale Schwarzman Center
Ed Board OK’s $$ Amid Custodial Mess
by Maya McFadden
The Board of Education signed off on paying one contractor an additional $220,000 for custodial work that another contractor walked out on.
Meanwhile, the city’s public school district has closed its search and is now reviewing bids for a new parttime custodial crew to start next year. That’s the latest with New Haven Public Schools’ (NHPS’) efforts to keep the city’s school buildings clean.
The district currently contracts with the part-time custodial firm SJ Services, which along with other facilities vendors are managed by NHPS’ facilities management company, ABM.
During Monday’s Board of Education meeting, which was held at John C. Daniels School, board members voted 6 – 1 to approve two purchase orders to pay ABM for its overtime custodial work at several permitted NHPS events between Dec. 1, 2024 and March 21, 2025.
One now-approved agreement costing $169,817 was for providing event labor support services and floor support at the Floyd Little Athletic Center. The second agreement for $50,880.43 was for “permitted event labor support services and floor support for Hillhouse, Cross and Career High Schools from December 1, 2024 to March 21, 2025.”
All school board members except for Andrea Downer voted to approve the two purchase orders to pay ABM, which the district said stepped in to do the facilities work when SJ Services failed to do so. ABM also has a multi-year contract with NHPS as its facilities manager, which for 2024 – 25 totals just over $1.9 million.
SJ Services, meanwhile, maintains that their team did all of the work required of them under their contract with NHPS and that they walked out for roughly six weeks only for work that the district should have been paying extra for.
”A Lot Of Back & Forth”
At an April 7 Board of Education Finance and Operations committee meeting, NHPS Supt. Madeline Negrón joined ABM’s Jamar Alleyne and NHPS business director Christine Bourne to say that the district has been closely auditing its finances to sort through its budget deficit. In doing so, it evaluated its contractual agreements and invoices with contractors and found discrepancies with SJ Services invoices for custodial work performed this school year.
Bourne pointed out that SJ Services requested an additional $500,000 for part-time work performed last year,
which facilities consultant Michael Carter signed off on. While reviewing recent billing with the continued help of Carter, Bourne said that NHPS requested reduced bills this year due to SJ Services’ staff absences and difficulty validating the number of workers on jobs.
“There’s been a lot of back and forth with them as we’re trying to validate how many people are on each night and how absences are covered, and how we validate who’s here and who’s not,” Bourne said.
ABM’s fill-in work came at a lower cost than what the district would have paid SJ Services, Bourne added. Carter spent months of his facilities consultant work for NHPS crafting a new request for proposal (RFP) for NHPS to put its part-time custodial services contract back out to bid. That RFP opened March 9 and closed April 8.
NHPS spokesperson Justin Harmon and ABM’s Alleyne did not respond to requests for comment about how many vendors responded to the RFP. According to the city’s procurement portal, the RFP has several users subscribed to updates for the project. It
lists ten vendors as having submitted “responses.” Those vendors include ABM and SJ Services.
“We have shared our questions about SJ Services’ time tracking and billing practices with them, and they have been working with us to resolve our concerns. Our goal is to continue those conversations and to work toward a positive resolution of issues on either side,” Harmon said in an April 11 email response to a request for comment.
At recent Board of Education meetings, board member Andrea Downer has raised several concerns with the discrepancies of paying ABM its more-than-million-dollar agreement and the lack of early warnings about SJ Services walking out and apparent “breach of contract.” When she questioned whether ABM’s substitute work was verified when that company stepped in, Bourne said that all invoices and work submitted by ABM were confirmed by NHPS.
SJ Services: We Did What Contract Requires
Reached for comment last Thursday,
ans and a manager to provide cleaning services to the New Haven Public Schools.” The contract, Shea said, explains that the district’s requests for overtime work at permitted events are “additional services” requested.
When NHPS indicated to SJ Services it would not be paying for the additional permitted work, Shea’s team was instructed to stop accepting the permitted work requested by the district.
Shea noted that SJ Services continued the work of its base contract and only stopped accepting the extra hours for permitted events. He also said the halt of services did not last through March as the district claims, but began Nov. 21 and lasted four to six weeks. After discussing and determining that payroll invoices and attendance were accurate with the district, Shea said SJ Services returned back to doing the permitted-event custodial work weeks later.
In response to the district’s allegation that SJ Services’ employee work hours submitted were not truly reflective of the work completed, Shea said as NHPS’ management company, ABM is charged with tracking contractors’ attendance.
SJ Services Director of Client Services David Shea disagreed with NHPS’ claims that the company has not been correctly invoicing payroll hours for its employees and maintaining accurate attendance for part-time work performed.
Shea said that SJ Services’ agreement with NHPS lays out its base parttime custodial work at Cross, Hillhouse, Career, and Floyd Little with mention of additional service options at an additional rate for NHPS’ permitted events.
For those occasions when SJ Services is called on for overtime custodial work for after-school meetings, deep cleaning in the summer, or for athletic events, Shea said, it expects the additional pay for its employees’ extra work.
