Monthly Archives: July 2022

A beautiful waterfront and a lineup of delicious seafood restaurants are some of the highlights of Perth Amboy a Central Jersey town thats full of culture. What many may not know is that this Middlesex County town has a fascinating past dating back to the 1800s. Raritan Bay Union was a utopian community in Perth Amboy, New Jersey that existed for seven years (1853 1860) as an effort to manifest gender, class, and racial equality through intentional living.Read on to learn all about the 19th-century utopia in Perth Amboy.

The Raritan Bay Union community was started in 1853 bywealthy investor Marcus Spring and his force of a wife, Rebecca Buffum Spring. Rebecca, a Quaker, was an avid follower of the great abolitionist, John Brown, and was determined to do all she could to end slavery. Both were convinced that society would change once it had witnessed moral living in action. The two were no strangers to the concept of utopian communities. They founded Raritan Bay Union after leaving the secular North American Phalanx community in Colts Neck Township,Monmouth County, New Jersey out of frustration with that societys pluralistic lack of focus.

These intentional cooperative communities were incorporated by founders who then sold shares to stockholders who became members.Like the Shakers before them, they wished to plan and create a more perfect society. The latter half of the nineteenth century, during the decades leading up to the Civil War, was an especially intense period of American ideological fervor. Critiques of the still-new United States government drove the most optimistic to believe they might lead by example.

New Jersey locals made occasional attempts, well into the beginning of the twentieth century, to build a perfect society set apart from the corrupting influences of mainstream life. In 1906, Upton Sinclair, author of the scathing social critiqueThe Jungle, founded the Helicon Home Colony in Englewoodthough it burned down after only half a year. Emma Goldman, who famously fought for racial equity, womens reproductive rights, and freedom from the government while claiming, If I cant dance, I dont want to be part of your revolution, participated in the Stelton Colony in Piscataway NJ.

One aspect that set the Union apart from most other intentional communities was its economic design. Members were not forced to surrender their private property for the purposes of the group. Though the Union was meant to correct outside social inequalities and to save labor and money for members who would work collectively, members could live communally or in private residences. Along with their shared work within thecommunity, they were expected to participate in social events and exchange knowledge gained in their individual intellectual pursuits.

Read More: All About the Hamilton House Museum in Clifton, NJ

A major aspect of the Union was its boarding school. The school was considered radical in its time. Female students were encouraged to participate in activities that were, at the time, generally limited to males. They were taught to speak in public, engage in physical sports, perform in theatrical plays, and be actively involved in social agitation for the causes espoused within the community.

The schoolwas run by Theodore Weld, a well-known abolitionist and journalist who was married to the equally famous abolitionist, Angelina Grimk. Sisters Angelina and Sarah Grimk were teachers in the school, along with several other noted social reformers. There, they taught the children of other abolitionists, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Black leadership was glaringly absent from this and other utopian communities of the era. Sarah Grimk tied the subordination of enslaved people and free women together, identifying both as unjustly deemed mentally inferior while being denied access to education. Prominent Black speakers came often to give presentations to the community andstudents. Yet, while the Grimk sisters championed the education of their Black nephews sons of their brother, Henry the Union school was hardly interracial.

In this, and other ways, the Union was a place of contradiction. Contradictions around race abound in the history of Perth Amboy. The Perth Amboy wharf was New Jerseys primary inbound port for selling enslaved people kidnapped out of Africa during the colonial settlement era. Yet, that same city would, in 1870, be the place whereThomas Mundy Peterson became the first free Black person in the US to votein an election after the passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.

See More: Around the World in 80 Days: From Hoboken to Jersey City

The Union did not remain intact for long. The inconsistencies of beliefs and intentions that had driven the Welds to leave the Phalanx community and to found the Union emerged in their Perth Amboy community too. Perhaps unsurprisingly, not everyone who signed on to the overarching themes of racial, class, and gender equality shared the same ideas of how to express and live their idealism. Some of the variances in perspective amongst members were centered on philosophies of education and others on aspects of community life. Some members and visitors simply found the community stifling.

