Category Archives: Freedom

In an unusual and chilling ruling Thursday, a New York judge ordered the New York Times to refrain from further disseminating or publishing information about Project Veritas, the activist group led by far-right provocateur James OKeefe, and from further efforts to solicit or acquire materiala clear violation of the First Amendment that was immediately decried by journalists and free speech activists. Prior restraintswhich are orders not to publishare among the most serious threats to press freedom, Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement Thursday. The trial court should have never entered this order. If it doesnt immediately vacate the prior restraint, Brown continued, an appellate court must step in and do so.

The temporary stay, requested by Project Veritas and granted by Westchester County Judge Charles D. Wood, came a week after the Times reported on internal memos in which an attorney for the organization, Benjamin Barr, describes how it can conduct its sting operations without violating federal laws. Project Veritas, which made its name with spying stunts on Democrats and liberal aligned-groups, is being investigated by the Department of Justice; last week, federal agents raided OKeefe and former operatives as part of a probe into how the organization obtained the diary of President Joe Bidens daughter, Ashley. The Times says it had the documents before that raid, but Project Veritas argued to Wood that their publication violated attorney-client privilege and were an attempt by the Times to embarrass the group in a 2020 defamation suit it filed against the paper.

The judges order is temporary, barring the paper from reporting on Project Veritas until a hearing next week. But a court forbidding a news outlet from doing its work nevertheless constitutes an egregious affront to press freedom, and the Times promised to fight the decision. This ruling is unconstitutional and sets a dangerous precedent, Dean Baquet, executive editor of the Times, said in a statement. When a court silences journalism, it fails its citizens and undermines their right to know. Elizabeth Locke, the attorney representing Project Veritas in the defamation suit, denied that the order amounted to prior restraint. But as First Amendment advocates and others in the press pointed out, that argument is plainly absurd.

Whats particularly galling about Project Veritass position is that, as the Washington Posts Erik Wemple pointed out Friday, OKeefe and his operatives posture as First Amendment absolutists. OKeefes group may be more of a right-wing activist group posing as an outlet, but its fair to be concerned about the precedent it sets when the government decides what is and isnt journalism. Its also true that there are legitimate questions as to whether the government was heavy handed in raiding Project Veritas, as Locke argued in court. But in its case against the Times, the groups hypocrisy is self-evident. Project Veritass leaders fancy themselves First Amendment purists, Wemple wrote, yet the actions theyre now asking courts to authorize would leave that doctrine in tatters.

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Press Freedom Advocates Alarmed That Project Veritas Just Muzzled the New York Times - Vanity Fair

On Nov. 13, 2021, Michael Flynn, previously a national security adviser to former President Trump, called for the establishment of one religion in the United States. This is a dangerous affront to our first amendment rights.

Recently, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding first amendment rights in the United States, with many citizens expressing concerns about cancel culture and other challenges to free speech. This civil liberty is viewed as absolutely necessary to uphold personal freedom within our republic. However, freedom of speech is only one essential right that is enshrined within the first amendment to the US Constitution. In fact, it is not even the foremost right enumerated within that amendment. The first amendment begins by stating, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Despite their personal religious beliefs, the founding fathers found the separation of church and state, in practice, to be so important that they began their Bill of Rights by addressing it immediately.

Regardless of ones personal politics, upholding the first amendment to our Constitution means that we cannot pick and choose which of these rights to defend and which to violate. To protect freedom of speech, we must also protect freedom of religion, and that means maintaining the separation of church and state. To do otherwise would lead to a slippery slope where, in the end, fundamental rights and freedoms would be diminished for United States citizens of all religious backgrounds, including Christians.

Molly Frey

St. Cloud

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Threat to freedom of religion affects people of all beliefs: Letter

Read more here:

Threat to freedom of religion affects people of all beliefs: Letter - Yahoo News

Kristen Post had pretty standard goals: get a good job, marry, own a home, have a kid.

A few years back, she earned a masters degree in social work, met her husband, Brett, and got a gig as a social worker doing something she loved. It didnt pay as much other other professions, but her life had purpose. Meanwhile, Brett labored long hours as a warehouse lead at Amerisource Bergen. Neither were paid a fortune, but they were doing well enough to get by and dream of purchasing a house before their next life goal of having a kid.

In 2018, after being married for five years, they found a realtor and started looking for a place of their own. They soon realized the only properties they could afford in the Denver area were mostly awful townhomes with homeowners associations with hefty monthly fees, recalled Kristen. Add to that homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, student loan debt and daily expenses, and it was pretty clear that homebuying wasnt going to be easy.

