As Donald J. Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on—of all days—the day we celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—I find myself thinking of my parents. My parents were born in a small town in Mississippi in the early 20th century, during the Jim Crow era—when …
An Essay by Konrad Miller I state at the outset of this blog that I am no expert. I am simply a man with a set of experiences and perspectives who like any other, strives to understand the dynamics of the reality he lives in. I attended the Juneteenth ceremony at the state capital and …
by: Alenda Calderbank As a kid, Columbus Day was a welcome day off from school a month into the school year. As the leaves shined bright orange against the crisp blue sky and we heard the familiar sound of rustling leaves, we recited the familiar children’s poem that helped us remember the year Columbus …
Well, here we are again. Another late-night Board of Education meeting in Newtown with more parents in attendance and more passionate speeches about the protection of First Amendment rights, the importance of representation in literature, and the ability to handle more mature material by high school aged students. I went into this meeting incredibly jaded, …
By: Lee Shull The past few weeks in America have been unsettling. Mass shootings, related protests, the silencing of voices, racist expulsions (during Holy Week), and reinstatements into the Tennessee State House. Followed by two more mass shootings in Louisville, a shooting within miles and at the same time as a bank mass shooting, a …
The term ‘woke’ has been used a lot in political discourse lately. What is your reaction when you hear ‘woke’? Is it something you aspire to, or do you dismiss the idea as something not worth consideration? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘woke’ as “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues …
A Letter written by Linda O’Sullivan There’s a phenomenon that I feel doesn’t get enough attention. Since Black History Month wrapped up a few weeks ago, I’d like to share some thoughts on this. Why is it that the response to Black movements such as BLM takes the form of calls for supporting the police? …
In honor and recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Newtown brothers Karl and Kenneth Miller are sharing the following essays, which they authored some years ago. Kenneth was in 4th grade when he wrote his, Karl in 10th. Both young men, who are Black, make clear that Dr. King is a daily inspiration to …
Read more “In Their Own Words: Newtown Brothers Honor MLK Jr”
The following post was written by Konrad Miller, a member of NAFC. June 19th, 1865 (Juneteenth) is the date that the last slaves in Galveston, Texas were declared free by General Gordon Grainger. The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was not regarded as consequential in Galveston in January of 1863. Black people were kept as …
At the recent April 5th Board of Ed meeting, a man spoke during public participation. Referring to racism in Newtown, he said, “it’s not like this is 1960’s Alabama” and that “most of Newtown is filled with very nice people, and only 10% are racist and bigoted.” I have no idea if this 10% statistic …
I want to talk about the hypocrisy happening not only in our town, but nationwide. I wrote a letter recently about tone policing occurring at our BOE meetings — and, guess what? It is still happening. If you’re still unclear what’s happening, let me break it down for you with this national example first. The …
I have been living in Sandy Hook for 17 years. I have three children of various ages, and one of the values is that I try to uphold to my utmost best to be consistent with my parental rules with my children. I think we all can agree that when someone gets treated very differently …
In early April, Newtowners on social media rallied around a hawk that had been cruelly shot with an arrow. In one online post, 614 of us “liked” or “loved” that the hawk had been captured and was being treated. He was lifted in prayer by many and monetary contributions were collected for his care. Later …
As we enter Black History month, let us take time to acknowledge that Black history is American history. As community members, let us make the effort to reach beyond memorized Martin Luther King quotes and black Instagram squares. As community leaders, recognize that learning is never-ending and empty platitudes impede progress and connection. When we …