While visiting in 1856, Henry David Thoreau let it be known that he did not appreciate the degree to which members were expected to participate in community society. He was specifically aggrieved by his inclusion at each evenings dance social. Less a revolutionary than a recluse, it isnt terribly surprising that Thoreaus notion of utopia did not include the famous dancing demanded byEmma Goldman.

The end of the Union as an incorporated venture did not mean the total dissolution of the community. In the post-Union years, Marcus Spring attempted to draw literary and artistic intellectuals to the spot. In 1864, Marcus invited artist George Inness to come to live at Eagleswood, the new name for the school and surrounding area. Often called the father of American landscape painting, Inness paintings of New England and theEast Coastsparked an art movement referred to as Tonalist that could be described as artworks set into edit mode with the warmth mode turned all the way up, bathing scenes in rich yellow and red hues. Rather than pay rent, Inness presented Spring with his painting Peace and Plenty (1865) which isnow on view in Gallery 760 of the American Wing at the MET Museum.

(Photo credit:metmuseum.org)

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All About the Utopia That Was Once in Perth Amboy, NJ - Montclair Girl - The Montclair Girl

By Kailey Fiedler-Gohlke / For The Herald

As the new 988 mental health hotline rolls out across the country, theres growing concern among officials and advocates alike that the system is not ready to meet demand.

In Washington, one of only four states that managed to pass comprehensive legislation (House Bill 1477) to sustainably fund its 988 call centers, the outlook surprisingly isnt any better. Already, more than a third of crisis calls made in Washington are rerouted out of state to backup centers, where operators inevitably wont be as familiar with local needs or resources. The state continues to struggle to fill call center jobs and the situation only stands to get worse as more people turn to 988 for help.

The hope is that 988 will eventually allow people experiencing a mental health emergency to easily reach a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via call, text, or chat, and be met by mobile crisis teams; drastically reducing police involvement on mental health calls to the few, limited circumstances when public safety is at risk.

But our vision for mental health care shouldnt start and stop at the moment of crisis. We need a more comprehensive and compassionate continuum of services, one that holistically supports a persons wellbeing, and works to prevent crises to begin with.

As the chief executive officer of HERO House NW, a group of clubhouses based in Bellevue, Everett and Seattle, Ive seen firsthand how our model of care has been able to help people whose lives have been disrupted by mental illness to recover and thrive.

Clubhouses like ours provide a safe, dedicated environment for people living with serious mental illness, where they can get access to practical services including job training, housing support, education and affordable, healthy meals that consider all of a persons needs, not just their clinical ones.

While medication and therapy treat the symptoms of serious mental illness, clubhouses address the deep social isolation that so often accompanies these conditions. By bringing people into an intentional community and building the necessary trust, were able to work with members to improve their health without turning to coercion and forced treatment, all while reducing the negative impacts of incarceration, homelessness and neglect that people with serious mental illness disproportionately face.

This approach, rooted in respect and human dignity, has a long, proven history of incredible results ever since Fountain House first pioneered the model in the late 1940s. To this day, clubhouse members are more likely to be employed and stably housed, and have lower health care costs than others living with serious mental illness.

For Lisa, a member of Bellevue Clubhouse, our community gave her the confidence, acceptance and strength of purpose to make major changes in her life, including going back to school. Shes now joined our board as a clubhouse representative working to aid others in their recovery and tells me that: We may have to deal with a serious mental illness for the rest of our lives, but we can still have meaningful lives, one day at a time.

While 988 wont be perfect overnight, it shows theres bipartisan support among state officials, policy makers and the public at large to advance mental health care; working towards a continuum of services that should leverage the power of clubhouse communities as an important tool for a persons recovery.

To accomplish a truly effective care response, we need to give people in crisis more than a number to turn to. Expanding clubhouse capacity should be a critical part of our strategy and approach, recognizing that its a model shown to save lives, save money, and improve outcomes with grace.

