Tuesday, December 19, 2023
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A View From the Ground
News and information about politics, government, civic participation and engagement from the URL Media network.
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US Senate wants to designate Black Wall Street as a national monument: Senators James Lankford of Oklahoma and Cory Booker of New Jersey have recently introduced legislation establishing "Historic Greenwood/Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a national monument. During Jim Crow, the district was a thriving metropolis of Black wealth, and its preservation marks a milestone. “We must recognize memory as an aspect of coming to terms with the past by facing all aspects of American history, stories of great cruelty, and great courage,” said Reuben Gant, executive director of the John Hope Franklin Center. The Oklahoma Eagle >
More: “History is written by the victors. That could be why so few of us know Black Wall Street’s financial history.” (Instagram, PushBlack)
Minn. Supreme Court rules on racially imbalanced schools: Plaintiffs in Cruz-Guzman v. State of Minnesota, a lawsuit filed in late 2015 by Minneapolis and St. Paul parents of color, are hailing a recent Minnesota Supreme Court ruling as a victory. The ruling states that if parents can prove that the racially imbalanced demographic makeup of their child's school is a "substantial factor" preventing their child from receiving an adequate education, it is grounds for a constitutional violation. The ruling sets new standards for racially imbalanced charter and public schools in the state. Sahan Journal >
A proposed bill could overhaul police interactions with civilians: A City Council bill intended to document daily interactions between New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and New Yorkers is making headway, but with it comes concerns from the department that they may have to comply with the hefty reporting measure on top of daily stresses they already face on the job. Epicenter-NYC’s Felipe De La Hoz also adds "...the NYPD is concerned mainly that this mandate would reveal a troubling reality: that officers busy themselves stopping and harassing young men of color primarily, without much real benefit and without due scrutiny." Epicenter-NYC >
DeSantis law could decertify this Fla. teachers' union: Critics of Senate Bill 256, which now requires 60% of registered teachers to be part of their workplace’s union or else it could be decertified, say the bill is meant to union-bust and undermine the state’s labor movement. Last month, one union, United Teachers of Dade (UTD), which represents more than 27,000 employees in the Miami-Dade County School System, announced its membership was just short of the new requirement (58.4%) by less than two percent. The union now has until mid-December to reach the new threshold, or it may lose certification. Prism >
Second-generation Americans: What to do when loved ones are sharing misinformation: This guide co-published by Documented and nonprofit newsroom The Markup, focuses on tips for second-generation Americans who want to have constructive conversations with their loved ones about misinformation. Tips to consider? Avoid political arguments and talk about misinformation instead. The guide also recommends explaining the role of algorithmic recommendations in one’s media consumption. Documented >
🗞️ More Headlines
Haitian immigration to America as of 2023, by the numbers (The Haitian Times)
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