Over the summer, however, Shea said his team was told by district leaders that SJ Services’ on-call work for permitted events was part of its base contract and not an additional cost for services.
Shea said this is where NHPS misinterpreted the agreement. The part-time custodial contract is for SJ Services to “staff four-hour, part-time custodi-
He also provided the Independent with an Aug. 13, 2024, email from SJ Services’ director of operations to the company president explaining that a new system called ConnectTeam was purchased to use GPS to track employees clocking in for New Haven work this year. As well as a receipt that the software was purchased July 29, 2024. ConnectTeam makes it so when employees arrive on site to school buildings, they must clock in on a phone app which tracks their specific location to be sure they are on site.
The email: “Just a quick update on the call-in system for the New Haven district. The system went live yesterday with 96% of employees logging in successfully! The program is user-friendly and supports multiple languages. A few employees do not own a smartphone, so we are working with them to secure a calling number for their day-to-day use.…Going forward, we will be able to generate daily and weekly reports, especially for our billing process.”
Shea concluded that after months of answering NHPS’ questions in “excruciating detail,” SJ Services is open to further conversations but expects to be paid for all work performed this year.
David Shea Nov 18 email to NHPS’ Mike Carter calling temporary quits for SJ Services permit work.
Maya McFadden File Photo Andrea Downer, the only school board member to vote no on new ABM agreements.
The New Haven independent
Lawsuits surge after U.S. revokes international student visas without warning
by Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku, Face2FaceAfrica.com
Awave of legal action is sweeping across the United States as dozens of international students, many attending prestigious institutions fight back against the abrupt cancellation of their visas by the Trump administration.
At the heart of the lawsuits is a common charge: the U.S. government stripped students of their legal status without due process.
The sudden revocations have put hundreds of students in legal limbo, facing possible detention or deportation, AP reported. The affected scholars hail from schools both elite and modest—from Harvard and Stanford to the University of Maryland, Ohio State, and smaller liberal arts colleges scattered across the country. The lawsuits, filed against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), claim the federal government acted without proper cause or explanation in terminating the legal residency of students who had complied with their visa terms.
While student visas can be revoked for various infractions, universities argue that students are being penalized for issues as trivial as old traffic violations. In many cases, students say the rationale behind their status termination remains a mystery. Attorneys for the ACLU of Michigan, representing students from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan, stated in their complaint: “The timing and uniformity of these terminations leave little question that DHS has adopted a nationwide policy, whether written or not, of mass termination of student (legal) status.”
The legal pushback gained momentum last week when a federal judge in New Hampshire granted a restraining order in favor of Xiaotian Liu, a Dartmouth College computer science student from China whose visa had been abruptly revoked. Similar challenges have since been filed in federal courts in Georgia and California. The crackdown has drawn even more scrutiny in high-profile incidents, including the detention of Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil.
The Trump administration has justified some deportations based on alleged ties to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. However, universities insist that most affect-
ed students have had no involvement in protests and that the terminations appear indiscriminate.
“What you’re seeing happening with international students is really a piece of the much greater scrutiny that the Trump administration is bringing to bear on immigrants of all different categories,” said Michelle Mittelstadt, director of public affairs at the Migration Policy Institute.
International students must meet rigorous requirements to obtain an F-1 visa, including securing admission to a U.S. school, proving financial support, and completing interviews at U.S. embassies or consulates. Once in the country, their
legal status is maintained by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) under DHS, not by the State Department, which only issues entry visas.
Recently, university administrators learned of visa terminations through SEVIS, the federal database overseen by SEVP. In a break from precedent, DHS had updated student statuses without prior coordination with schools, which historically served as the point of notification when a student was no longer enrolled.
Previously, students with revoked entry visas were still permitted to remain in the U.S. to complete their studies; the revocation merely prevented them from reen-
tering the country after travel. But now, with their legal residency status stripped, students face immediate risk of arrest and deportation. Some have already chosen to leave the U.S. voluntarily rather than face the possibility of being detained.
University officials fear the growing number of arrests and terminations could deter future international applicants from choosing the U.S. for higher education.
“The uncertainty is creating a climate of fear,” said Sarah Spreitzer, vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education. “The very public actions being taken by ICE and DHS—removing students from their homes or off the streets—are deeply troubling. This level of rapid enforcement hasn’t typically been applied to revoked student visas unless there’s a clear security threat.”
In the face of rising anxiety, many schools have issued campus-wide messages urging international students to remain vigilant, carry their immigration documentation at all times, and avoid travel if possible. At the same time, they are pressing federal agencies for clarity.
Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston, acknowledged the gravity of the moment. In an email to the campus community, he confirmed that two students and five recent graduates participating in training programs had lost their legal status.
“These are unprecedented times, and our normal guiding principles for living in a democratic society are being challenged,” Suárez-Orozco wrote. “With the rate and depth of changes occurring, we must be thoughtful in how we best prepare, protect, and respond.”
