Author: Carma Henry

      Maybe there won’t be a copycat mass shooting to grotesquely mark the 25th anniversary of the Columbine massacre on April 20, 1999. But just as we can be certain there will be another solar eclipse, it’s only a matter of time before a hail of bullets will block out the sun for another community somewhere in America. What’s also true? Expect the shooter to be male, probably white. 

     April 15 – 21 is National Week of Conversation, created “for those seeking ways to turn down the heat of polarization, and … engage in activities that build bridges across differences.”

     Ariyaratne founded Sarvodaya–Sri Lanka’s largest nongovernmental organization (NGO). Sarvodaya, which roughly translates to the uplift of all, has the noble vision of “building a just, sustainable, compassionate social order that fulfills the basic human needs of the community through individual and collective awakening.” It’s a vision combining Buddhist and Gandhian principles Truth (satya), Nonviolence (ahimsa) and Selflessness (pararthkami).

     It’s the forgettable quotes, especially in regard to ongoing war, that may be the most dangerous, because all they do is solidify a collective sense of normal. My term for it is “accepted insanity.” We have the technological and psychological capacity to kill not simply thousands or even millions of people but the whole human race, but let’s talk about it in terms of strategy, tactics and public relations! Let’s talk about it as though we’re covering a bunch of 10-yer-old boys throwing stones. Which one’s going to win?

So much of the analysis around the Simpson case ignores the general context of the criminal justice system’s treatment of Black men. Black men in America are disproportionately incarcerated and given longer sentences than white males. Because of Simpson’s wealth he was able to do something most defendants cannot do: Hire the best multi-expert legal team available. The reality of a Black man being acquitted in the murders of a white woman and man was clearly jarring to many commentators.

In addition to the investments, Garland unveiled plans to deploy federal resources and prosecutors to cities disproportionately affected by violent crime, including St. Louis, Missouri; Jackson, Mississippi; and Hartford, Connecticut. He said the targeted deployments aim to support local law enforcement agencies and enhance collaboration in tackling crime hotspots.

     How we’re upgrading your neighborhood: FPL plans to make the following upgrades throughout 2024 in Fort Lauderdale as part of its ongoing commitment to avoid outages and restore power faster following severe weather:

Meet Cynthia Cureton-Robles and her daughter Santia Deck, the owners of TRONUS, the first ever Black woman-owned sneaker brand to be launched by a female athlete. The brand continues to break glass ceilings after its latest announcement that it has expanded its footwear product line to include sports-focused Active Recovery Slides.

      We all need food. It shouldn’t matter what your background is; everyone should have access to affordable, high-quality food. But, in the country we live in, that’s not always the case. Students at historically Black colleges and universities are reportedly facing higher rates of food insecurity than students at predominantly white institutions. 

DEI Backlash Pushes Shell-Shocked Colleges to the right.