The day after the Super Bowl is always an interesting time to visit social media. From armchair quarterbacks critiquing every play, die-hard football fans trying to convince everyone that there was a bias against their team and those who simply watch the game for the halftime performance and the commercials, it is not difficult to …
Read more “Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl LIX Halftime Show: Layers of Meaning”
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 …
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” If you pay attention to discussions about race and racism in the news, chances are you have seen the quote …
On October 25, 2023 around 100 local residents filled a conference room in the Newtown Community Center. Some of the women wore head coverings while many of the men wore Kippahs. Black, white and Latinx neighbors; clergy of various religions; elected officials (along with current candidates) and law enforcement officers all gathered together with one …
I am an empty nester who loves seeing first day of school pictures each year on social media. I love everything about it: The fresh new haircuts, cute new outfits, and the range of faces reflecting excitement, nervousness, annoyance, and everything in between. The emotions are often mixed, but the first day of school, perhaps …
Read more “Remembering Indigenous Families on the First Day of School”
This is the third in a series of posts that will break down the vocabulary for techniques and fallacies that racists use when confronted with their racist actions and ideals. If you have attempted to have conversations with people about systemic racism in America at any point since 2016, there is a good chance you …
The history of racism against people of Asian American and Pacific Island descent (AAPI) runs deep in America. For as long as people have immigrated to this country, the government has fought hard to keep them from being an equal member of society. Various laws were passed to keep them from gaining citizenship as well …
Read more “Why Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is Important“
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 …
All last month NAFC group focused on what it means to be an ally. We hosted a book discussion about being anti-racist, we defined terms, and we interviewed our young allies and their BIPOC peers at Newtown High School to better understand what it means to be an ally. We challenged our followers on Facebook …
My brain has been getting a workout lately! Just when I think I’m getting things figured out, professor Ibram X. Kendi makes me think again. Below you will find Dr. Kendi’s definitions of concepts he presents in chapters 7-12 of his bestselling book, How To Be An Antiracist. Some are straightforward, others not so much. …
In May of 2020 the country was rocked when the death of George Floyd streamed all over Facebook. Even though Black men have died at rates disproportionate to their White peers throughout the history of the police force, this incident was in our faces and undeniable. The response of the country, mixed in with the …
Talking about racism is hard. Even among scholars there can be disagreement about how the words and phrases used when discussing race should be defined. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of How To Be An Antiracist, considers accurate definitions to be so critical that the book’s first chapter is entitled, “Definitions”. Additionally, all but the …
A new barrier was broken on Sunday, February 12th. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles faced each other as the starting quarterbacks of their respective teams. This was the first time ever in the history of the Super Bowl where both men were Black. Along with the …
Each Black History Month brings the inevitable telling of the story of Ruby Bridges who, at the young age of six, became the first Black child to be integrated into the New Orleans school system. We’ve all seen the pictures of little Ruby, accompanied by US Marshalls, on her first day of school at William …
This past weekend was like one giant “ah-ha” moment for me. The big revelation was that just like Black history is American history, Black music IS American music. There is no segregating the two. I know that this is not news to Black Americans. And that, like me, most white Americans understand that Black artists …
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”
This is the second in a series of posts that will break down the vocabulary for techniques and fallacies that racists use when confronted with their racist actions and ideals. Since I have started educating myself about systemic racism and how it has harmed BIPOC in our country, I have engaged in many conversations about …
As white people start to do the work of becoming anti-racist, there are some phrases we hear that we might not be super familiar with. Part of the purpose of the NAFC blog is to help those who are on this journey understand the language of this field of study. Today we are going to …
Well that didn’t take long. Misinformed Newtowners started sounding alarms about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) along with the first school bells of the new academic year. School has been in session for two and a half short weeks and already accusations of DEI being tantamount to “indoctrination” and the “sexualization of children” have been …
Are you trying to be a better ally? Are there times you find yourself reading an anti-racist book, listening to a podcast, or even reading the NAFC blog, when you come across a phrase that you don’t completely understand? Perhaps you’ve even heard a phrase multiple times, but you do not quite have a firm grasp on what …
More than two decades ago while visiting my hometown for a college football game, I was introduced to a mindset that was previously unknown to me. At the tailgate, an acquaintance was congratulating our mutual friend who had recently wed. He then stunned us both by saying, “I hope you have a big family. We …
June is Pride Month and rainbow flags are everywhere. That’s a good thing, right? While LGBTQ Americans still face far too much discrimination, they are more visible than ever before. Few of us give it a second thought when we learn that a neighbor, friend, or family member is gay. We attend same sex weddings, …
When Linda, a white woman from Newtown, CT, was sixteen years old she walked to the local mall and back with another teenaged girl from her neighborhood. On the way back, the young woman leaned over and said, “don’t look now, but there’s a Black man following us, and I think he wants to rape …
This is the first in a series of posts that will break down the vocabulary for techniques which racists often use when confronted about their actions. When I attended graduate school I was one of only three women in my program. Because I attended a Seminary with aspirations to someday work on staff in an …