Category Archives: Intentional Communities

Paul and Ebony RobinsonConstructReach

Paul Robinson founded ConstructReach in 2018 to create events and a social network for educating young people, teachers, and parents about opportunities in construction. The St. Louis-based workforce development organization also helps employers become more proactive with recruitment by presenting career paths, developing curricula, and connecting with future interns and new employees.

Among its outreach efforts is I Built This, a collaboration with Target that includes events providing hands-on experience and tours of construction sites at the retailers remodels and new builds.

Paul Robinson and his wife, Ebony, who is ConstructReachs director of community relations and business development, talk about how their organization helps employers re-posture and show students that the construction industry needs them and could be a good employment fit.

Paul Robinson: One unique thing about ConstructReach is we understand the perspective that a lot of young people have about the industry. Sometimes its a limited perspective about the different career pathways one can take, but theres also often [a pre-existing] negative connotation about the construction industrythat it may not be for them.

I Built This takes their perspective into account and we use events to re-posture the industry. Its not just introducing young people to different career pathways but also connecting with them by understanding where theyre coming from and being able to relate to them and create an experience thats relevant for them. So ... they are not only learning about the industry at large but are participating in hands-on activities. It also introduces them to different career pathways within the industry that they probably didnt know about prior to coming [to the event]. We create a memorable experience for them.

Ebony Robinson: But were also consolidating efforts. Maybe those [general contractors] or home builder associations havent found the right niche. ConstructReach aims to be a facilitator. We can help you reach educators in our network and we have national efforts with organizations to help facilitate and make those opportunities available to counselors and instructors. We also work to let general contractors know when educators may not have all of the [required] information available to give to a student. We can do brown bags and host events on our social network after I Built This events to make sure those relationships are still thriving between general contractors and educators.

PR: I was a project manager for Target for about six or seven years and began to do more things in my community to be a tangible example and to [become involved with] more community development initiatives. When we started ConstructReach, it was pretty much a culmination of some of the efforts already taking place.

We created an event called I Built This at a live construction site that has become like our flagship event where we can re-posture the construction industry because we're introducing it in a different light. We're also working with industry partners to put on this event in a way that engages them and exposes them to different opportunities. But it also creates a professional context where networking can take place and people can share their journeys about how they got to where they are. Then, actually having actionable steps puts them in a position to identify what to do going forward after the event. So the event itself, and [the process of] creating the event, allows it to be a springboard for moving forward.

ER: A lot of times, when you think about that resource and that bridge of accessibilitynot just with the educator, but with the parent, as well as the studentit happens based on relationships. Ive been able to do that throughout my career; finding ways to create great opportunities for the next generation.

ER: Stay tuned because there's a lot in the works right now. Of course we want to be in our hometown of St. Louis. We want to look at the Southeast market. Once again, we had great success when we kicked off our national initiative into 2019, so we want to get reengaged. As you think about this hybrid of on-site event and virtual experience, were now getting ready to shift back to in-classroom learning. What we found in Chicago with the hybrid approach is that virtual content is a value-add because we can reach out to school districts that are far away from the event but still may be interested in those opportunities as well.

PR: Construction is one of the few industries that has so many different correlations to everyday life. We exist because of a need to address the under-representation of minorities within the construction industry, and when you think about where we are as a society, were seeing that we can no longer compartmentalize what happens in the workplace and what happens in our societies at large, and the construction industry is unique in that foundations matter. It matters what you build on. Thats just speaking from a construction standpoint, but that translates to life as well. Then, when you think about how construction takes place, where there are so many different partners, there are so many different subcontractorselectricians, plumbers, HVACthat play a role in the construction and completion of any space or facility.

You have all of these people who are gifted in different areas, and those areas play a key role in making a building. Everybody has something to offer. Nobody has everything, which keeps us in constant need of one another. So, we are designed for community. We are built to collaborate and work together, and construction has a lot of overlap into life in general. It's not about what we build, its how we build because construction takes place in plain view, in front of society and in the context of community. You see it happening all of the time, whether its a detour sign or a high- rise building going up. Its taking place right in front of you. So its talking to the industry [prospects] and letting them know that, hey, we have a key role to play because this isnt just an industry where you can have a successful career, its an industry thats also a huge economic indicator and is one that really should be leaning into the progress we need to make in terms of equity and diversity and representation.

Its about being intentional about how we build and making it a community effort. And its about bringing visibility to that because the industry is in need of younger, more diverse, fresh talent. We need to be more intentional and more thoughtful about how we engage the community and how we pull in other partners and collaborate as we build something. And that has the potential to not only transform a persons life but to transform families, and then communities thereafter.

PR: One reason we don't get a lot of pushback is because the I Built This eventand even our business modelis structured and informed. Before we even started, we did the research and we talked to the different stakeholdersto young people, to parents, to educators, and we talked to other workforce development organizations. All are key stakeholders that play a large role in the construction industry pipeline. We wanted to make sure we heard their pain points and heard it from their perspective, so we saw it through their lens. This indicated to us that theres a need for a facilitator and relationship builder within this industry.

So, were not just reaching out to schools to invite them to come out to an event. We are establishing relationships with them and asking them about how we can better serve them so we put them in a position to provide informed, up-to-date information to students and their parents as well. Thats where we began to get a lot of positive feedback because were [engaged] in ongoing dialogue and are establishing working relationships with those stakeholders; with educators who see themselves a lot of times as the gatekeepers.

You have these young people who are transitioning from adolescence to young adulthood. Its a time when there are a lot of key decisions they have to make, and theyre trying to figure out whats available to them based on their resources, their financial position, their grades, and on their location. Counselors and educators feel like theyre the gatekeepers, and its important for us to come alongside and [provide] resources for them and to hear what their needs are.

If they see us delivering on those needs and that were committed to playing the long gamenot just coming to simply get or fill a position with a body, but really interested in understanding things from their perspective so we can better service them so they can better serve their students and be better educators, then that's where we get the buy-in.

ER: To Paul's point about bias and resourcing, maybe theres an internship opportunity or work-based learning opportunities that one company can offer prior to that person graduating. Weve been intentional about working with schools, to have representatives from construction come in and have brown bag conversations, bringing the industry into those classrooms and then talking that up, so when that spring semester comes, those graduates are now informed, whether its collegiate, tech school, or coming right into an apprentice program, depending on where they are throughout the country.

PR: Some of those negative connotations are valid, while others are invalid, so we have to own some of those things. But one thing we try to be very intentional about is that if we're going to speak to educators, or if were doing a live Q & A session with a school or classroom, its making sure we understand who our audience is and how important it is for them to see themselves in a [particular] position. Because if you can see yourself there, then you think you have a shot, right? Being able to identify with individuals who can relate to students and who look like them and know where theyre coming from is huge as well. We don't want to undervalue that.

