YWCA Princeton is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Lastweek,thefederaladministrationpassedtheso-called“BigBeautifulBill”–legislationthat,whiletoutedasasweepingreform, includesdevastatingcutstovitalcommunityprogramsacrossthecountry
AmongthehardesthitaretheveryservicesthatformtheheartofourmissionatYWCAPrinceton:highquality,accessiblechildcare, EnglishasaSecondLanguageeducationandworkforcedevelopmentprogramming.
Theseprogramsarenotjustlineitemsinabudget–theyarelifelines Theyenablewomentopursueeducationandcareers,help immigrantfamiliesfeelseenandheard,andensurechildrengetthestrongstarttheydeserve
AtYWCAPrinceton,wearealreadyfeelingtheimpact OurESLprogramhasjustlostlongstandingTitleIIfunding,andwearebracing forfurtherchallengestochildcaresupport–evenasdemandforboththeseservicescontinuestorise Thesearenotisolated incidents Acrossthecountry,thisbillisunderminingthehumanservicesinfrastructurethatsomanyrelyontosurviveandsucceed
WeattheYWCAwillnotbesilent Wewillnotbackdown Weremainsteadfastinourmissiontosupporteverywomanandchild–especiallythosemostvulnerable–andtocontinuetoprovidetheeducation,careandresourcestheyneedtothrive
Nowmorethanever,wemustspeakup.Wemustadvocate.Wemustact.
InthisissueofVoicesforJustice,youwillfindbriefsummariesonhowthisbillaffectsthecommunitiesweserve Alsoyouwilllearn abouthowyoucantakeactiontoprotectwhatmattersmost Wewillbecontinuingtosharemorewaysyoucanhaveyourvoiceheard infuturecommunications.YoucancheckoutourAdvocacypageonourwebsiteonhowyoucontactyourelectedofficialsandsupport ourworkandspreadtheword
Nowisthetimetoraiseourvoices.Thisfightisnotover.Itisjustbeginning.Together,let’sshowthemthepowerofacommunitythat refusestobesilenced.Let’sprotectwhatmattersmost.Let’smakejusticeunstoppable.
RoseWong,ChiefExecutiveOfficer
Period We’rehosti collectpad menstrualc
MercerCou becausewe havetocho
buyingperiodproducts Thesebagswillbe distributedtolocalschools,sportsteams, andothernonprofitorganizations
Wanttosupport?Checkouttheflyeron thenextpagetoseewhereyoucandrop offproducts.ContactDarleneNawuridam, EquityCoordinator,at609-497-2100ext. 385 or DNawuridam@ywcaprinceton.org withanyquestions.
The New Jersey Reparations Council’s Findings TheNewJerseyReparationsCouncil,an initiativeoftheNewJerseyInstitutefor SocialJustice,justreleaseditsreport addressingNewJersey’shistoryofslavery anditsongoingimpactontheBlack community.Thereportincludespolicy recommendationsfocusedonareaslike economicjustice,socialprograms,and healthequity,aimingtocreatesystemic andsustainablechange.
Readthefullreport https://www.njisj.org/print/njrcreport.pdf
ThisAugust,YWCAsacrossthecountry arebandingtogethertoeducate Congressonthecriticalwork wedo andtheessentialservicesweprovide toourcommunities.AtYWCA Princeton,weareaskingforyourhelp inadvocatingfortheworkthatwedo Followalongonoursocialmedia channelsMondayAugust4 -Friday August8 toseetheworkweare doingandthehandsweareshaking, butwecannotdothisworkalone.We willbereachingouttoeachandevery oneofyoutohelpuscallourmembers ofcongress,writetooursenators,and demandourlocalrepresentativesdo betterfortheirconstituents.Interested ingettinginvolved?Visitourcivic engagementandvoterinformation hubforupdatesonourWeekofAction andGetouttheVoteefforts!
th th https://www.ywcaprinceton.org/gotv
What to the Slave is Last week, YWCA Princeton’s Advocacy Team participated in a Princeton community reading of Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Organized by Princeton Public Library, Not in Our Town Princeton, Paul Robeson House of Princeton, the Nassau Presbyterian Church and Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church Joint Mission Committee, and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton - 53 readers participated representing local nonprofits, churches, schools, and universities. Brigitte, Director of Mission Advancement, and Darlene, Equity Coordinator, reflected on what it meant to read Douglass’s words today.