Sharpton Secures Meeting with PepsiCo on Equity Rollback
By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent
Rev. Al Sharpton said Monday that he will meet with PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta this week following the company’s decision to roll back key diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The meeting comes just weeks after Sharpton warned of a potential boycott in a letter
dated April 4, where he condemned PepsiCo’s retreat from its DEI commitments.
PepsiCo, whose portfolio includes Pepsi, Gatorade, Doritos, Mountain Dew, and Lay’s, informed employees in February that it would no longer set diversity goals for its managerial ranks or supplier base.
The announcement drew swift backlash from civil rights advocates.
“You have walked away from equity,”
Sharpton wrote in his letter to Laguar-
ta. “Removing DEI hiring and retention goals and dismantling community partnerships with minority organizations are clear signals that political pressure has outweighed principle.” A spokesperson for PepsiCo did not respond to a request for comment. The National Action Network, which Sharpton founded and leads, has been pressuring major corporations to uphold DEI policies in the face of growing political and legal attacks. Since Pres-
ident Donald Trump’s return to the White House, numerous companies, including Walmart and Target, have scaled back internal programs to increase diversity and address systemic discrimination.
Trump has also eliminated DEI efforts across federal agencies and warned schools to do the same or risk losing federal funding. Sharpton said he plans to press Laguarta for clarity on the company’s DEI commitments and what steps,
if any, PepsiCo still intends to take to support equal opportunity in hiring and contracting. In January, Sharpton launched a “buy-cott” urging consumers to shop at Costco in recognition of its continued investment in DEI, setting a contrast with companies pulling back. “That is the only viable tool that I see at this time, which is why we’ve rewarded those that stood with us,” Sharpton said.
LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID: CONTINUUM OF CARE, NEW HAVEN is requesting licensed and insured general contractor bids for their property located at 501 Quinnipiac Avenue, New Haven.
Demolition and Replacement of exterior 2nd floor deck. Architect demo and construction drawing requests should be sent to moconnor@continuumct.org . Further information and detail of scope will be reviewed by the owner and architect on the scheduled site visit. GC price should include dumpster and permit feeds. The project is tax-exempt and funded by the City of New Haven. Minority/women’s business enterprises are encouraged to apply. Project will have Section 3 Compliance and Davis-Bacon/Prevailing Wage rate. The selected company and any subcontractors must comply with EEOC workforce requirements. A bidding site meeting will be held at 501 Quinnipiac Avenue, New Haven on 4/3/2025 at 11am. Additional questions post site visit must be in writing, due by 5 pm on April 8th. All questions will be answered in writing by 5 pm on April 12. All bids are due by 4/16/2025 at 10 am. All bids, W9, work scope/project timeline, COI should be submitted in writing to Monica O’Connor via emailmoconnor@continuumct.org or delivered to 285 State Street, Unit 13 North Haven.
Invitation to Bid: PARCEL
B PHASE
1
Old Firehouse Road
Naugatuck, CT 06770
(One Mixed-Use 4-Story Building, 60 Units)
Project Description: New Construction of a Transit Oriented Development. Project is Taxable. No Wage Rate project. Project documents include but not limited to: concrete, gypcrete, masonry, rough carpentry, finish carpentry, insulation, roofing, siding, doors & hardware, windows, storefront, smoke curtains, gypsum board, flooring, tile, painting, signage, specialties, appliances, casework, window blinds, electric traction elevators, trash chute, fire suppression, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, site-work, sanitary facilities, tele data, fire alarm and (final cleaning as an MWBE trade).
This contract is subject to state set aside and contract compliance requirements. If you are interested in bidding and have not received this invitation to bid from us please email: Taylor Els Tels@haynesct.com your business name, contact information and trade, we will add you to Procore and send you the ITB.
Bid Due Date: April 9, 2025 @ 3pm
Email Questions & Bids to: Taylor Els tels@haynesct.com
HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER
INVITATION TO BID:
SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY
Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 2:00 pm on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for the COMBINED HEAT & POWER COGENERATION EQUIP-
MENT REPLACEMENT at the Reverend Albert Callahan House, 32 Smith Street Seymour. The work includes the replacement of combined heat and power cogeneration equippment.
A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held at the Reverend Albert Callahan House at 2:00 pm, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
Bid Documents may be obtained by visiting www.seymourhousing.org Under the Contact Us tab select Bid Opportunities and find the RFP for Combined Heat & Power Co-Generation Equipment Replacement.
The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the Housing Authority.
The Glendower Group
Request for Proposals
Site Civil Engineer- Church Street South Development
The Glendower Group is currently seeking proposals from qualified firms for Site Civil Engineer. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on
Monday, March 24, 2025, at 3:00PM.