Kailey Fiedler-Gohlke is chief executive officer of HERO House NW in Bellevue, a member-led community for people living with serious mental illness that is modeled after Fountain House and part of Fountain Houses national clubhouse network.

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Comment: 988 crisis line will help, but care needed after call | HeraldNet.com - The Daily Herald

On Saturday, the City of Denver held a public meeting at the Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Library to hear from residents about how they would you spend $2 million in Denver. City officials have been asking residents in different neighborhoods for input on project ideas on how to improve infrastructure in the city.

"I would put some lights stop lights in different areas," said Rosa Marie Vergil-Garcia, a Denver resident.

It's all part of the first ever participatory budgeting process giving community members a say in how to spend millions in capital funds for those in the far northeast area, east Denver and southwest Denver, among others.

"I think it should be spent on ecology and water-based planning that has mobility stacked on top of that, so that we're planning for people and the planet," Heidi Newhart said.

Officials are trying to be intentional with outreach by connecting with historically underserved communities, by going to food banks, public housing sites and even Denver County Jail.

"We've heard a lot about lights and parks to make safer neighborhoods. We've heard a lot about transportation issues, things like bike lanes or filling out wide sidewalks where there are gaps," said Kiki Turner, the deputy of communications for the department of finance with the City and County of Denver. "We know that sometimes people might not trust the city or an unfamiliar face, but they will trust their local leaders, so we're trying to empower those residents and those groups."

These are changes that Vergil-Garcia hopes doesn't displace the people in those areas.

"I want to see the people stay in their own houses and be safe," she said.

The process of gathering ideas is the first phase of the program. Ideas can still be submitted until July 31 at 11:59 p.m. After that, proposals will be developed and voted on, and infrastructure projects could be started as early as next year.

To submit ideas, visit Let's Budget, Denver: How Would You Spend $2 million in Denver?.

Marissa Armas is a bilingual reporter who's thrilled to be back home in Colorado reporting on her community. Born and raised in Denver, Marissa's a proud Latina, with roots in El Salvador, Guatemala and New Mexico.

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Denver residents give input on $2 million in city infrastructure spending - CBS Colardo

Every other Friday, 25 Chicagoland mothers head to the South Austin neighborhood to participate in an initiative that will help support these young women in their academic careers.

The Academic Coaching program is part of New Moms, an nonprofit organization that provides services and coaching for young mothers around housing, job training and family support.

Since 1983, New Moms began working with mothers who are 24 years old or younger. Each year, New Moms partners with more than 300 young women who are looking to improve their lives for themselves and their families.

In January, the three-year pilot program partnered with the City Colleges of Chicago to increase degree attainment.

We created the Academic Coaching program with the goal of increasing degree attainment for young moms in Chicagoland, said Stephanie Held who is the marketing and communications coordinatorfor New Moms. We believe intentional investment in the postsecondary persistence and achievement of young moms will have lasting positive influences on families and communities.

Moms participate in a positive parenting practices session led by Kyra Walker-Tate, back to the camera, for moms in the academic coaching program at New Moms on July 22, 2022, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

In Illinois, 22% of all undergraduates are parents, according to the Institute for Womens Policy Research. Single moms in Illinois who graduate with a bachelors degree are 67% less likely than high school graduates to live in poverty and 45% less likely with an associates degree.

Additionally, there is an explicit racial equity piece to our goals because women of color are not graduating from college at the same rate as their white peers, much less student parents, Held said. An intentional investment like this program will provide a strong return on investment to families and communities leading to more mothers of color graduating from postsecondary schools and working in family-sustaining, living-wage jobs.

Over the next three years, the Academic Coaching program aims to understand how a peer network can help support young moms enrolled in college and see what kind of impact monthly monetary support has on student parents, according to Held.

Recruitment for participants was done among New Moms, an existing network including mothers who are co-enrolled in the Housing, Job Training and Family Support programs and alumni from those programs, according to Held.