The combination of mortgage, insurance and our other bills looking at you student loans would put us at the absolute maximum end of our budget, Kristen said.

But they kept hoping. They kept trying. They kept feeling pressure to do the standard American Dream thing.

Even if we did put in an offer on something, wed get in a bidding war, Brett said. The idea of trying to compete against buyers who could pay outright in cash didnt feel tolerable.

Then the pandemic struck, and they had a kid, explained Kristen. That takes up some time.

RELATED: Artist Lauri Lynnxe Murphy has rented more than 30 homes and studios in Denver. A developer, of all people, helped her buy a place of her own.

A relative of Kristens had been dealing with medical issues and needed extra help, so the Posts moved into her large Lone Tree home to assist with daily chores. While they still paid rent, they had a good deal and could save money for a down payment. But with houses getting pricier each year, they realized that was just a fantasy.

They said theyve officially given up on ever owning a home again at least until Denvers housing market shifts or they move somewhere more affordable.

After years of the Denver housing market skyrocketing, things are stabilizing a bit.

Earlier in the year, expectations from sellers were that their homes would sell for substantially above asking price, noted realtor Andrew Abrams, chair of the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trends Committee, in a statement. While properties are still closing above asking at 101.82 percent of the list price, realities have caught up with expectations. Buyers can be grateful that the extreme bidding wars are less common, and those without 20 percent to put down have a fair shot at a house and the continued low interest rates can keep monthly payments down.

But even if prices truly level out, assuming thats a longish-term trend, families like the Posts still struggle to imagine buying. The median closing price for a single family home was $525,000 as of October, according to the DMAR market trends report. And in recent years, there has been a shortage of family homes on the market. On Nov. 18, there were just 15 two-bedroom single-family homes listed on Zillow for less than $300,000 many of which came with high HOA fees.

RELATED: Denver rents continue to skyrocket, mirroring those of pricey East Coast cities

Unless something really cool happens with the market or we win the lottery, Im just not willing to be broke every single month for a house to say we own a house, Kristen said.

Living with relatives is not exactly an ideal longtime solution for the Posts. Now, theyre considering moving to Weld County, near other couples they know who are having kids. They hope there they can find cheaper rentals. If not, they might leave Colorado altogether.

Were in a weird financial bracket, Kristen said. Were not poor enough to qualify for any assistance, but were very close to that margin. A lot of people in our price range are really competitive and things go quickly, and everybody wants the same thing.

Giving up on home buying, for the Posts, has actually been liberating, Kristen said. They no longer feel burdened by trying to fulfill a dream that didnt make financial sense. But explaining that sense of freedom to older family members who managed to buy a house and raise a kid when the market was more affordable continues to prove tough. Kristen said relatives in older generations cant wrap their heads around why the numbers dont work out for the younger Posts.

Its a wild time to be a new parent, Kristen said. Its so different than our parents. You cant explain it to some people in our family.

Excerpt from:

These new Denver parents say they found freedom when they gave up on their homebuying dreams - Denverite

We have been consistent in our position and reiterate that it would be a calamity if the important and life-affirming provisions in this bill were accompanied by provisions facilitating and funding the destruction of unborn human life, the bishops letter stated.

WASHINGTON The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the Build Back Better Act on Nov. 19, voting 220-213 to approve nearly $2 trillion in domestic spending for a host of ambitious new social programs, including universal pre-kindergarten, increased child care subsidies, and initiatives aimed at shifting the country away from fossil fuels.

The morning vote was almost entirely along party lines. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, was the lone Democrat to break with his party and voted no on the bill. The legislation still needs to be passed in the U.S. Senate.

In a statement released by the White House, President Joe Biden, D, hailed the bill as transformative legislation that would "create jobs, reduce costs, make our country more competitive, and give working people and the middle class a fighting chance.

Further, Biden said the bill would get Americans back to work by providing child care and care for seniors, and would cut taxes on the middle class.

The bill, along with the infrastructure law, is the most significant investment in our fight against the climate crisis, said Biden.

Catholic and pro-life organizations, however, warned that the contents of the bill could prove disastrous for religious freedom.

[House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and her allies are sneakily working to force Americans to be complicit in abortion on demand up to birth every which way they can, Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement following the passage of the bill.

Today [Pelosi] even touted the fact that the popular bipartisan Hyde and Helms amendments, which stop taxpayer funding of abortion both at home and overseas, are simply not in the bill, she said.

