Civics 12/5

Tuesday, December 5, 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.

Hundreds of Chinese parents and local residents attended a protest on Oct. 11 in Brooklyn, New York. Credit: Karlin Chan

After an Asian teen is assaulted, a NYC community mobilizes against bullying: In a Brooklyn schoolyard, a dispute over a basketball game led to a brutal attack on a 13-year-old Chinese American boy this past September. Outraged by the attack — and what followed just two days later — hundreds of Chinese parents and local residents in Brooklyn rallied and organized anti-bullying protests demanding justice and pushing for better safety school measures. Many community members and elected officials who participated in the protests told Documented that the incident went far beyond a schoolyard fight. They say it reflects the insecurity they've felt as a community that has experienced unfair treatment and attacks in recent years. Read more here.

Plus: There’s a new directory of Asian therapists. We talked to one. (Epicenter-NYC)

Why journalists must speak out about Gaza: Journalists at Prism, Scalawag, In These Times, Mainline, Mondoweiss, The Real News Network, Reckon, and Truthout collectively penned an op-ed calling for journalists to highlight the number of Palestinian journalists killed in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Their op-ed shares that the biggest lesson they've learned from the deaths of their Palestinian colleagues is "how to stand for the truth and live in dignity even when the risks are insurmountable." Read the full piece here.

More: Palestinian activists respond to Vt. shootings (Prism)

Plus: Malcolm X's vital lesson about our relationship with Palestine (PushBlack)

Detroiters face countless housing emergencies each day. One hotline wants to solve them all: The Detroit Housing Resource Helpline has been helping Detroiters facing all kinds of housing challenges and crises since May, reports Outlier Media. With millions of dollars in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the hotline helps people with everything from a place to stay for the night to home repairs, evictions and various housing assistance programs and resources. Read more here.

Rideshare drivers say alternate companies could step in if Uber, Lyft leave due to proposed ordinances in Minn.: Uber and Lyft drivers in Minneapolis are pushing for a pay increase, and said they're not afraid to ditch the apps if the rideshare companies decide to leave the city. Sahan Journal reports that the Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association (MULDA) has been in touch with other rideshare companies about entering the Twin Cities market, where drivers say they're ready to switch companies and the rideshare companies — not currently in the market — say they would be willing to make drivers stakeholders in the business. Read more here.

Introducing Our Body Politic's Living Data Initiative

Insights on cultural competency and the American mindset: Our Body Politic recently announced findings from its inaugural survey of the Living Data Series, a four-part series aimed at providing U.S. citizens with the opportunity to hold in-depth conversations about political events across the economy, health, politics, education, and the environment in the run-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. 🎧 Our Body Politic >

More: Read findings from the inaugural survey

What's Your View?

The leading story in our newsletter by Documented reports that the 24-year-old who beat up the Brooklyn teen showed up at his home with a baseball bat yelling anti-Asian slurs just two days later. The confrontation turned into a brawl between the attacker and the teen’s father, leading to the arrest of both men by police. Should the Brooklyn District Attorney charge the 24-year-old with a hate crime based on his use of anti-Asian slurs during the confrontation?