If were talking about the need for more representation and more diversity within the construction industry or how its white, male dominated, or lacks young people, then its important for us to showcase how the industry has been good for that particular demographic, which you may not really see. To say hey, this is for you; the industry needs you. You can come in and add value as well.

Its being able to understand those things and figure out how we get around these barriers and the negative connotations that exist. That comes through relationship building through hearing the perspectives of not only just the educators but the talent the industry needs.

Its being able to validate their voice, their perspective, their view, and allowing that dialogue and interaction to be both informing to the industry side, but also for the industry to educate on some of those things that are not valid. Because one thing a lot of people dont know is how much money you can make in construction and how you can establish a good living. That's one of the eye-opening, jaw-dropping expressions we get: when students learn how much you can earn in the construction industry, and of course, that's always one of the first questions young people ask us.

PR: The industry is not the way it is because of one thing, right? There are numerous reasons why the industry is the way that it is. We know you have union and non-union and we have to hear from both sides. Thats one part of the research we did on the front end, taking time to listen to all stakeholders. They have a perspective and a vantage point that they are looking at things through, and we wanted to validate that. We also want to talk collectively about how we can move forward. How do we get past working in these silos? Because if we continue to do things the way weve been doing them, then we cant go forth. We know that the construction industry is growing right now. Theres a labor shortage hovering over the industry, where you have a generation that is retiring, but were not backfilling those positions at the same rate.

So its important to cast vision and to recast vision. Were all a part of this industry. Even though we are in our different areas, different niches, or different associations, we still fall under the umbrella of the construction industry, and the industry as a whole needs to go forward.

So, how can we get people who want to move forward so all boats rise, to really build the traction we need and to make this work attractive and competitive for a younger demographic? Those are the conversations we constantly have with all of our industry partners. Union ... non-union ... Theyve all been great partners thus far, and we just have to keep casting that vision. When we have events like I Built This, were able to showcase the significance of us working together and provide a tangible example where we can say, Look at what we can do when we work together, and look at the benefit we have for communities and the young talent we need for this industry. That helps a lot when were able to draw everybody's attention back to a tangible example about us working together and how successful it is.

ER: To be honest, theres no better time to lean into diversity, equitability, and inclusion than now because the industry needs young, diverse talent. Weve seen a great response in our industry partners, and we can't wait to keep doing this together.

PR: We try to consult with the industry on being more forward-thinking to create an environment where young people want to staycreating an affinity not for just the industry, but for their company, which they have experience with. Part of that is bringing visibility to a career pathway and a career track. So, its like this job is entry level, but here is where you can go. This is how it dovetails into different things. Thats important for a young person coming in. They want to see not only what they can get today, but where the job will lead them tomorrow. One thing we do with companies as we create their formalized internship programswere very hands-on about their outreach efforts and creating their onboarding and the curriculum for their internship programs and for their new hiresis to rethink how they introduce jobs and what those jobs could potentially lead to because that helps attract more talent. Once young people can see a pathway, they are more open to the entry level.

ER: One person who comes to mind is Kanoshia, who came through one of the I Built This weekends.She was a single mother looking for a career change. Kanoshia went through the apprenticeship program, which one of our current clients and partners, ECI, was part of. She came onboard full time with ECI as an assistant project manager. Now shes getting ready to go deeper in academia within [her studies in] construction management.. To have a young, diverse talent like Kanoshia think about the construction industry as a career switch and then tap into her gifts and abilities to really thrive shows the impact we can make.

PR: When you think about I Built This, it has a two-fold objective for younger people. I built this is an empowering statement, and construction allows you to [feel that empowerment] every day. You can leave a construction site and see your progress. Thats something you can be proud of to say, Hey, I built this right. Something that's going to create a positive experience in my community. I was a part of doing that. So its empowering for those young people to be part of something like that, but they also get a chance to be a new model of success because we highlight them, we feature them, and we promote them. Its all about them. So now they get a chance to feel empowered, and they also get a chance to be a new model of success. Thats building advocates for the industry because now young people can relate to those who come from similar backgrounds and now that younger person who sees them being empowered can see themselves within the industry, so it has that ripple effect.

We had a recent high school graduate participate in the I Built This event. We empowered him. Hes 19 and was able to land a full-time position during the event to become an electrician, and now hes a new model of success for his younger siblings who are now interested in the construction industry, whereas they werent prior to [their brothers] experience.

We have a lot of different success stories were very proud to be a part of because you really get to see the transformation and the potential this has. Industry partners that are part of it are saying its been great amazing; that this is what it looks like to really take theory and put it into practice. Because, especially during this time now, you have a lot of public statements about moving the needle forward in terms of DEI [diversity, equity, inclusion], but really being a part of the I Built This event and other community outreach effort allows for them to see a very tangible expression of that goal. Thats exactly what our communities are looking for. And so its been very fulfilling to be part of this type of work, especially during a time like this because we need it.

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Q+A With Paul and Emily Robinson of ConstructReach | Pro - Pro Builder

Just as St. Paul is ramping up efforts in its multiyear struggle to combat emerald ash borer by removing ash trees across the city, a national report is pointing out disparities in leafy canopies among neighborhoods nationwide, including locally.

A new Tree Equity report by the nonprofit American Forests reveals tree cover disparities along race and class lines in many cities. The group gave St. Paul an equity score of 83, which indicates the city is performing well overall, but with some neighborhoods lacking suggested tree cover.

The biggest disparities are on private property, not on city boulevards and parks, according to city officials.

The importance of tree coverage has grown in recent years as concern for climate change and heat islands grows.

Tree cover has become a point of concern particularly in St. Paul, where the emerald ash borer was first found in Minnesota, in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood in 2009. Though many communities across the state have battled with the invasive species, it's been a particular blight in St. Paul.

The city partnered with the Port Authority in June for $18 million in bonds to fight the crisis. Forestry professionals hope to control the proliferation of the destructive beetle and get back to planting, not removing, trees.

A neighborhood with fewer trees is significantly hotter than a neighborhood with more trees. One tree can have the effect of 10 room-sized air conditioners, said Karen Zumach, director of community forestry at Tree Trust, a Twin Cities nonprofit that works to grow the urban forest and new jobs.

The national report, released last month, sets a goal of getting every neighborhood block group in a city to a score of 75 or higher, based on how tree canopy and surface temperature align with factors such as income, race, employment, age and health. In St. Paul, 42 of 249 block groups fell below 75.

Minneapolis scored slightly higher overall with a score of 86. Of the 378 block groups there, 49 fell below a score of 75.

The report estimates that 69,889 trees would need to be planted in St. Paul to get each block to an equity score of 75. Neighborhoods in St. Paul with higher populations of people of color or lower incomes have fewer trees and a lower equity score compared to neighborhoods with fewer residents of color or people in poverty.