The Hyde and Helms amendments restrict the use of taxpayer funds for elective abortions in the U.S. and abroad, respectively. They have been included as riders in budgetary bills since the 1970s.

Prior to Fridays vote, in a Nov. 3 letter to members of Congress, six bishop chairmen of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) expressed support for the broad goals and many of the provisions in the bill that support the poor and vulnerable and strengthen the social safety net.

Specifically, the bishops pointed to an extension to the recent expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit; provisions to support families such as a permanent refundable Child Tax Credit, childcare resources, in-home care for family members, and a strengthening of child nutrition programs; an expansion of SSI to residents of U.S. territories; affordable housing provisions; and important environmental provisions, especially climate and energy programs critical to achieving emissions reductions targets."

At the same time, the bishops' letter expressed grave concerns about provisions the bishops say threaten religious freedom rights and the the lives of the unborn.

Specifically, while expanded access to early child care and pre-k would be beneficial for many working families, we are concerned that the current provisions to do so in a departure from the approach in existing federal programs explicitly make providers recipients of federal financial assistance and attach new and troubling compliance obligations, the letter said.

This will effectively exclude many faith-based providers from participation (or in some already existing state-based programs, continued participation), thereby severely limiting options for families, and suppressing a mixed delivery system," the letter stated.

The letter also called the provisions for direct government funding of abortion in the bill completely unacceptable, and urged Congress to restore those long standing restrictions.

We have been consistent in our position and reiterate that it would be a calamity if the important and life-affirming provisions in this bill were accompanied by provisions facilitating and funding the destruction of unborn human life, the bishops letter stated.

No proposal to support individuals needing affordable health care coverage should compel Americans to pay for the destruction of human life through their tax dollars.

In an interview with EWTNs Raymond Arroyo Thursday, pro-life leader U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, who voted against the bill, called it the most pro-abortion piece of legislation that Ive seen in years.

It is overwhelmingly filled with money for abortion, Smith said. There is spigot after spigot after spigot that will fund abortion on demand.

In a statement Louis Brown, executive director of the Christ Medicus Foundation, a Catholic health care and religious freedom advocacy organization, echoed the bishops' objections to the restrictions on religious child care providers, and said the bills failure to include the Hyde Amendment gravely harms babies in the womb.

Congress should seek changes in the social safety net without harming life and without undermining the ability of religious institutions to participate in the human service needs of our nation, Brown said.

The bill now goes to the Senate, which is evenly split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. In a late September interview with National Review, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, a moderate Democrat, predicted the bill would be dead on arrival if the Hyde Amendment was not included.

Continued here:

House Passes Build Back Better As Bishops Raise Religious Freedom and Abortion Objections - National Catholic Register

Happy Friday, everyone! Im stepping in for Jason today as we both prepare for the NWSL Final. I head to Louisville in a few hours, but before that, some news from yesterday:

First off, the Washington Spirits Trinity Rodman won the NWSL Rookie of the Year award, and Jason put it perfectly...

Not to be outdone, Audrey Bledsoe, despite not being named to the Best 11 or Second 11, wins Goalkeeper of the Year.

Two Spirit players winning awards...hopefully the entire team can win the big one on Saturday!

FC Dallas Ricardo Pepi wins MLS Young Player of Year - ESPNFC

Ricardo Pepi wins the MLS Young Player of the Year. The 18-year-old became a star for both FC Dallas and the USMNT this year.

Welcome to MLS! Charlotte FC to face LA Galaxy in 2022 home opener - MLS

Charlotte FC will open up against the LA Galaxy in their first match at home on March 5th. They will open up on the road the week before in the season opener.

Loudoun notebook: Recapping 2021 - BRU

Ryan gives us a season review of Loudoun United, who had some bright spots on the team despite having an awful season.

A man collapses on a football pitch once every four days. Is the threat of cardiac arrest getting worse? - The Athletic

An inside look at an alarming rise in cardiac arrest cases on the soccer field, and what may be behind the cause of it.

To close out, two more Spirit items. First, Karina Rodriguez makes the Mexico roster for their upcoming friendly against Canada.

Finally, the entire squad less than 48 hours from the big game.

Lets get it, Spirit!