BrigitteJean-Louis,DirectorofMissionAdvancement:FromthemomentI joinedtheZoomcallonMonday,July7th,Iwasimmersedinsomething powerful atruesenseofcommunity.Beforetheprogramevenbegan, participantswerehelpingoneanotherwithcamerasettings,sharingwarm greetings,andexpressingtheirexcitementtohearoneofthemostenduring piecesofAmericanoratory:FrederickDouglass’s1852speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
CallingthePrincetoncommunity’sabridgedreadingofthisspeechmyfavorite eventoftheyeardoesn’tquitecapturethedepthoftheexperienceandthejoy ofbeingacommunityreader.Eachyear,Douglass’wordsstrikeadeeperchord. Theyarebothamirrorandachallenge areminderofhowfarwe’vecomeand howfarwehaveyettogo.Hislanguageisnotsoftenedbytime;itissharpened. Hismessageremainsurgent.
Andyet despitethegravityofthespeech,hopefilledthevirtualroom.All161 ofuswhogatheredleftwithmorethanjustreflection.Weleftwithresolve, knowingthestrengthofthecommunityandthoseworkingtobetterit.So today,I’mchoosinghope.Notapassivehope,butanactive,courageousone. AsDouglasssays,“Atatimelikethis,scorchingirony,notconvincingargument, isneeded...Foritisnotlightthatisneeded,butfire.”Becausehopepairedwith action,becomeschange.
the 4 of July? th DarleneNawuridam,EquityCoordinator:Participatinginthecommunity readingofFredrickDouglass’WhattotheSlaveistheFourthofJuly? was bothmovingandresonant.Thoughdeliveredover170yearsago,manyofthe injusticesDouglassdescribedpersisttoday.
ThesectionIreadfocusedonthelegaldoublestandardsusedtouphold slavery,andhowenslavedpeoplewerepunishedharshlywhilebeingdenied themostbasicrights.Itwasapowerfulreminderthatslaverywasn’tjust tolerated;itwasenforcedthroughlawsdesignedtopreservepowerand control.Thecontradictionoftreatingpeopleaspropertywhilepunishing themlikecitizensisstillvisibleintheracialdisparitiesthatexistinourjustice systemtoday.
Whatdeepenedtheimpactoftheeventwastheopportunitytowitnesshow othersconnectedwithDouglass’wordsinrealtime.Thediversityinvoices, experiences,andinterpretationssharedduringthereadingreflectedthe relevanceofhismessageacrossgenerations.
Althoughtheeventwasvirtual,therewasagenuinesenseofcommunity. Readingalongsideothersgavetheexperienceasharedweightandpurpose. Itremindedmethathistoryisn’tsomethingweobservefromadistance,itis somethingweinherit,livewith,andareresponsibleforshaping.
AsDouglasssaid,wemustlooktothepastonlyasfarasithelpsguidethe future,remindingusthatengagingwithhistoryisn’tjustaboutreflection,but alsoaboutaccountability.Hiswordschallengeustorecognizehowfarwe’ve come,andhowfarwestillhavetogo.
One Big Beautiful Bill Explained President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is having quite the moment. After the Senate passed the bill in a 51-50 vote that required Vice President JD Vance to break a tie, the bill went on to the House of Representatives where it was approved in a 218 - 214 vote, it was sent to President Trump’s desk and signed on Friday July 4 . Though there is a lot to get through in the bill’s nearly 870 pages, it includes damning cuts to social programs and includes tax breaks for the country’s wealthiest few.
Read more about the bill directly from the White House Here are the pieces and changes we would like to highlight, the pages in green represent increased funding, services on red pages are reduced or stopped funding.