Rachel Coyle, who manages the city's forestry work group within the parks department, said the city is aiming to plant a canopy cover citywide. The report doesn't account for the difference between public and private tree canopy, she noted.

"While we are responsible for the urban forest, we can really only plant on public properties. We can promote the planting of trees on private property, but we can't necessarily make that happen," Coyle said.

Canopy cover is pretty equitable in parks and along streets, she said: Every open site is planted regardless of neighborhood.

The department does outreach with specific neighborhoods to promote planting on private lands, she added.

Zumach, who also serves as the vice president of the Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee, agreed there has been a significant effort in equity on public lands, with the biggest discrepancies on private property.

Neighborhoods with less tree canopy are often lower-income areas with more rental housing, where tenants have less power to plant a tree on a property that's not their own, Zumach said.

Property owners who do plant trees will see an increase in property value, in addition to the larger neighborhood benefits that trees provide, she said.

"We have that component, we have that reduced energy cost, we have the improvement in the air quality throughout the community, where those trees are planted," Zumach said.

Achieving equity is complicated by emerald ash borer infestation, as St. Paul and other cities lose trees and face devastation on private land, too, Zumach said.

"We're all losing trees pretty equally across the cities right now, because of emerald ash borer, which doesn't really care if you're in a high-income or a low-income area of the city," Zumach said. "That tree is more than likely going to die unless it's been treated."

Now, cities can be even more intentional and equitable about where replacement trees are planted.

"I think the tree equity score is a really useful tool to open the eyes of those who are making decisions on where money is spent in communities. We know that we can see where trees aren't," Zumach said. "Working with community groups and neighborhood groups, and those who are working really hard on the ground to help make that change, I think is really important."

Zo Jackson is a reporter covering St. Paul and its neighborhoods for the Star Tribune.

612-673-7112 Twitter: @zoemjack

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Report: When it comes to trees, St. Paul's mostly covered - Minneapolis Star Tribune

But there is an overall lack of intentionality in our industry. Its not a singular symptom of any one thing but it is pervasive, wrapped up in our obsession with purpose. And its become increasingly important today when you look at how the ad industrys role in things such as sponsoring Pride paradeswhile inadvertently defunding queer journalism because it isnt brand-safe. Or tweeting that Black Lives Matter while communities of color are relegated to multicultural plans with shrinking budgetssomething Im proud GroupM is helping clients do differently with the Media Inclusion Initiative.

Brands and agencies need radical transformations to move beyond the myth that media buying is purely transactional and without consequence. For brands, that means creating an intentional mediastrategy. The concept is simple: Align your brand purpose and values to your investments. Its not entirely original; impact investing has become a billion-dollar, highly profitable venture for financial investors where companies such as iShares have environmental, socialand governanceexchange-traded funds made up of companies that advance society for the better.

While intentional media will mean something different for every brand, there are three key principles for how brands should apply this thinking.

First, it isnt just an expectation for brands to be contributing positively to society today; Mindshare global research shows that its a majority demand. Sixty-three percent of respondents say that they would rather buy from brands and companies with caring, ethicaland transparent practices, and 48% recently switched to buying environmentally friendly products. The business case is clear. Research from ABX showed that gender equality in ads has a big impact on driving sales.Research from eMarketer shows that LGBTQ+ folks are more likely than other groups to be loyal to brands that represent and include them. And Papa Johns lost 16% in revenue after its founder made racist remarks. Social profit is business profit.

Second, reconcile that creative messages can truly take you only so far, and that your behavior is just as important as what you say. Media has the economic power to manifest change with the third of a trillion dollars we transact every year. While creative can tell your story, ask how your brand story is coming to life and who is benefiting, or hurting, from an economic exchange. Brands such asSeventh Generation come to minditmakes big gestures in creative but acts intentionally by embedding clean energy goals into its business approach or buying ad spots around the State of the Union address to speak about climate change when our former president wouldnt.

Third, brands must resolve that today brand safety is not equal to human safety. While marketers go into brand safety with good intentions, technology and algorithms have inadvertently defunded journalism from some of the most at-risk communities. By categorizing entire identities as unsafe with little room for semantic nuance, some research calculates that$2.8 billion has been defunded from news outlets each year by brand safety tools. Understand what role human safety plays in the context of the impact of the content youre supportingor not supporting. Because as ad industry activist Nandini Jammi will tell you, theres no evidence that hard news from reputable sources is bad for your brand, especially when those sources are aligned to your purpose.

Intentional media means being both deliberately subjective and quantifiably objective about purpose and values. I personally disagree with everything My Pillow stands for, but its Intentional Media strategy very much should align with the more extreme channels in the world. Conversely, a brand that believes that trans rights are human rights, that Black lives matteror that climate change is real, should not spend with publishers and entities that disagree with those beliefs. Its just a bad business decision.

It would be nave to ignore the power brands and agencies hold. Advertising is, for better or worse, an intrinsic part of a democratic society, and the role we play in shaping society when narratives are shaped by the money we spend cant be ignored. Stop Hate For Profit and Sleeping Giants and every other consumer-led movement to call out advertisers role in the erosion for society are our canary in the coal mine. Intentional investment needs to be a normative practice in media.

Orwell would be keen to remind us that power means tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together in new shapes of your own choosing. Im not so jaded yet to believe that we cant use the power we hold to put the pieces of humanity back together in new shapes of our collective choosingthose faces and voices who win us awards and make us cry. Said less poetically, power means putting our money (our media) where our mouth (our message) is.

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Brand purpose: What the ad industry is missing - AdAge.com

In 2015, I left my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, to jumpstart my career, wring life of its meaning, and experience what the world had to offer outside of the Deep South. The most notable difference, excluding accents and geographically rooted slang, was the cuisine. While living in Boston, I grew to love dining on fresh catches of the day, followed by bread bowls overflowing with clam chowder, and my life-changing first encounter with broccolini. And then there were things I couldnt fathom, like breadcrumbs on macaroni and cheese.

Macaroni and cheese, as I knew it growing up in the South, is a magical dish usually consisting of medium-sized elbow noodles that are married with fresh seasonings, milk, and grated cheeses. What emerges from the oven after a few hours of preparation is a thick, almost custard-like meal that oozes comfort. But Southern Macaroni and Cheese as it appears on menus outside the South looks nothing like what I had grown up preparing with my family. Disappointed with the hastily made rendition in front of me, Id end up critiquing everything, from the thick cavatappi noodles, to the watered-down cheddar sauce, to the haphazard topping of bread crumbs, or if bacon had been randomly scattered throughout the dish. I hadnt considered that, upon leaving home, Id often encounter knockoffs of the Southern experience across the East Coast a blatant misrepresentation of my culture.