Originally posted here:

Friday Freedom Kicks: Spirit players win end of year awards, Ricardo Pepi wins MLS Young Player of Year - Black And Red United

As some Orthodox Jews have aligned themselves with the right on other issues, from Israel to immigration, so too have they moved toward the anti-abortion position. Still, even the strictest interpretation leaves room for the life of the mother. As Dr. Immanuel Jacobovits, an Orthodox rabbi, wrote in 1965, as defined in the Bible, the rights of the mother and her unborn child are distinctly unequal, since the capital guilt of murder takes effect only if the victim was a born and viable person. That, he explained, doesnt mean abortion is never a grave offense, but this inequality, then, is weighty enough only to warrant the sacrifice of the unborn child if the pregnancy otherwise poses a threat to the mothers life.

One of the core principles of Judaism is pikuach nefesh: the preservation of life above all else, even Shabbat observance, which is otherwise sacrosanct. What could be more worthy than focusing on the need for the pregnant person, if suffering, to end that suffering, to live and contribute to the world? It is her life, her soul present, alive and asking for compassion, as Rabbi Feldman put it that is more worth saving.

We are far from the only religion to take a nuanced stance on abortion. But a religious group that dictates a sweeping, intractable view of right and wrong when it comes to abortion may have an easier time getting attention than, for instance, the religious organizations that recently filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, asking fervently for careful, circumstance-based consideration in the upcoming abortion case out of Mississippi.

And so a number of Jews are starting to make noise to rectify this imbalance. A new campaign called 73Forward, led by the National Council of Jewish Women, is gathering activists from secular to Orthodox to defend abortion access from an explicitly Jewish perspective. Rabbis have pledged to join the fight in Texas.

Feminist organizing has always attracted Jewish participation, while within our communal world, groups like the N.C.J.W. and publications like Lilith (organizations where I worked and now work, respectively) have carried the abortion rights banner for many years. But what is notable today are the particular ways Jews are organizing as Jews.

Gen Z and millennial Jewish leaders also point to the reproductive justice movement led by women of color which connects abortion to racial, economic and social inequality as the beacon for their own activism. This holistic framework has inspired Jews to fight for abortion access as a crucial part of repairing the world, or tikkun olam, a value that has animated Jewish activism for decades. Many Jewish feminists say they now feel called to support abortion access for those who need it the most, while reminding the country that our own religious freedom is at stake.

Jewish leaders arent on television each weekend screaming, Get your laws off our religion! But as a minority religion, we naturally favor a true separation of church and state. And theres another reason. When I write about Jewish attitudes toward contraception or abortion, I always receive an onslaught of vitriol in my inbox. It starts with the horrifying comparison between abortion and the Holocaust that equates millions of thinking, feeling, Jewish lives cut down in their prime to embryos and extends to the idea that 83 percent of American Jews in support of abortion rights are perpetuating the very mass murder that devastated my grandparents generation.

See more here:

Opinion | Abortion Rights Are a Religious Freedom for Progressive Jews - The New York Times

OCEAN CITY, Md. On Monday, November 22nd, the Caucus of African-American Leaders (CALL) will hold a historic demonstration of unity and peace on the boardwalk after the events of alleged police brutality back in June.

The group will leave from Annapolis Monday morning to attend the trial of the four African-American teenagers who say they were brutalized by the Ocean City Police Department. The Freedom Bus will leave from Annapolis and ride to Ocean City bring western shore Marylanders. There, Western and Eastern shore Marylanders and supporters will call on the mayor and police to be held accountable for the alleged excessive use of force. Were told, the goal is to create a better relationship between the public and police, so these cases stop happening.

We are like a hornets nest, if you put your hands on one of us, youre going to have all of us to deal with and I think thats important that these four young men are not alone, says Carl Snowden, Convener of CALL. He adds, So weve got a lot of work ahead of us and we suspect that Monday will be progress for this new world.

Snowden also tells 47 ABC, the Ocean City demonstration is expected to be the largest seen on the Eastern Shore in recent years. If youd like more information, you can call 443-871-5656.

The demonstration will take place Monday, November 22nd at 8:30 a.m. at the District Court of Maryland in Ocean City. There will also be a press conference at 10 a.m.

See the rest here:

'Freedom Bus' to return to OC on to demonstrate peace and unity, in light of trial - 47abc - WMDT

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A normal season and a normal college year is what St. Catherine sophomore golfer Jaycee Rhodes hopes for. Thus far she is on target.

I feel like I am a sophomore, declared Rhodes as the Eastview High School grad from St. Paul briefly reflected back on her first college year that was pandemic-influenced. I put in all the work last year. I personally feel that I am a well-deserved sophomore.

