Lift Every Voice And Sing

Our nation once again celebrated the embodiment of all things “America” on Sunday with Superbowl LXIII. Throughout the country, ungodly amounts of chicken wings, nachos, chile, and beer were devoured by football fans accompanied by fans of Usher, flashy TV ads, and Taylor Swift. According to Nielson, there were 123.7 million of us watching it,… Continue reading Lift Every Voice And Sing

United Against Hate Event

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… Continue reading United Against Hate Event

Columbus: Tall Tales, and Dark Realities

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… Continue reading Columbus: Tall Tales, and Dark Realities

Fear and White Supremacy

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… Continue reading Fear and White Supremacy

What is “Woke”?

    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… Continue reading What is “Woke”?

The Most Marginalized of the Marginalized

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,… Continue reading The Most Marginalized of the Marginalized

What Joe Biden and Ronald Reagan Can Teach Newtown About Hiring Teachers

The nomination (and later confirmation) of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the highly qualified judge who will soon be this country’s first Black woman to hold a seat on the Supreme Court, happened within the context of a lot of chatter. I won’t waste anyone’s time addressing the ridiculousness of “Do you think babies are racist?”… Continue reading What Joe Biden and Ronald Reagan Can Teach Newtown About Hiring Teachers