2023 Civics Edition
June 6, 2023
New to URL Media? Subscribe below to receive our free Friday newsletter.
A View From the Ground
News and information about politics, government, civic participation and engagement from URL Media's network of Black and Brown publishers.
A portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen during a prayer ceremony. Credit: Amarjeet Kumar Singh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Hindu supremacist movement is a growing threat in the US: Last summer, the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation establishing the first Indian American Advisory Council. Little did the council know that they had inadvertently promoted a Hindu supremacist ideology, which favors certain faiths over others and promotes India's dominance over other countries in South Asia. As Cyrus Rab and Pushkar Sharma write in Prism, the unprecedented council codified a Hindu supremacist vision in three ways: it promoted a "Greater India," omitted critical markers of India's diversity (e.g. caste, language and sexual orientation), and defined Indians through religion rather than geographical heritage. By collaborating with South Asian American community leaders, the authors worked to educate legislators about Hindu supremacist ideologies. Take a look at their demands here.
A suburban Minnesota district tried to close its most diverse elementary school—until parents fought back: Sahan Journal reports that despite months of community opposition, Newport Elementary School in Minnesota will remain open. “It’s a huge relief,” said Hoyam Elkhedir, a parent of two children at Newport Elementary School. “We feel like our voice was heard, finally.” Last year, South Washington County Schools approved a $462 million facility plan to address population growth and the state's overcrowding in middle and high schools. Initial plans were to convert the school into an early learning center with those funds. However, in August, voters rejected the plan, causing the district to reconsider and start over. Follow the story here.
Calif. bill aims to increase state funding for tribal housing: California state senators have unanimously supported Senate Bill 18, or the Tribal Housing Reconstitution and Resiliency Act, which aims to establish a housing fund for Native Americans. Native News Online reports that the bill seeks to address the housing shortage in tribal communities by building and rehabilitating affordable homes. The proposed legislation would create a Tribal Housing Grant Program Trust Fund, replenished every year for five years, to provide dedicated infrastructure funding for tribal housing. Read more here.+: First member of Navajo Nation appointed US federal judge in Calif.
Screengrab courtesy of YouTube/Haïti Futur
Earthquake in Haiti's Les Abricots underscores the region's need for disaster preparedness: A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Les Abricots — a seaside town in southern Haiti — resulting in three reported deaths and causing widespread panic and destruction in the region. The earthquake's epicenter was near the city of Sainte Helene, where a collapsed two-story house claimed three lives. Some are saying the earthquake in Les Abricots underscores the need for preparedness and training in first-aid rescues during natural disasters, which are common in Haiti’s southern region. The extent of the damage and victims are still unknown, reports the Haitian Times. Follow the developing story here.
Our Partners