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The application process included having applicants submit a letter of recommendation and a letter of intention reflecting on how the program would help them persist during their college career.

Childcare volunteer Anna Morato helps out with children whose moms are participating in the academic coaching program at New Moms on July 22, 2022, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

During the program, the 25 moms will receive a $500 monthly stipend while enrolled in the program, according to the City Colleges of Chicago.

City Colleges of Chicago is dedicated to eliminating barriers and addressing inequities that impact access to higher education for underserved communities, Juan Salgado, chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago said in a statement. The new academic coaching program is a powerful example of our shared investment in supporting young parents as they pursue their education.

Along with biweekly individual and group coaching, the academic coaching program provides transportation and child care support.

Should a mother take longer than three years to finish their degree, they will still be enrolled in the program and continue getting academic support until graduation and beyond.

Many student parents will start college and never finish, Held said. We want to see the city rally around this underserved and growing group and invest in ways in supporting them.

tatturner@chicagotribune.com

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25 Chicagoland moms are participating in a three-year pilot program to further invest in their academic careers - Chicago Tribune

SOMERS There were two questions posed by Bakari Sellers to the attendees of the P2F Conference on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion held Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

How far have we come? And where do we go from here?

Sellers was the keynote speaker for the conference that brought together organizations and businesses from the area to discuss practical and intentional applications of diversity, equity and inclusion principles.

In asking the questions, Sellers made clear the ensuing discussion was not just for communities of color but for everyone.

Sellers described it as the journey were on together for a more perfect union.

There is a duty everyone has, he said, to leave the country better than you found it.

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History

Sellers covered a lot of history in his short speech:

These events were not a long time ago, Sellers said. If Emmitt Till had lived, he would be younger than Nancy Pelosi and a year older than President Joe Biden.

Bakari Sellers spoke of the courage of Mamie Till, the mother of Emmitt Till, who was the victim of racist violence in Mississippi in 1955 when he was just 14 years old. Mamie Till insisted her son have an open casket, so people could see the violence done to her son. She also allowed photographers to take pictures, which were then distributed across the country. Sellers told the young people in the audience to take out their phones and Google Emmitt Till's funeral photo to understand how Mamie Till sparked a generation of civil rights activism. Shown here, Amarion Schroeder looks on while Dr. Arletta Frazier pulls up the famous photo.

Communities of colorare still struggling, he continued, and pointed to the lack of access to affordable housing, clean water and barriers to the ballot box in many cities.

Kids still go to school where the heating and cooling does not work, the infrastructure is dilapidated, and they are literally punished for the zip code they were born into, Sellers said.

Weve made a lot of progress, Sellers told those in attendance, but we still have yet a ways to go.

Sellers

Sellers is the son of civil rights activist Cleveland Sellers, who survived the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre in which South Carolina state troopers opened fire on students, injuring 28 and killing three. The state troopers were acquitted of using excessive use-of-force, but Cleveland Sellers was convicted of rioting and served a year in prison at hard labor. He was later pardoned.

The younger Sellers would follow in his fathers footsteps but in endeavors not available to the previous generation. He became the youngest black official in the countrys history when he was elected in 2006 to the South Carolina House of Representatives at just 22 years old.

He now works as an attorney and is a New York Times best-selling author and CNN political commentator.

What next

As for what is next, Sellers said, That question is damn hard and it gives me anxiety. Its something I think about every day.

He noted it was a question discussed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the book titled, Where Do We Go From Here?

Sellers explained King did not ask open-ended questions or give choices. For King, there was either freedom or bondage, justice or injustice, chaos or community.

For Sellers, the answer to where we go from here lies in the ability to love your neighbors even when they dont love you.

Sellers said that was an action item, but also a hard one, especially for members of the black community.

Thats the challenge, he said. Thats the burden. Thats very, very difficult.

Sellers admitted it was aspirational for him.