WATER TREATMENT
The Town of Wallingford Water Division is seeking qualified candidates for Water Treatment Pumping Operator I to operate and maintain the Town’s potable (drinking) water treatment plant and pumping, storage tank, pressure regulating and groundwater well facilities. Must possess a H.S. diploma or equivalent with 1 year of experience involving the operation and maintenance of equipment used in water supply and treatment; or a technical high school diploma with demonstrated career and technical education related to electronics technology, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or water supply and treatment activities and operation; or completion of a program in water management. Applicants must possess State of Connecticut Department of Public Health Class I (WTP I) or higher Water Treatment Plant Operator certification, and completion of a program in water management or have the ability to obtain both within twelve (12) months from the date of hire. Must possess and maintain a State of Connecticut driver’s license. Wages: $29.61 - $35.75 hourly, plus an excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and a deferred compensation plan. To apply online by the closing date of April 29, 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
METERING SUPERVISOR
The Town of Wallingford, CT is offering an excellent career opportunity for a strong leader to supervise and manage the meter department of the Town’s Electric Division. Applicants should possess 3 years of progressively responsible supervisory or management experience in a utility relating to metering, plus a bachelor's degree in engineering, or an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis. Must possess and maintain a valid State of Connecticut Driver’s License. Annual Salary: $115,203 to $144,003. The Town offers an excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and deferred compensation plan. To apply online by the closing date of May 5, 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
CLINICIAN
The Town of Wallingford is seeking a qualified professional to perform social work, counseling, case management, and crisis intervention services to youth and adult clients in the community. Requires a Master’s Degree in Counseling, Marital and Family Therapy, Social Work, or related field with training in crisis intervention and community services, and two (2) years’ experience in counseling or social work with youth and adult populations. Bilingual language skills (Spanish/English) are desirable. Must possess and maintain State of Connecticut licensure as a Clinical Social Worker, Marital and Family Therapist, or Professional Counselor, and a driver’s license. Wages: $32.08 to $38.98 hourly. The Town offers an excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, individual and family medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and deferred compensation plan. The closing date will be April 23, 2025 or the date the 25th application is received, whichever occurs first. To apply online, 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
ELECTRICAL / ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN
Performs skilled work in the repair, maintenance and calibration of all electrical and electronic equipment pertaining to the wastewater treatment plant in the Town of Wallingford. Applicants should possess a H.S., technical or trade school diploma, plus 2 years of experience in the repair and maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment; or an equivalent combination of experience and training substituting on a yearfor-year basis. Must possess a valid Connecticut Driver's License. Hourly rate: $32.24 to $36.79. The Town offers an excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and deferred compensation plan. To apply online by the closing date of April 22, 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
Comprehensive Pest Control Services for Rodents and Insects
Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for Services of a firm to provide Pest Control Services for Rodents and Insects. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on
Monday, March 31, 2025, at 3:00PM.
360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.
Request for Proposals Redesign of Chatham HVAC System
360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking a qualified engineering firm to provide a full redesign of the existing Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC system servicing approximately 32 units within our facility. The objective is to enhance efficiency, meet current building codes, and optimize overall system performance. be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on
Monday, March 24, 2025, at 3:00PM.
South Central Regional Council of Governments
Draft Public Participation Guidelines
The public is invited to offer comments from March 3, 2025, until April 18, 2025, on the Draft Public Participation Guidelines for the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG). The Plan documents the actions taken by SCRCOG to facilitate public participation in transportation planning, in accordance with Title 23 CFR 450.316.
Copies of the Draft Public Participation Plan are available at www. scrcog.org. Hard copies are available upon request to James Rode at jrode@scrcog.org.
Public comments may be emailed to jrode@scrcog.org or mailed, postage prepaid, to James Rode, Principal Transportation Planner, South Central Regional Council of Governments, 127 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor West, North Haven, CT 06473 with receipt in both cases by no later than April 18, 2025. Public comments may also be offered at a Hybrid Public Meeting on April 9, 2025, at 12 pm. Instructions for participating in the Public Meeting will be posted at www.scrcog.org no later than 10 days before the event.
Job Title: Transportation Manager
Location: East Granby, CT 06026
Company: Galasso Materials LLC
Employment Type: Full-Time
Job Overview:
We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Transportation Operations Coordinator to join our team. This role is essential in supporting our construction and paving operations through effective truck coordination, compliance oversight, and performance tracking. The ideal candidate will have experience in transportation logistics, DOT compliance, and a strong understanding of construction workflows.
Key Responsibilities:
• Ensure compliance with Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT) regulations for all trucking operations.
• Assign and dispatch trucks to paving and construction job sites based on project schedules and logistical needs.
• Coordinate trucking assignments and logistics directly with Scale house personnel to ensure accurate load tracking and efficient truck flow
• Utilize software tools to track trucking efficiencies, monitor fleet performance, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Conduct on-road testing to evaluate driver performance and vehicle condition in alignment with company and regulatory standards.
• Visit active job sites to observe and document construction progress, coordinate with site managers, and adjust trucking needs in real-time.
Qualifications:
• Prior experience in transportation, logistics, or construction coordination preferred.