At times it was painful to see, but I think there are hidden blessings behind what happened within COVID I definitely learned I just have to take every day, every second. I need to use that and stay in the moment, Rhodes said.

Last month St. Catherine made history as the first program to win back-to-back MIAC golf championship titles, and earned the conferences automatic berth in next springs NCAAs. All five Wildcats golfers finished in the top 14; Rhodes finished sixth and posted the second-best 34 pars over three days, just behind the individual winner.

A three-time Minnesota state tournament participant and three-time All-State and all-conference golfer, Rhodes admitted she loves the difference between high school golf and collegiate golf.

A big thing is, being in college you feel like you truly have a team, a group of people that youre competing with to get to the next level, explained Rhodes. Another thing that I feel is really different between college and high school is respect among players. I feel like I trust players who Im playing against that what theyre doing is right.

I think in high school, she continued, a lot of times girls were more worried about [their score] than being worried about their actual game and trying to get better. They were more worried about what it looks like to other people than trying to grow as a golfer.

Rhodes major is business administration, and she is also pursuing two minors, sales and leadership.

This year is going phenomenal, she said proudly. Its kind of nice to have these normal experiences, getting to know people in my classes. Finally getting to see my teachers in person and finally actually being able to raise my hand to ask questions.

That college experience that I was longing for before COVID has started, she said. Its very nice to be back in the classes and just have that surrounding feeling like a community.

Although golf is on its annual hiatus until spring, Rhodes says this doesnt mean she now turns into a regular college student. We do not have those experiences, she pointed out of her student-athlete status. We still have workouts we do twice a week, and we do other workouts outside of that.

I have a simulator here at school, noted Rhodes. I go up there and check out my numbers, check out my swing path and everything that I try to get better within my swing. Right now is the time of year where I can work on technical stuff.

One more thing Rhodes reaffirmed is that she still remains the MIACs only Black golfer. I have not seen any [Black] girls within my conference, nor within any of the other teams that we play are any in my minority or any minorities. Its been pretty much the same [since high school]. Im hoping that change will come sometime.

Rhodes and her teammates were able to play with fans in attendance, including her number-one fanher father James Rhodes. My dad was there every single time supporting me 100%, she said proudly. I also get to have some of my friends, other athletes, and people like that come out and support us.

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St. Kates golfer relishes freedom from pandemic restrictions - MSR News Online

Britney Spears is showing off a new fresh look that has fans dubbing it the Freedom Glow!

The Toxic singer started posting smoking hot pictures of herself on Instagram something she is known to do but many are pointing out she has a bit of a new glow to her look, including a fresh new blowout.

The pictures are taken in the pop stars backyard, a place she uses as a background for many of her photos. But, prior to the conservatorship coming to an end, many believed someone else was controlling her social media and saw repetitive photos posting as a sign of issues for the singer.

Now, fans are flooding the singers social media commenting about how GREAT she looks in the pictures. Wow, I can see the freedom glow sister!!! Beautiful!!! one person wrote. Britney didnt have much to say about the images, except to post a few red roses as the caption for the snaps.

In the hotshots, Britney is sporting a peach shirt and a choker style necklace but, the most obvious part of her look is the fresh new hairstyle. It appears BS got a free cut, complete with a perfect blowout. Many believe this may indicate the pop star is headed to her bombshell interview with Oprah, something she teased earlier in the week. Britney addressed the situation on video, along with a lengthy message describing what is coming.

I might as well do a hint of my thoughts on the gram before I go and set things square on Oprah !!!!! I mean who knows I do know how embarrassing is to share the fact Ive never seen cash or wasnt able to drive my car . but honestly, it still blows my mind every day I wake up how my family and the conservatorship were able to do what they did to me!!!! Britney posted on IG.

She continued, Im used to keeping the peace for the family and keeping my mouth shut but not this time I have NOT FORGOTTEN and I hope they can look up tonight and know EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN!!!!

In other words, she is going to drop the dime on all of her family and members of the conservatorship team who she believes took advantage of her all these years. Its unclear when the big interview is taking place, but it appears she might be prepping her new look for the big moment.

According to reports, Britney is thriving since she was formally released from the 13-year conservatorship. The good news is that safeguards were reportedly put in place to help the pop star transition to life without many people overseeing her day-to-day affairs. Specifically, a financial advisor to the estate is remaining in place to help transition her money.

Bottom line, it looks like Spears has complete control over her social media, and will continue melting it down with photos and video!