The history of macaroni and cheese in America is pretty complicated and has been heavily disputed. It is believed that Thomas Jefferson, who likely encountered the Italian-originating dish during his travels to France, popularized it in the United States by serving it to his wealthy guests. Of course, that narrative erases the man who may have tweaked the recipe and prepared the dish: enslaved chef James Hemings, who was classically trained in France, and deserves credit for the macaroni and cheese that many enjoy today. James Lewis Kraft would later dilute this recipe with a patent to emulsify and process cheese, birthing what we know as Kraft macaroni and cheese. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Kraft Foods introduced its boxed macaroni in 1937, when America was in the throes of the Great Depression. World War II rationing systems would further popularize the blue box, turning mac and cheese, for many, into a cheap subsistence meal.

One thing that separates Southern versions of macaroni and cheese from others is the concept of intentionality. No matter where youre from, my familys recipe might appear fairly similar to yours but what differentiates the final product is the purpose of our approach. To make our mac and cheese was an all-hands-on-deck process and involved first isolating ingredients, utensils, and kitchenware. Some of us were in charge of handing off ingredients; another might stir the concoction (the most coveted role); another might be in charge of seasoning, and so on and so forth.

Our macaroni and cheese involves small- to medium-sized elbow pasta (nothing larger) and carefully seasoned milk, spices like black pepper, ground yellow mustard, paprika, and salt, heated together in a pot. While the milk warms, someone begins grating blocks of cheeses (everything from Gouda, cheddar, colby jack, Monterey jack, pepper jack), bits from each block falling into assorted heaps. In another small pan, a dollop or slice of butter is melted and flour whisked in, swiftly, forming a roux. As kids, if we were old enough, one of us would take the warmed milk and slowly add it to the roux, mixing constantly until combined seamlessly. More butter is introduced along with some of the grated cheeses; the rest is folded in, slowly, with a long wooden or plastic spoon. An egg is then tempered using the sauce; eggs make terrific binders and are incorporated to hold the macaroni and cheese together.

Once the pasta is somewhere between al dente and soft, a member of our kitchen crew passes a large casserole dish to our head chef, who lines the bottom of the dish with it. One of us excitedly begins pouring the cheesy roux, making sure it covers this first layer of pasta. Another one of us, or whoever is closest, takes whats left of the grated cheeses and crumbles them over the pasta and roux. Wed all repeat this step until there was no more room in the dish; the last layer is always grated cheese. The head chef places the dish in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden-brown on the top.

The Southern macaroni and cheese I know involves an almost-sacred dance between chef and ingredient; we bring munificence to the preparation. That preparation was born out of our need to survive, to outlast the spaces we were forced to live in and small harvests that left our pantries bare. My intent when I make mac and cheese is inseparable from the barely legible and hastily scribed generational rituals that were passed down to me. Those rituals blend a painful past with a future that I and others can now savor more freely. As simple as it seems, my familys macaroni and cheese recipe deepens my connection to a history I can only imagine and relive in books and monuments planted in an earth that wasnt always as forgiving as the future. In being intentional with each ingredient, with our cooking and preparation, I/we are honoring our Southern heritage, as well as those who came before us.

In the South, we heal, forge community; I grew up learning to tell stories through my familys recipes. Southern food is a living record of the people, places, and cultures that have contributed to the evolving landscape of our unique little corner of the world, writes Angela Garrison Zontek in Due South. Too complex and varied to ever achieve a conclusive origin story, the history of Southern food is best examined by considering its major influences the integration of cultures, natural bounty, and love for the community. Cooking meals isnt just for the sake of cooking, its also for the preservation of culture. This is evident across the South, especially in Black and Indigenous communities, and has been a notable trend across centuries in movements like the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, the National Black Food & Justice Alliance, and many others like them.

Having lived in Boston; Manchester, New Hampshire; Takoma Park, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and now Chicago, since departing my hometown, Ive noticed a great deal of misrepresentation and exploitation of the South and its culture. This is to be expected, as the South has a dark past. Many still refuse to unpack the complicated history of the region, once a Confederate sanctuary and harbor for slavery, and instead trudge ahead through its more redeeming qualities, like cuisine. Instead of honoring the Souths heritage, the region is stripped for parts by outsiders and presented as a commodity elsewhere. In an interview with NPR, John T. Edge, author of The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South, reflects on how popularizing foods from specific regions can ruin the integrity, culture, and even the intention behind a food: If were going to canonize fried chicken in the roster of great American dishes, we also canonize [Georgia] Gilmore, a great fried chicken cook from Montgomery, Alabama, who leveraged the talents of the stove to drive change in our region.

But one thing that isnt complicated is that at its core, Southern food is an intentional art form, much like the oral traditions of our ancestors, much like the sweet and savory recipes that continue to be passed down from generation to generation. This is not to say that we cannot change what was written, reimagine our history to rewrite the future; instead, it means we remain fervent in our practice; in protecting the core of our essence, even if it means questioning those who only see our breadth in the form of cheap noodles, powdered cheese, and water.

NaBeela Washington is an Alabama-raised editor, poet, and budding art collector. Chelsea Akpan is a freelance cartoonist who brings bold colors and exaggerative shapes together to create distinct and playful work.

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The Chief Ingredient in My Familys Southern Macaroni and Cheese Recipe - Eater

We appreciate the rich discussion triggered by this weeks EJIL Talk! symposium, which has addressed a number of legal issues arising from our report A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution. The report has received significant media attention and sparked many useful conversations since its release in late April. But this forum offers the first opportunity for us to contribute to a substantive discussion focusing primarily on the implications of our report for the broader international legal discourse.

The contributions over the past week drew attention to several key themes, which we address here. We look forward to a robust exchange on these and other issues in the days and months to come, including:

Before diving in, a word about the Human Rights Watch mandate, since a number of the issues raised by contributors relate to our methodology and how we conduct research and advocacy.

Human Rights Watch works in nearly 100 countries. Our work involves documenting facts and applying the law to expose abuses and press for change, including in situations in which state officials are credibly implicated in serious international crimes. Our mandate is grounded in international law, mainly international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law, as well as international criminal law.

Our detailed review of the facts on the ground led us to determine, for example, in 2020, that the authorities in Myanmar were committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution, among others, against ethnic Rohingya in Rakhine State. And we found in April 2021 that Chinese government officials are committing crimes against humanity, including the crime of persecution, against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang. This same approach underpinned our work on Israeli officials responsibility for the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.

Human Rights Watch based its findings on the definition of the crime against humanity of apartheid in international criminal law.

Two international treaties, the Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (Apartheid Convention) and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Rome Statute), identify apartheid as a crime against humanity. The Apartheid Convention defines the crime against humanity of apartheid in Article II as inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them. The Rome Statute defines apartheid in Article 7, paragraph 2(h) as: inhumane acts committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.