• Working knowledge of DOT compliance requirements, particularly CT DOT regulations.
• Proficient in logistics or fleet management software.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel to job sites regularly.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite programs
• Familiarity with local union contracts and regulations
Benefits:
• Competitive salary
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and holidays
• Opportunities for advancement and professional development
To Apply: Please send your resume and a brief cover letter to KLamontagne@galassomaterials.com
Galasso Materials LLC is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and encourages applications from all qualified individuals. We are an affirmative action equal-opportunity employer.
241 Quinnipiac Avenue, New Haven
Spacious 2 bedroom townhouse with hardwood floors. Private entrance. Appliances. 1.5 baths with basement and washer/dryer hookups. On-site laundry facility. Off street parking. Close proximity to restaurants, shopping centers and bus line. No pets. Security deposit varies. $1,850-$1,950 including heat, hot water and cooking gas. Section 8 welcomed. Call Christine 860-231-8080, Ext. 161.
Please bill 241 Quinnipiac Avenue, LLC, c/o White & Katzman, 111 Roberts Street, Suite G1, East Hartford, CT 06108.
Continuum of Care, New Haven, Connecticut – LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID
LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID: CONTINUUM OF CARE, NEW HAVEN is requesting licensed and insured general contractor bids for their property located at 133 Maple Street, New Haven. Scope to include Main furnace replacement, installation of central ac system, chimney replacement, garage roof replacement. Environmental testing reports will be provided. Further information and details of scope will be reviewed by the owner on the scheduled site visit. GC price should include dumpster and permit feeds. The project is tax-exempt. Minority/women’s business enterprises are encouraged to apply. A bidding site meeting will be held at 133 Maple Street, New Haven on 4/10/2025 at 12pm. All bids are due by 4/21/2025 at 10 am. All bids, questions, W9, work scope/project timeline, COI should be submitted in writing to Monica O’Connor via email moconnor@continuumct.org or delivered to 285 State Street, Unit 13 North Haven.
April is Autism Awareness Month: 15 Things Everyone Should Know About Autism
BlackDoctor.org
It's Autism Awareness Month, which means it’s a good time to take a look at some of the common misconceptions out there about autism spectrum disorder. This information will not only increase your knowledge of the disorder but will also be beneficial when you’re interacting with those who are autistic.
Autism Refers To a Spectrum
Initially, autism was thought to be the name for an all-encompassing disorder. However, years of research have shown that it’s more of a spectrum. There is a wide range of conditions that can have mild to severe symptoms. Generally, an autism spectrum disorder includes having difficulty with communication, speech, social skills, and repetitive behavior. There Are More People With It Than You Know
According to recent data, the number of people who have been diagnosed with autism has increased over time. It’s estimated that this growing number is likely being caused by increased awareness of the symptoms of the disorder.
The Symptoms Are Apparent In The Early Years
It’s possible to diagnose a child with autism before the age of 4. In fact, the disorder has been identified in children as young as 18 months. The diagnosis is possible because tell-tale signs of autism include developmental delays such as smiling or babbling.
It’s More Likely To Be Diagnosed In Boys
While it’s been estimated that 1 in 68 people have autism spectrum disorder,
the data suggests that it’s 4 or 5 times more likely to be diagnosed in boys. It’s uncertain why this discrepancy occurs. Girls May Be Misdiagnosed or Underdiagnosed
As a follow-up to the previous point, recent data shows that only 1 in 151 girls are being diagnosed with autism. To explain the discrepancy, health experts suggest that the symptoms may manifest a little differently in girls so it’s not as easy to identify. There is also evidence that minorities tend to go underdiagnosed as well.
Verbal Skills Can Develop Over Time
Having issues with communication is one of the well-known characteristics of autism. However, just because someone starts out as being nonverbal, it doesn’t
mean that they will stay that way. With the right programs, many people can learn to be functional and even fluent.
The Cause Is Still Being Investigated
It’s been established that vaccines don’t cause autism and it doesn’t seem to be caused by prenatal care either. However, the exact cause of the disorder is still being investigated. The hope is that in the future, it will be easier to determine if a child is going to be autistic.
Treatment Must Be Individualized Autism spectrum disorder varies from one person to another other and so for treatment to be effective, it has to be personalized. This can lead to treatment options being a little expensive.
The Symptoms Will Vary
When people think of autism, a few symptoms usually come to mind. However, not everyone will exhibit those symptoms and interestingly, people without autism can show behaviors that are typical of autism.
Other Illnesses Can Accompany The Disorder
People who have autism may also develop seizure disorders, metabolic disorders, sleeping disorders, asthma, allergies, cognitive impairments, and digestive disorders, among others.
The Disorder Is Not Degenerative
Unlike other conditions, autism does not get worse over time. If treated regularly, people with autism will actually get better
at expressing themselves and maintaining a daily routine.
People With Autism Care About Others More Than You Know
Those with autism might not always be able to express how they are feeling, research shows that they are very empathetic to those who are around them.