$171million towardsrebuilding theStrategic PetroleumReserve increased vouchers for private and religious schools
pell grants $10billionfor eligibleshort-term workforcetraining programslasting between8and15 weeks.Industries includeHealthcare &MedicalSupport, Technology&IT, andSkilledTrades strategic petroleum reserve
$1,700creditper taxpayerto incentivizedonations toprivateschool voucherfunds
One Big Beautiful Bill Explained border security funding $170billionforborder enforcementincluding
$46.5billionfortheUSMexicoborderwall
$6billionallocatedfor bordersecurity technology
$75billionearmarked formassdetentionand deportation
$45billiontobuild migrantdetention centers
$29.2billionforICE enforcement,including hiring10,000newagents
$7.8billionforBorder Patrolstaffing
One Big Beautiful Bill Explained student loans childcare and development block grant (CCDBG)
Newmaximumshave beenplacedonthe amountastudentcan borrowandincomedrivenrepaymentplans nolongerexist
housing credits
$26.7billionincutstorental assistanceprogramspotentially leavingover3millionpeople withouthousingassistance
Whiletherehasbeennodirect decreaseinfunding,thefederal governmenthasallowedstates totailorprogramstotheir needs,leadingtomassive discrepanciesinearlychildhood education.Allindicatorsleadto theCCDBGfundingbeingcut.
English as a Second Language programs
$739millionlossinNewJerseyaloneforadult Englishlanguagelearners,includingthefundingfor ourESLprogram.Thebillincludesthecomplete eliminationoftheEnglishAcquisitionProgram affectingnearly150,000studentsandadults
One Big Beautiful Bill Explained medicaid medicare $8billionreductionand stricterincome requirementsresultingin aroundlossofcoveragefor 10millionAmericans
$6billionincutsoverthe nextthreeyearsaffecting roughly1.4millionseniors anddisabledindividuals
ReducesSNAPfunding byroughly$200billion overthenextdecade.
Anestimated2millionindividuals willloseSNAPbenefits immediatelyand22.3million familieswillhavetheirbenefits reduced.Expandedwork requirementsandtighterstate requirementswillhave immediaterepercussionswith nonprofitorganizationsunableto meetthefoodinsecurityneeds.
SNAP benefits reproductive health services AddsastipulationthatMedicaidcannotbeusedat clinicsthatofferabortionservices,evenifthepatient isseekingothercare.PlannedParenthoodestimates thatnearly200abortionclinicswillbeshutdowndue tolossoffundingandover1millionpatientswould loseaccesstoreproductivehealthcare
Find it Early: Making Necessary Additional Breast Screenings More Accessible By: Laasya Kandarkurti, BCRC Intern
IntroductiontoBreastDensity Breastdensityreferstotheamountoffibrousandglandulartissueinaperson’s breastcomparedtotheamountoffattytissue.Havingdensebreastsmeansthatthe majorityofthebreasttissueisfibrousandglandular,ratherthanfatty.Thisdensity makesitdifficultforradiologiststodistinguishbetweennormalbreasttissueand potentialcanceronamammogram Inaddition,densebreasttissuecannotbefound throughaphysicalbreastexam,onlythroughamammogram,whichisonereason annualmammogramsaresoessential.Inadditiontomakingpotentialtumorsharderto detect,havingextremelydensebreasttissueincreasestheriskofdevelopingdense breasttissuebyuptofourtimescomparedtoindividualswithlessdensetissue.Because ofthis,additionalimagingbeyondamammogram,suchasanultrasoundorMRI,isoften necessaryforproperscreeningof About50%ofallwomenandindividualsassigned femaleatbirthovertheageof40havedensebreasts.Despitehowcommonitis,the importanceofbreastdensityhasonlystartedbeingdiscussedinthepastfewyears.
FindItEarlyAct Oneofthemainboundariestogettingadditionalscreeningisthelackof insurancecoverageortheout-of-pocketcosts,evenforthosewithinsurance These additionalscreeningsareoftenvitalindetectingbreastcancerearly,particularlyin individualsthathavedensebreastsorotherriskfactors.Earlydetectionofbreastcancer saveslives,andexpandingaccesstocancerscreeningsisoneofthemosteffectiveways toimproveoutcomes.InNewJersey,alladditionalscreenings,excluding3D mammograms(DigitalBreastTomosynthesis),arerequiredtobecoveredwhenan individualhasdensebreastsorotherriskfactorsforbreastcancer However,theymay stillbesubjecttocopayordeductiblesbasedonanindividual’sinsuranceplan.It’salso importanttonotethatthisstatelawdoesn’tapplytoeveryone.Thosewithstate-funded, national,orout-of-stateplansmaynothavecoverageforanyadditionalbreastimaging Andinstateswithoutsimilarlegislation,coverageforextrascreeningscanbelimitedor nonexistent.
Congratulations to the Candidates! The candidates are confirmed and the race is on.Stay tuned for more updates!
MIKIESHERRILL JACKCIATTARELLI