The State of Palestine acceded to these treaties in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and accepted (by way of declaration under article 12(3) of the Rome Statute) the ICCs jurisdiction as of 13 June 2014. In February 2021, the ICCs Pre-Trial Chamber I confirmed the courts jurisdiction over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (OPT). The State of Palestines accession to both the Apartheid Convention and Rome Statute not only gives a legal basis in treaty to the application of the relevant crimes on the territory but also provides legal remedies in the form of possible prosecutions at an international court, in light of the ongoing investigation by the prosecutor of the ICC.

Human Rights Watch found that the definitions of the crime of apartheid under both the Apartheid Convention and the Rome Statute were met in the context of Israeli officials actions. While there are differences between the definitions as we set out in our report, they largely overlap. To both explain the crime in terms understandable to the general public and organize the analysis, we distilled the crime of apartheid into three primary elements: (1) an intent to dominate by one racial group over another; (2) systematic oppression by the dominant group over the marginalized group; and (3) inhumane acts. Joshua Kern challenges this summary as a Human Rights Watch definition, but our findings apply to and are based on both treaty definitions.

An alternative source to treaties in international law is custom. Israel has ratified neither the Rome Statute nor the Apartheid Convention. Kerns analysis challenges the status under customary international law of the crime of apartheid.

While there is indeed debate on the customary status of the crime against humanity of apartheid, the prohibition against apartheid under public international law and international human rights law has reached customary status. Moreover, the International Law Commission (ILC) recognized the prohibition of apartheid, like the prohibition of racial discrimination, as a peremptory norm of public international law. Additionally, as Kern himself notes, the near universal ratification of the ICERD leaves the prohibition beyond doubt in international human rights law.

However, the term apartheid in ICERD has not yet been clearly defined. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recently confirmed the admissibility of an inter-state communication by the State of Palestine against Israel. Palestines original 2018 complaint includes, among other claims, alleged violations of article 3 of the ICERD, which covers racial discrimination and apartheid. Soon, an ad hoc Conciliation Commission will review the merits of its claims, including Israeli state responsibility for internationally wrongful acts under the convention. This may be an opportunity to define the meaning of apartheid under ICERD.

But reverting to customary international law was not necessary in the Human Rights Watch report, where we used apartheid under its definition in international criminal law set out in treaties ratified by the State of Palestine.

Carola Lingaas focuses her intervention on the definition of racial group. She agrees with Human Rights Watch that a broader definition of race not limited to genetics or skin color should inform our approach to the definition of racial group, and that the evolving definition of national, ethnic, racial or religious group in the jurisprudence of the crime of genocide, is relevant to the crime against humanity of apartheid. Kern, however, alleges that the Human Rights Watch reasoning diverges from the approach adopted by the ad hoc international criminal tribunals. In fact, we recognized that these tribunals have evaluated group identity based on the context and construction by local actors, as opposed to narrower approaches focused on hereditary physical traits. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, for example, held in Jelisic that defining a racial group today using objective and scientifically irreproachable criteria would be a perilous exercise.

Lingaas concludes that since the characteristics that distinguish Palestinians from Jewish Israelis are defined and determined by the aggressors themselves the racial group element of the crime against humanity of apartheid is likely fulfilled.

However, she disagrees that international human rights law (and in particular ICERD) should be used to interpret the definition of an international crime.

We believe that, especially given the lack of case law around the crime of apartheid, the experience and commentary of the CERD serve as a valuable resource on the understanding of race and racial discrimination, which will inform the definition of racial group. In its latest review of Israels record in December 2019, the Committee found conditions that raise[] issues under article 3 of the ICERD, which covers both racial segregation and apartheid, and called on the authorities to eradicate all forms of segregation between Jewish and non-Jewish communities and any such policies or practices which severely and disproportionately affect the Palestinian population in Israel proper and in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Since the CERD has done the most work on the current international legal understanding of racial discrimination, a concept at the heart of the crimes of both apartheid and persecution, its approach offers valuable guidance to prosecutors and criminal courts, who will of course interpret and apply the law according to the principles of international criminal law, including nullum crimen sine lege.

Kontorovichs article reiterates a mistaken criticism that Human Rights Watch effectively labels Israel an apartheid state. We do not use the term apartheid state with respect to either Israel or Myanmar because it does not have a meaning under international law. International crimes, including apartheid, are committed by individuals who should be held accountable. Under the Rome Statute, apartheid, like all crimes against humanity, is a crime of state policy since it requires multiple commission of acts () against any civilian population, pursuant to or in furtherance of a State or organizational policy (article 7, paragraph 2a). But the term apartheid state has no meaning in international criminal law, nor would the term genocide state or torture state for example. The report sets out to assess whether specific policies and practices carried out by state officials amount to specific crimes against humanity apartheid and persecution not to render judgment on the character of an entire state.

This symposium does not address the other key Human Rights Watch finding in A Threshold Crossed, that Israeli officials are committing the crime against humanity of persecution. Persecution is a distinct crime against humanity, dating back at least to the 1940s and set out in the Rome Statute, where it is defined as the intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights contrary to international law by reason of the identity of the group or collectivity. It is closely related to the crime of apartheid, and it is important for legal discussions to consider both crimes.

Kern and Kontorovich each suggest that the contemporary legal definition of the crime of apartheid requires a detailed comparison with 1970s South Africa. But such a reading would be mistaken. References to apartheid as a global, universal crime against humanity date back to the 1960s. Both writers base their claims on the 1973 Apartheid Convention and in particular on its statement in article II that the crime shall include similar policies and practices of racial segregation and discrimination as practiced in Southern Africa so including Namibia, Zimbabwe and Portuguese-ruled Angola and Mozambique. However, the Apartheid Convention makes clear in article II that it shall apply to a long list of specific policies and practices. Human Rights Watch based its analysis on that codified list, rather than on historical comparisons. And, crucially, the 1998 Rome Statute, drafted after the end of apartheid in South Africa, defines apartheid as a distinct crime against humanity and removed any reference to Southern Africa from its definition.

All international crimes have their own origins; many in treaties drafted with specific historical situations in mind. But interpreting and applying these crimes and their definitions does not and cannot require a direct comparison with a historical situation. The crime against humanity of apartheid does have its historic roots in the events of Southern Africa decades ago, but courts today, in interpreting it, would primarily rely on the language in the definitions themselves. Requiring a detailed historical comparison would make the term a historical relic and the crime impossible to prosecute, undermining the purpose of its very inclusion in the Rome Statute.