Early Interventions Are Important
The earlier people are diagnosed, the earlier their interventions can begin. Research shows that children who start a treatment program early are more likely to see a difference than teenagers or adults.
The Disorder Can Affect Twins Differently Interestingly, one twin can be diagnosed with autism while the other might not or have a milder case. The difference is generally wider between fraternal twins than between identical ones.
There Aren’t Enough Support Programs
Even though people with autism can hold jobs well and are talented in creative areas such as music or dancing, it can be difficult for them to get the right opportunities. Many support programs end after high school so getting to the next step doesn’t happen for a lot of people with autism.
We still have a long way to go regarding ensuring that people are correctly diagnosed with autism and can get the support they need. In the meantime, knowing how to relate to those who have the disorder can help maintain your interpersonal relationships.
Black Babies Are Still Dying—And America Let It Happen
By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA.com Correspondent
A sweeping new analysis of U.S. mortality data over the past 70 years reveals that Black children in the United States have consistently faced significantly higher mortality rates than their white peers, with no improvement in relative disparities since the 1950s. The study, published March 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, documents more than half a million avoidable infant deaths and nearly 690,000 childhood deaths among Black Americans between 1950 and 2019. Conducted by researchers from Harvard, Yale, and other institutions, the study found that while life expectancy and overall mortality rates have improved for both Black and white Americans, the mortality gap among infants and children has widened. In the 1950s, Black infants died at a rate of 5,181 per 100,000 compared to 2,703 per 100,000 among white infants—an excess mortality ratio of 1.92. By the 2010s, the rate had declined to 1,073 per 100,000 for Black infants and 499 per 100,000 for white infants, yet the disparity grew to a mortality ratio of 2.15. “These trends show
a disturbing persistence of racial inequities in childhood survival,” the authors wrote.
“Despite medical advancements and public health initiatives, Black children in the U.S. are still twice as likely to die before adulthood as their white counterparts.”
Over the seven-decade span, the study estimated 5.02 million excess deaths and 173.6 million years of life lost among Black Americans that would not have occurred if their mortality rates matched those of white Americans. Children under 20 accounted for 13.7% of these deaths, with infants representing 10.4%. The leading causes of excess deaths varied by age. Among children under five, perinatal conditions were the primary cause, while external causes such as homicides and accidents dominated among those aged 5 to 19. For adults, circulatory system diseases contributed the most to the mortality gap. The study emphasized that these disparities are rooted in a long history of systemic racism and structural inequities. Factors such as housing segregation, unequal access to health care, and socioeconomic disadvantages have all played a role. Today, Donald Trump’s presidency has brought a wave of executive actions, judicial appointments, and public
rhetoric that emboldened racist systems and undermined civil rights protections. From ending consent decrees with police departments to attempting to ban diversity training in federal agencies, Trump’s actions have intensified the already disproportionate suffering of Black Americans. Civil rights leaders had warned of this dangerous second term—one where Project 2025 and other radical policy blueprints have further dismantled protections for marginalized communities, including Black children. Even before this moment, Black America has endured the weight of systemic racism, beginning with centuries of enslavement and extending through segregation, redlining, police brutality, environmental racism, and inequitable access to health care. Meanwhile, the new study identifies the long-standing effects of these forces—including discriminatory housing policies, employment, and criminal justice inequities, and biased medical care—as primary drivers of the mortality gap. “Being Black in the United States remains associated with less wealth, lower income, and diminished access to health services,” the researchers noted. “These conditions directly impact health outcomes and mortali-
ty risk, especially among children.” Although Black life expectancy has risen from 60.5 years in the 1950s to 76.0 in the 2010s—surpassing the 13% gain seen among white Americans—the lost years of life remain staggering. In the 2010s alone, Black Americans lost 20.6 million years of life due to higher death rates. The study calls for urgent policy interventions to address these disparities, including expanded access to quality health care, targeted public health initiatives, and structural reforms to reduce socioeconomic inequities. The authors also advocate for greater healthcare quality outcomes and data reporting transparency. “Nearly 690,000 Black children who have died since 1950 could have survived if given the same chance as white children,” the researchers concluded. “That reality should be a call to action for this nation.” The study did not examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which researchers noted has likely exacerbated existing disparities. They indicated that more recent data may reveal even greater gaps in health outcomes. “Until the structural causes of these inequities are addressed,” they wrote, “Black children in America will continue to face unjust risks to their lives.”
Evergreen Cemetery & Crematory We’re Here When You Need Us!
• Cremation (Choose to be cremated at Evergreen.)
• Columbarium in the Most Beautiful Cremation Garden
• Reserve your Niche in a secure location pre-need.
• Reserve a Niche for family and friends or purchase at-need to safely place your Loved One in the Columbarium.
• Burial Lots (infant, single, two-grave, or four-grave)
• Monuments & Markers (black, gray, or pink granite)
• Flower placement (single or multiple placement)
• All orders can be placed at the Evergreen office or the website.