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Britney Spears Shows Off Freedom Glow In Stunning New Pictures - The Blast

On November 8, 2021, East High School once again used the police as a weapon against Black children.

Like many young people do at that age, several students at East engaged in a physical altercation. However, instead of using their age, wisdom and positions of authority to help ease tension between students, the school staff and police exacerbated a bad situation. The police responded to a schoolyard fight by escalating the violence with pepper spray and other forms of physical assault.

While we are made to believe that community safety is impossible without the police, incidents such as the one at East High School demonstrate that police are actually a major disrupting force in Black and other communities. Equally as important, the actions of the police did not prevent harm, but instead contributed to the pain and trauma that those Black students will have to carry with them in their classrooms and community. Like the slave patrols that preceded them, the police serve as overseers to control Black communities and displace Black students into prisons, poverty and other forms of systemic violence.

In spite of their harmful behavior, the police continue to shift blame away from themselves, and the system they protect, and onto young Black people. This is evident in the fact that the new police chief, Shon Barnes, argues that Black students should be punished for being teenagers that got into a fight, but disgraced officer Matt Kenny should not be punished for murdering Tony Robinson and, therefore, should maintain his position in MPD.

It appears that those accused of sexually assaulting students at East are given more dignity and respect than Black children who are struggling in an antiblack school. This is to be expected though. We live in a world that punishes Black youth for simply existing. It is also to be expected that the same school that hosted the funeral of Tony Robinson who was killed by officer Matt Kenny decided to use Kennys colleagues and allow them to do more violence to Black young people. In Madison, institutions are skilled in using the language of social justice, while really working to ensure the impossibility of justice.

It is clear to us as a district that has over $400,000,000 continues to use the excuse that they do not know what else to do besides use police violence. Black folks have been laying out alternatives to policing in schools for decades. What the schools and police wont say is that they believe Black youth are only to be controlled through extreme forms of violence because the world is told to fear us. We are things to be protected from in their eyes. Black youth dont get to be youth or students at all because the automatic reaction to their bodies and existence is disgust. This is why police officers need to remain removed completely. We have worked with our communities and young people to create proposals that demonstrate what a police free school could look like. These proposals went ignored.

We understand that young people get into altercations. However, for the reasons named above, it is framed as insidious and unacceptable when Black youth are in said altercations. We then can predict that the police and teachers will always respond with harm and blame when it comes to Black youth. Putting police back in schools will not solve anything. We have seen PR stunts like this by MPD made to further criminalize Black youth and communities while uplifting a violent occupying force called the police.

Black young people are surviving the impacts of the Covid pandemic and the global uprising following the murders of George Floyld and Breonna Taylor. On top of surviving antiblack racism, and capitalism, over the last two years, we have witnessed the disproportionate rates of Covid in the Black community and the impact of a global pandemic on Black youth. Schools and communities are responsible for investing in their wellness and leadership, but schools are playing a major role in their suffering. Our schools do not see Black children as worthy of healing and transformation. This is evident when the primary response to young peoples needs is police violence.

We have to point out the role that teachers play as well in reinforcing antiblack violence. We need to think seriously about teacher accountability which is oftentimes absent when the student is Black. Teachers can hold themselves accountable by signing the Black Sanctuary Pledge and making space for community-led transformative justice processes outside the scope of the police and outdated and antiblack school procedures.

It is our duty to ensure that Black youth have power over the ways in which accountability and safety flows in our communities. They deserve dignity and support in times of accountability through community- led programs and services. Solutions to ending conflicts between students begin with love, community, a strong political analysis, and proven approaches which are all nonexistent in schooling and policing. Again, the solution to harm in our schools begins with adult education and accountability for harming children. The solution is to invest in the leadership, wellness, and creativity of Black youth and youth of color. The solution is transformative justice instead of racist and sexist discipline and punishment. The solution is for most impacted youth, parents, and trusted adults to have control over their schools. We have been working with parents, teachers, and community members who believe in a better world that does not include police violence in response to young people. If you want to get down with Freedom, Inc. and believe in building with young people instead of against young people, sign our Black Sanctuary Pledge; bit.ly/blacksanctuarymmsd. You can also read our Community Control Over School Safety and Accountability policy at bit.ly/ccovermmsd.

This opinion piece reflects the views of its author and not necessarily those of Madison365 or its staff, board of directors or funders.

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Freedom, Inc: Response to fights at East High disproportionate and violent - madison365.com