Kontorovich raises a range of differences between South Africa in the 1970s and Israel and Palestine today, including the role of Palestinian authorities in the OPT. While the Palestinian Authority and Hamas each exercise local government functions in parts of the OPT, the Israeli government exercises effective and primary control as the report documents. Apartheid is a crime in which one group of people dominates another, irrespective of whether the dominating group has formal sovereignty in these areas. Irrespective of who bears responsibility for breakthroughs or impasses in negotiations, Israeli authorities are responsible for protecting the rights of Palestinians living in areas where the Israeli authorities exercise control.

Kern also argues that the element of oppression in the definition of apartheid should be informed by a concept of reasonableness that would justify treating groups differently.

It is correct that in considering when differential treatment amounts to discrimination, context and justification should be considered. But reasonableness should rarely, if ever, be a defense that negates or excuses crimes against humanity, particularly those of apartheid and persecution on the grounds of race. The prohibition against racial discrimination is one of the strongest in international law, and acts amounting to its most extreme form should not be considered acceptable or excusable due to considerations of policy. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in its landmark 2009 case, Sejdic and Finci, that the constitution of Bosnia-Hercegovina, which was the result of a treaty to end a civil war, violated international human rights law because its power-sharing agreements amounted to unjustifiable discrimination against Jews and Roma, even in the context of a peace settlement.

Israeli authorities face legitimate security challenges in Israel and the OPT. However, restrictions that do not seek to balance human rights such as freedom of movement against legitimate security concerns by, for example, conducting individualized security assessments rather than barring the entire population of Gaza from leaving with only rare exceptions, go far beyond what international law permits. But even where security forms part of the motivation behind a particular policy, that does not give Israel permission to violate human rights en masse.

Some policies, such as the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law and freezing the OPT Population Registry, use security as a pretext primarily to advance demographic objectives. And many abuses, including categorical denials of building permits, mass residency revocations or restrictions, and large-scale land confiscations, have no legitimate security justifications. Legitimate security concerns can be present among the motives for policies that amount to apartheid, just as they can be present in the motives behind a policy that sanctions torture or the use of excessive force

Noura Erakat situates the Human Rights Watch report in the larger context of years of scholarship, much of it by Palestinians, on the apartheid issue. Erakat suggests that we determined that Israeli authorities began committing the crime of apartheid only recently. We make no determination about what crimes were committed in the past or when the threshold was crossed. This report just like all our other research around the world applies the facts as we researched them to the relevant international law at the time of publication. The report documents many abuses that are long-standing.

Recent legal and factual changes were nonetheless critical to our findings. Legally, the ratification by the State of Palestine of the two treaties was a critical step. We scrutinized statements and actions by Israeli authorities in recent years, including the continuing expansion of Israeli-only settlements in the West Bank; the passage of the Jewish Nation-State Law; and declarations of intent by a wide array of Israeli politicians to formally annex additional parts of the West Bank, which would maintain the domination of Jewish Israelis over Palestinians for the foreseeable future if not permanently.

Rania Muhareb also raises important questions regarding the geographic scope of our findings. Our report evaluated Israeli rule across areas where Israel exercises control and we found apartheid and persecution based on an overarching Israeli government policy to maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians and grave abuses committed against Palestinians living in the OPT, including East Jerusalem. We found the three elements of the crime of apartheid all come together in the OPT, pursuant to a single Israeli government policy. That policy is to maintain the domination of Jewish Israelis over Palestinians from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. In the OPT, that intent has been coupled with systematic oppression and inhumane acts committed against Palestinians living there.

As part of that analysis, Human Rights Watch evaluated the discriminatory treatment of Palestinian citizens of Israel and laws and policies that prevent Palestinians who fled or were forced to flee their homes, and their descendants, from returning to their homes in Israel and the OPT, while allowing Jewish citizens of other countries who have never been to Israel to move there or to West Bank settlements and automatically gain citizenship. These policies and practices reflect the intent to dominate, one of the elements of the crime.

Our findings, in particular the focus on systematic oppression and inhumane acts in the OPT, do not rule out other analyses that might evaluate other Israeli policies or practices or take a broader or narrower approach to where abuses meet the legal threshold for the crime. Nor should our analysis be juxtaposed with those who use the term apartheid as a comparative or descriptive, rather than a legal term. Indeed, other groups, evaluating these issues independently and separately in line with their mandates and expertise have reached conclusions that do differ from Human Rights Watch on some points.

Whether the findings of our report result in lasting change for victims of these abuses is ultimately the most important test of our analysis. Erakat argues in her piece that while findings like those in our report may draw the attention of the academy or external observers, it is the situation on the ground and the potency of the Palestinian narration of their own situation that will ultimately compel a paradigmatic shift. Erakat identifies a structural constraint of the Human Rights Watch mandate, which is focused on impartially applying the facts to the law, and does not address concepts that are not based in international law, including settler-colonialism or Zionism as an ideology. While the report builds on earlier foundational work, its exclusive focus on the facts we have documented and the applicable law distinguishes it and will contribute, we hope, to the growing recognition that these crimes have been committed and that the individuals responsible should be held accountable.

Muhareb also highlights the importance of ending the tendency of the international community to focus on dynamics in specific geographic areas fragmentation and overlook the reality of discriminatory Israeli rule over all Palestinians. Human Rights Watch is heartened that the new standing commission of inquiry created by the UN Human Rights Council, in seeking to address root causes of violations, plans to look at all of the OPT and Israel rather than restricting itself to a particular sub-region.

Conclusion

The discussion demonstrates the importance of considering the term apartheid under international criminal law as a specific crime against humanity, together with the closely related crime against humanity of persecution. This requires a legal understanding of its definition and constitutive elements, as well as of ways to apply it. To even begin the process of criminal justice, prosecutors and in particular those at the ICC will first need to understand and investigate these crimes. Legal discussions like this symposium can, we hope, help advance this objective. These are crimes against humanity that have been neglected for too long.

Clive Baldwin is Senior Legal Advisor at Human Rights Watch

milie Max is an independent consultant to Human Rights Watch. She also works as a researcher at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and as an expert legal advisor to Diakonia's International Humanitarian Law Centre

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Human Rights Watch Responds: Reflections on Apartheid and Persecution in International Law - Human Rights Watch

The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Steve Devore is president and CEO of Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ.

Creativity is one key to building resilience for many youths, and artistic expression helps us to convey feelings and emotions that words fail to capture. Art can provide us with so many protective factors like creativity, connection, and messages that normalize seeking help from others when we feel overwhelmed.

As my team at Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ looks back at the wonderful success of the 2021 Youth Art Contest, we are overwhelmed by the love, support, and care that these students embedded into their works of art. These incredibly talented artists from all of Kansas continue to remind us that, though everyone falls at some point, there will always be someone there to lift us back up.

Organized in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the 2021 Youth Art Contest was created with the intention of providing Kansas students a platform to showcase their messages, thoughts, and inspirations that help them stay healthy and find support when they need it the most.