769 Ella T. Grasso Boulevard, New Haven CT 06519 203.624.5505 or evergreencem.org
Questions about your bill?
Yale New Haven Hospital is pleased to offer patients and their families financial counseling regarding their hospital bills or the availability of financial assistance, including free care funds. By appointment, patients can speak one-on-one with a financial counselor during regular business hours. For your convenience, extended hours are available in-person at Yale New Haven Hospital once a month.
Date: Monday, April 21, 2025
Time: 5 - 7 pm
Location: Children’s Hospital, 1 Park St., 1st Floor, Admitting
Parking available (handicapped accessible)
An appointment is necessary. Please call 855-547-4584
Spanish-speaking counselors available.
Family Childcare Homes Face Enormous Hurdles
By Liz Bell, EdNC
Shalicia Jackson, also known as Shay, has done almost everything there is to do in early childhood education. Jackson has been an assistant childcare teacher, a lead teacher, a Head Start coordinator, a family advocate, and a social worker in public schools. She has worked in nonprofits and at the Durham Partnership for Children in North Carolina, training teachers to better support young children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in social work. But when Jackson opened Modern Early Learning Academy in 2022, a five-star family childcare home in Winston-Salem, she entered a new world. “One of the things I didn’t really have experience in was family childcare,” Jackson said on a sunny day in her backyard. “I knew they were out there, but they were — like we are now — invisible. We’re an invisible workforce.”
Inside an industry on the brink of collapse, family childcare providers often feel even more devalued than their center-based counterparts. Family childcare homes, and licensed programs in providers’ residences, receive lower subsidy reimbursements than centers and lack opportunities to get North Carolina Pre-K funding. The statewide number of family childcare homes has dropped by 34% since 2018. Yet parents and children often prefer family childcare for its intimate environments, flexible scheduling, and cultural and linguistic relevance. Its business model is also more sustainable than models for center-based care in rural areas, experts say, since often there are not enough children of a certain age in a community to make up entire classrooms. In the years since the pandemic, regional and state efforts have formed to protect the state’s family childcare network, recruit new home-based providers, and provide training and advocacy opportunities. Jackson’s program is the product of one of those efforts — a 2021 family childcare expansion project from Smart Start of Forsyth County of North Carolina focused on women of color interested in opening a program. Yet hers is the only surviving program of the five that received the project’s start-up grants. “This has been the most challenging yet rewarding career choice to date,” Jackson said. “That’s why I advocate — for the people that came before me and those that will come after me. I have to do my due diligence, because, coming from wearing many different hats in this field, this right here, it’s very hard work.” With even more uncertainty facing childcare in the coming years, Jackson has made it her mission to bring more understanding, respect, and investment to family childcare, starting with her fellow local providers.
Balancing many roles
It was Jackson’s experience as a parent that led her down this unexpected path. After moving from Durham to Winston-Salem for more affordable housing, Jackson planned to commute back to her
job in Durham. But, like so many new parents returning to work, she couldn’t find childcare for her toddler son. “I was devastated. Everywhere I called,” she said, the waitlist “was like six months to a year to beyond.” Her sister brought up the idea of opening a family childcare home. It could solve her childcare issue while letting her spend more time with her son. Plus, she had space and early childhood experience. Over the past three years, Jackson has discovered the job’s intensity and multidimensional demands. Family childcare providers are balancing several roles. They are the sole provider not only of care and education, but of food, transportation, and family support services. They are also administrators, making their own curriculum and assessment choices, and keeping up with licensing and reporting responsibilities. And they are business owners, managing the finances of their programs and collecting payments from families.
“That is the challenge — wearing all those different hats and having to manage all of that,” Jackson said. “Instead of comparing family childcare providers to teachers, we need to be compared to directors.”
The very thing that got Jackson into family childcare — motherhood — has turned into one of the trickiest balancing acts, she said. Because of the state’s licensing rules, her son KJ occupies one of her facility’s licensed seats. But for three hours during the day, he instead attends another childcare program that recently opened. It was too challenging to create clear boundaries, for herself and her son, she said. “I found it really hard to balance being his mommy and being his teacher, and also he was having a really difficult time trying to manage being home and at school, telling the difference,” she said. That means Jackson is losing out doubly, she said because she is paying for out-of-home childcare but can’t enroll another child in her son’s place.
Plus, as KJ enters kindergarten next year, Jackson is struggling with how to move forward. “My reason for opening is now going away,” Jackson said. “My wheels are turning.”
‘A seat at the table’
Though Jackson stumbled into family childcare for personal reasons, she has found a larger purpose in connecting with family childcare providers who have been in the field for decades. Understanding just how taxing the job is, Jackson wanted a space for others in her role to find support and understanding. She formed the Triad Self Care Support Group as that space, an in-person and online support group that provides fellowship, professional development, and a space to share stories, resources, and challenges.