I dont want anyone here to think Ive achieved this, but He aint done with me yet, Sellers said.

The second thing he advised was learning to dream with your eyes open.

I fundamentally believe theres nothing irredeemable about this country, Sellers said, We just have to reimagine what she looks like.

He explained that meant reimagining systems of oppression that are bearing down on so many, deconstruct those and reimagine those so theyre equitable for all.

P2F

The conference where Sellers made his remarks was organized by Payne & Frazier Consultants, located in downtown Racine.

The P2F Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion had the support of the Payne Family contingency. From left: Dr. Deonte Moss, Dr. Krontayia Payne-Moss, Kayla Payne, Alonzo Payne, and Kimberly Payne.

Malik Frazier (far right) was very excited to hear from his mom, Dr. Arletta Frazier (shown center), that Bakari Sellers would be the keynote speaker at the P2F Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Arletta said when he was young, she always ensured that he read books, which sparked his interest in politics. While Sellers may be one of his heroes, Malik said his mom continued to be his inspiration. However, when the time came, Malik did not pursue a political career. He works as a deputy with the Racine County Sheriff's Office and is in the Army Reserve.

Kimberly Payne and Dr. Arletta Frazier formed the company five years ago. They specialize in community engagement, offer training in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and work with vulnerable populations, which includes the Right Direction mentoring program through Racine Unified School District that assists at-risk youth.

Payne told the attendees of the conference, I have a simple desire to do good work that matters in our community.

The P2F Conference for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Understanding Our Past and Present Building our Future was designed to provide professionals and community members with practical DEI information.

Payne explained people might attend DEI conferences but are challenged to implement what they learned once they returned to their offices.

She said the information provided at the conference was designed to be useful and usable. The conference was also an opportunity for people to discuss changing demographics and cultural identity development.

Payne added they sought to challenge participants to explore and examine their own biases, their own cultures, and explore how they engage with others as a result of that.

Dr. Arletta Frazier said the second day of the conference would include topics of DEI by design; that is, what DEI should look like for the individuals organization and the intentional actions that could be undertaken to apply the principles discussed at the conference.

She said the conference was an opportunity to really design what DEI means to them and how it was going to look moving forward.

Additionally, the attendees would develop an understanding that diversity is actually a broad term.

We always want to put diversity as black and white, due to the climate that were living in right now, especially since George Floyd, so we want to always put a color to it, Frazier said. But diversity is broad and much larger than that.

The conference also sought to educate people on the necessity of creating environments that are equitable for all; that is, removing barriers that hinder people from being successful.

Dr. Arletta Frazier said it was important that young, Black men in the community be at the keynote speech by Bakari Sellers. She wanted them to see a successful Black man, to understand what was possible. Dontavious Steeves, front, and Giovanni King, back, both had questions for Sellers. King wanted to know if Sellers was running for president. He replied he was not.

Frazier explained it is not enough to hire people from diverse backgrounds. Organizations must also ensure their diverse populations are successful in those positions, that their voices are respected and brought to the table.

The keyword, she continued, was intentional. Having a professional environment where diverse populations thrive does not happen by chance; instead, it happens when those in charge take deliberate actions intentional actions to ensure a thriving workforce.

Anny Morrobel-Sosa, UW System vice president for academic and student affairs, speaks during a press conference on campus Wednesday announcing a project funded through a Workforce Innovation Grant that will draw on regional partnerships to teach employable skills to incarcerated students while and work to reduce racial disparities in education, income and incarceration.

Anny Morrobel-Sosa, UW System vice president for academic and student affairs, speaks during a press conference on campus Wednesday announcing a project funded through a Workforce Innovation Grant that will draw on regional partnerships to teach employable skills to incarcerated students while and work to reduce racial disparities in education, income and incarceration.

Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr speaks during a press conference Wednesday at UW-Parkside announcing a project funded through a Workforce Innovation Grant that will draw on regional partnerships to teach employable skills to incarcerated students and work to reduce racial disparities in education, income and incarceration.