We were thrilled to receive 29 submissions from 22 different schools (to view submissions, visit the online gallery). These pieces are incredibly impactful because they often display the type of encouragement that students would wish to receive when they are faced with feelings of despair. This contest opened our organizations eyes to even more ways we can reach out into our Kansas communities and offer support that resonates with students and their feelings.

Experience tells us that what students and young adults say and how they experience the world is so much more impactful than the opinions from those who are older; their viewpoint is curious, raw and honest.

This year, we were thrilled to receive artistic pieces that spanned across many different mediums. In addition to the fantastic drawings, sketches and paintings, we had a significant number of video and digital submissions.

The use of video allowed students to highlight their struggles in a moving and dynamic format. For instance, one of the many videos that left a lasting impact featured a young student staring blankly at the camera. A voice from off screen continually asks this student the same question: How are you? The student continues to say Good repeatedly, despite his face and body displaying the exact opposite feeling. This perspective enables all of us to adopt a different point of view and realize that many of our daily interactions are only surface-level.

Videos like this one remind us all to be intentional when we check in on friends and loved ones. Often, it can be difficult for those who are younger to tell others that they are not feeling OK.

These submissions also highlight the power of the cultural connections of youth. Ones culture can serve as an excellent protective force from thoughts of suicide or hopelessness. This contest was filled with submissions from people of diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities. A students culture can help to empower them when they are feeling low and extend compassion and care to those who are struggling around them.

Our hope is that the contest this year made more youth and parents aware of their local resources and the availability of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255). People of all ages can call at any time with any concern, not just suicide. Our caring volunteer counselors are always available to listen and connect.

As we look ahead towards future art contests, we are filled with inspiration and excitement. We hope for the next Youth Art Contest to be even bigger than the last, with more submissions from all over the state of Kansas. Our goal is for each community in Kansas to be represented in this showcase and learn all about the various mental health resources available in their state.

Additionally, we will continue to promote free and accessible programs for Kansas youth to produce more digital art in their own styles. When students are encouraged to create messages that are meaningful to them, we can see the struggles, triumphs and perspectives of those who will become the next generation of Kansans.

Thank you to all the families who helped to make this years art contest such a success. We are so amazed with the turnout this year, and we hope that the wonderful art pieces encourage even more students to take part in future events.

Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary,here.

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To help prevent suicide, Kansas youths created these messages of love and reassurance - Kansas Reflector

Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave's On the Ground Kalamazoo series.