More on childcare
Jackson also shares advocacy tools and opportunities. She had just assembled members of the group to show up to a local conversation with elected officials and representatives from local institutions. By the end of the day, Jackson had a voicemail from a local Smart Start employee she had met at the event, asking how their efforts could include family childcare providers. “It is time for family childcare home providers to have a seat at the table with the people that are making decisions,” Jackson said. “We can no longer afford to sit back and just vent about it. We need to be solution-focused and start joining committees and organizations, start being a part of the communities that are making decisions — going out and showing face. Because if not, then we’re just going to keep being at the bottom of the bottom. They’re going to prioritize other things, and we’re just going to be left suffering again.” Jackson is serving as a member of the steering committee for the Pre-K Priority, a universal pre-K effort in Forsyth County that is expanding access but does not currently include family childcare homes as potential sites. She is also connected with the state chapter of the National Domestic Workers Alliance to advocate for early childhood investment at the state level. In November, she was awarded an NC Early Education Coalition’s Child Care Heroes award for her advocacy as a family child care provider.
“In my journey of advocacy, I have learned that although I have won various roles within the early childhood field, and have a master’s degree, anyone can be a change agent without needing big titles or degrees, but rather a willingness to raise their voice and advocate for what they believe in,” Jackson said while accepting that award. “Parents and childcare providers play a crucial role in determining what is best for their children. Their guidance and decision-making skills are nothing short of heroic, making them the real heroes. We must recognize their invaluable contributions and amplify their voices.” The children inside her home, and the families she treats as extensions of her own, are the core of the community Jackson has created. “Childcare is my ministry,” Jackson said. “It’s where I was led to. The universe led me here. They keep me going, just to see their improvement, to see the parents happy. That keeps me hopeful.”
‘Not on a good path’
The story of one of the families Jackson has served has stuck with her through her journey of caregiving, educating, and advocating. It’s the story of Cayden and Samantha Black. Cayden attended Jackson’s program after his previous childcare facility closed because of staffing shortages. The program gave the family 30 days to find another arrangement. “They came to me in desperate need,” Jackson said. Fortunately, she had an open spot. Cayden thrived in the program. “I thought it was just heaven there,” said Black, Cayden’s mom. “He was at big daycares, where there’s a lot of children and only one teacher. With Ms. Shay, it was her and only five other kids. So, they all got oneon-one time, and it was more of a home setting. And he liked that.” Both Black and Jackson could tell how much Cayden was growing. “He learned so much there for like the year he was there than he did over the three years he was at the other place,” Black said. After working fulltime in retail and at an auto shop, Black went on maternity leave to have her sec-
ond child. Colt was born with complicated health issues, which made it even harder for Black to find childcare. At the time, Jackson did not have an opening or the capacity to care for a child with a medical condition. Black said she did everything she could to keep Cayden in Jackson’s program. Her in-laws pitched in to help pay for him to stay. But as she kept facing rejections for a spot for Colt, she could no longer afford to keep Cayden in care without returning to work. “My husband is the only one working,” Black said. “He’s a mechanic. He loves his job, but they do not get paid well.” Black is now struggling to meet her children’s needs as a stay-at-home mother. She not only wants childcare access to work but wants to ensure her children can learn. “I feel bad because he needs friends,” she said of Cayden. “He needs the structure of school.” Black said Cayden was heartbroken to leave Jackson’s program. Jackson felt the same way. “I had developed a relationship, and I’d seen so much progress with Cayden,” she said. “That is when it hit me, I was devastated. I was like, this infrastructure of this childcare system is definitely not on a good path. And there needs to be something done. Her story has always stuck with me. I wish there was something that I could have done more to support the family.”
‘I wish I had an answer’ Jackson is committed to doing her part to fix that broader infrastructure, which she knows is at risk of collapsing further. Jackson opened her program while the state was sending stabilization grants with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Though the job has been challenging, those funds have made it possible. “There is no way that I would have been able to sustain my business to be open this long without the help and support of the stabilization grant and some of the local grants,” she said. Those funds officially ended, and providers are looking toward state legislators to extend them this session. If not, about one in five childcare programs are expected to close within a year, according to a survey from the NC Child Care Resource & Referral Council. Prices for parents are also likely to increase. Jackson is afraid to face either of those possibilities. She considers herself lucky to have a spouse who helps her financially and emotionally. She is looking for other ways to make ends meet without the burden falling on her parents. “I definitely don’t want to increase those prices, because it’s not fair to my family,” she said. “I do feel like if I just add, like one or two kids for my second shifts, maybe do Uber Eats or something like that, maybe that will help kind of supplement … I don’t know. I wish I had an answer. I’m gonna try to stay in as long as I possibly can. I’m gonna try to maintain.”
Editor’s note: Since this story was first reported, Jackson has had to close Modern Early Learning Academy. Liz Bell is the early childhood reporter for EdNC.
Shalicia Jackson reads a book to children at Modern Early Learning Academy, her family childcare home in Winston-Salem. Photo by: Liz Bell, EdNC
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