UW-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford speaks during a press conference on campus Wednesday announcing a project funded through a Workforce Innovation Grant that will draw on regional partnerships to teach employable skills to incarcerated students and work to reduce racial disparities in education, income and incarceration.

UW-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford speaks during a press conference on campus Wednesday announcing a project funded through a Workforce Innovation Grant that will draw on regional partnerships to teach employable skills to incarcerated students and work to reduce racial disparities in education, income and incarceration.

UW-Parkside Communications Professor Jonathan Shailor, center, stands to be recognized during a press conference on campus Wednesday, announcing a project funded through a Workforce Innovation Grant that will draw on regional partnerships to teach employable skills to incarcerated students and work to reduce racial disparities in education, income and incarceration. Shailor has led the Shakespeare Project at the Racine Correctional Institute since the 1990s, a partnership between Parkside and the Racine prison which provides a chance for inmates to study and perform the works of William Shakespeare.

Anny Morrobel-Sosa, UW System vice president for academic and student affairs, speaks during a press conference on campus Wednesday announcing a project funded through a Workforce Innovation Grant that will draw on regional partnerships to teach employable skills to incarceratedstudents while and work to reduce racial disparities in education, income and incarceration.

We always want to put diversity as black and white, due to the climate that were living in right now, especially since George Floyd, so we want to always put a color to it. But diversity is broad and much larger than that.

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Bakari Sellers tells local audience progress has been made but there's work to be done - Journal Times

Once a year, Gannett asks its local newsrooms (including the Courier & Press) to update readers on a 2020 pledge the news organization made to better reflect its communities.

At the Courier & Press, our 2022 diversity report is a mixed bag. Our racial make-up 92 percent white and 8 percent Black represent the largest two segments of what Census data says is Evansville's population (86 percent and 6 percent, respectively).

When it comes to gender diversity, the Courier & Press falls short. Last year, our newsroom was one-third women, and that fell in 2022 to just over one-fourth.

More:Gannett newsrooms making steady progress in overall diversity

Two departures from our leadership ranks over the past 12 months, including Cindi Andrews' move to senior news director at the Indianapolis Star, have left us without women in management roles. Andrews was the first female executive editor in our newspaper's history.

When we've had career opportunities open at the Courier & Press, we have pushed to make sure we explore a diverse, deep pool of talent to fill each role. Still, as with many industries, local journalism has dealt with upheaval in the labor market and the accompanying worker shortages.

But we'll keep working at it. Different perspectives and different backgrounds help us see issues in more ways. That leads to a clearer picture, which we can then, hopefully, present to you as more effective (and more accurate) community journalism.

Evansville Courier & Press:2022 newsroom diversity snapshot

Those of us working in the Courier & Press newsroom today know that the concept of diversity stretches across several categories race, ethnicity, age, gender andthought and we need to reflect those differences in our coverage.

We have a journalist on staff whose role is to examine culture and diversity in the community, a position that we created in 2021. It has helped us to be more intentional in our approach to examining issues that affect people of color and others who may feel underrepresented in local media.

Tri-State diversityTri-State's racial makeup is changing. The 'why' is complicated.

As Andrews wrote in last year's update, and I wholeheartedly support: "Ultimately, we want to know that we're writingfor,notabout,various segments of the population."

You'll notice we still run few jailhouse mug shots. That's a policy that seems like an even wiser choice now after a local sheriff told the Courier & Press that he considered mug shots to be for "entertainment value" and that he arbitrarily removed the mug shot of a government body's attorney following his June arrest.

Know that whatever progress we makeor don't makein our reporting, hiring and reflection of our community, we will report back to you about it in a year.

We are accountable to you.

Ryan Reynolds is interim editor of the Courier & Press. You can reach him via email at ryan.reynolds@courierpress.com or follow him on Twitter, @ryanreynolds.

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Revisiting the Courier & Press' diversity pledge in 2022 - Courier & Press