A lot of people start college but dont finish.Sometimes their interests change, or their goals change, or their life circumstances change. But officials at Western Michigan University say sometimes students paths to a good career and a meaningful life are not clear; sometimes they are overwhelmed by stress and personal issues, and sometimes they simply run out of money.So the university hopes to use a massive new $550 million donation, provided by WMU alumni who have chosen not to be named, to help remove those barriers to graduation.Our donors No. 1 motivation for the gift is being able to transform the lives of students and the result of that will be a transformed Kalamazoo, says Kristen DeVries, vice president of advancement at Western Michigan University and executive director of the WMU Foundation. So we are looking forward to graduating even more students and really being able to serve a broader population and making sure our university and the professionals within it look like the community were serving.Called the Empowering Futures Gift, the donation is to be provided to the WMU Foundation in $55 million annual increments over a 10-year period. Announced on June 8, it is the largest philanthropic donation in the history of the university and the most money given to a public institution of higher education in U.S. history.More resources to help students will be possible with a $550 million donation being made to WMU says Kristen DeVries, VP for Advancement at Western Michigan University and executive director of the WMU Foundation.Among other things, the funding will help the student population and faculty reflect the world we would like to see, DeVries says. Diversity is a key, she says, because students learn from people who are NOT just like themselves and it is better to have a broader perspective. So the more diverse our classrooms are, the more effective we can teach any kind of content, be it accounting or history or any other topic, she says.WMU President Edward Montgomery has also said, at its core, the donors' belief is that inclusive education empowers people and communities to create a bright future for all.But what will the gift really mean to students?Approximately $200 million will support need-based financial aid, faculty hiring, and numerous student-centered initiatives. Some $300 million will be allocated to the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine to advance medical education and research. And $50 million is to be allocated to WMU athletics to support student-athletes and increase athletic competitiveness.A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is at the center of donors' wishes with the largest private gift in the history of Western Michigan University, officials say.A lot of it is direct financial assistance for students needs, DeVries says. But it also is increasing the number of counselors that we have available for them to take care of their mental health. It is increasing the number of advisors but also transitioning from just thinking of it as an academic advisor to someone who, in my world, we would call more of a life coach someone who says, OK, here are your options, but you really want a career in X. And How do we move your resume to the top of the pile once youre in your senior year?Regarding the need for mental health counseling, DeVries says stress and the lack of mental health services have been identified as big barriers to college graduation.There is a significant amount of data around this that says mental health challenges are the second reason that students drop out of college, behind finances, DeVries says. It can also make the path to graduation longer as students drop out for a semester or two to try to cope with problems, she says.Many students have faced challenges in early life, including grief, and mental and physical abuse. Others leave their psychological support system when they leave home to head to school.For some students who particularly may have experienced a higher level of trauma in their childhood, it makes it much more difficult to complete an academic program, she says. And if we can provide even more resources, then it becomes not just Come here and muddle your way through, it becomes We want you here and were going to give you everything you need from a mental health perspective so that you can complete (school) and be successful.What does the gift mean for the typical student?No. 1, this fund enables us to provide far more resources to students from every background, DeVries says. That includes career counseling and financial assistance to students from low-income and non-traditional backgrounds.Because of this money, well be able to have scholarships for students who may have grown up in urban areas like Detroit, she says. And we can also provide them housing. So that students that we previously werent able to attract, now we can.The funding should also help students from middle-class families with more traditional resources.The families of middle-class, suburban students can have problems, she says. Their parents can lose their jobs too. They can have health issues. They have all kinds of obstacles they can run into.It is not atypical for students from middle-class families to struggle financially just as their student is heading into senior year.That is the most likely time when students run out of money, DeVries says. And we know that it is such a small amount that makes the difference.She says that $2,000 to $3,000 worth of tuition money is all that stops some students from graduating. So these are not students who are trying to find $20,000, she says. Its like $2,300.Von Washington Jr., executive director of community relations for The Kalamazoo Promise, says, My hope is that these resources will be concentrated in a way that they will help students who have gaps that stop their progress. One of the things we know is that the more consistent a student can be in their pursuit of their education, and the fewer barriers, the better opportunity they have at success.Von Washington Jr.The Kalamazoo Promise is a scholarship program that provides up to 100 percent tuition for graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools high schools.Washington says he also hopes the Empowering Futures Gift can be provided alongside other dollars and opportunities that are out there and that these dollars wont be impacted by a students other (financial aid) package.Financial aid from one source is often reduced when a student receives money from other sources, he says. The Kalamazoo Promise, for instance, is considered a first-dollar scholarship. It is used to pay for the baseline needs of a student -- tuition and mandatory fees. If a student gets aid that is inflexible, it may reduce what he or she is already receiving. If a student receives other aid that is flexible, Washington says, that aid can be applied to needs to make him or her whole.Speaking of scholarships and grants through the Empowering Futures Gift, Washington says, We need these dollars to be alongside of the other dollars to assist students and help them with their journey. So our hope is that theres going to be a distinct approach so when Promise scholarships and Pell grants and other scholarships are already on board helping students, these dollars can fill in gaps.$50 million to athleticsA lot of student-athletes arrive at the university envisioning a career in professional sports, DeVries says. And so they havent put the same level of thought into a future career that a non-athlete college student has.So intentional career assistance will be big for the 300 to 350 student-athletes typically at WMU during any school year. The gift will help provide more significant career advising, she says, So its not just about, Here are the classes you need to get an accounting degree while youre pursuing your soccer athletic career. It will be, OK, youd like to get a degree in accounting. But what would you like to do with it?She says the counseling will also teach students how to take what theyre learning on the field, in the locker room, and in the classroom to craft a pathway to not just be an accountant, but to perhaps become an accounting Chief Financial Officer for a global NGO (non-governmental organization) one day.Most of them started sports because they had a bigger vision for themselves, which is great and we love those dreams and ambitions, DeVries says. But we just know that very, very few of them will ever come to fruition. And so they need some more intentional assistance in terms of conceiving a career for themselves.Allocations are also likely to be made to help student-athletes get the career experiences they need. Student-athletes schedules can be very challenging, she says, making it difficult for them to get valuable internships and work experiences. But we still want to get them career experiences, she says. Some money will help fund those kinds of opportunities and help our partners around the community recognize the value of their efforts even if its not in a full-time, summer-long capacity, DeVries says.$300 million for the medical schoolThe goal of the gift to the Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in downtown Kalamazoo is to try to ensure that 50 percent of its students have near full-tuition scholarships. That would mean the average med school student would have nearly all of his or her tuition paid.The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, shown at East Lovell and Portage streets in downtown Kalamazoo, will be a big beneficiary of the $550 million gift.What that does is enable them to do another thing that this gift is concerned about to go out and impact the community, DeVries says.She says students at the 10-year-old WMed are already involved in the community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they volunteered to administer vaccinations and COVID tests. But they all need to manage that currently against working or taking out significant loans or what have you, DeVries says.If they are freed up financially, they will have more time to participate in healthy lives in the Kalamazoo community, she says. The gift will help make that a reality.It also means that any student will now be able to see themselves in a doctors coat, she says. And they dont have to look at the price of med school and say, Theres just no way.This gift also hopes to enhance the research capabilities of WMed by allowing it to build out the fifth and sixth floors of its facilities at Lovell and Portage streets. Those spaces will become research laboratories which is a tremendous way to share with our medical students the research that is behind the medicine that they practice and perhaps inspire some of them to also do that research, DeVries says. She says the research will address health care issues that affect people in Kalamazoo.Questions yet to be answeredAsked how much of the Empowering Futures Gift money will be scholarships, DeVries says, We have not made full determinations yet. I think that will vary by year because as we continue to attract students that have a higher level of need, the pure tuition scholarship portion may go up. But we may also find that were attracting more Detroit Promise students. It will be a year-by-year basis to identify where the greatest areas of impact are that this money may benefit.The Detroit Promise is a scholarship program available to qualified Detroit residents to bridge the gap between what they have been awarded in federal assistance, grants and other resources, and what they need to graduate college. Funded by the Michigan Excellence in Education Foundation, it was implemented in 2013 to help students seeking two-year degree and technical certifications. It was later expanded to help those seeking four-year college degrees.DeVries says those students may not need tuition assistance but may have other needs such as assistance to pay for housing. Washington says a strategy will be needed for the Empowering Futures Gift to help those students. Detroit Promise scholarships are considered last-dollar scholarships. They are awarded to help students who have assistance but need additional help to finish.Washington says he hopes the Empowering Futures Gift will reach some of the deeper challenges that individual students face on a daily basis. Those may include food insecurity, housing insecurity or the need for child care assistance. Those are issues that many colleges and universities try to tackle, he says, but find very difficult to resolve.In the meantime, he says, Im excited by the gift. And the mere mention that there will be dollars in this gift to assist students in their journey is remarkable.Many times philanthropic gifts are provided to universities and that is like the last line item if they say it at all, he says.Of the gift, DeVries says, This is magnifying what we have already been committed to being for our students.There have already been strategies around campus aimed at student success, she says. But challenges remained. Officials have, for instance, been unable to find a different way to restructure housing costs for students or provide scholarships to directly help cover those costs.How does she want college-bound high schoolers to envision WMU?That that is a university that is going to help me find my purpose and its going to support me all the way through my college career so I can get a job I love, she says. I will never be a number at Western Michigan University. Im not a check-box on their enrollment list. Im a person with unique contributions to bring and thats a university thats going to maximize me and what I bring to every table I get to sit at.

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WMU says $550M gift will help more students graduate, have better careers, and live happier lives - Concentrate

June 24, 2021 8:46 PM

Posted: June 24, 2021 8:46 PM

Updated: June 27, 2021 3:27 AM

Earlier this week, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced that 70% of the citys adults had received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine reaching President Bidens goal for the nation ahead of schedule.

Yet that doesnt tell the whole story. Only one-quarter of those vaccinations have gone to Black residents even though they make up more than 40% of the citys population.

Throughout the pandemic, people of color have been devastated by Covid-19 in the US dying at a much greater rate than white Americans. Now, as deaths have fallen with increased vaccinations, those dying are younger and more disproportionately Black.

Since April 2020, Dr. Ala Stanford has been working to change that. Her group, the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium, has brought testing and vaccines to more than 75,000 residents of Philadelphias minority neighborhoods.

We are intentional about focusing on communities that have the low vaccination rates and the highest positivity rates, said Stanford, whose organization has been praised as a model to reduce health care inequality by the CDC. Those who are most vulnerable they need to have the support.

Its an unlikely path for Stanford, a pediatric surgeon, but shes always defied expectations. Born to teen parents in north Philadelphia, her family often struggled to make ends meet. But that didnt keep Stanford from dreaming big.

I knew I wanted to be a doctor from the time I was about 8 years old and I never believed I couldnt do it, she said. That grit that comes from being a poor kid raised in Philadelphia is what has given me the tenacity to press on, no matter what.

She became a surgeon and built a successful private practice. But in March 2020, her work slowed dramatically when the country shut down, so she hunkered down at home with her husband and three young sons.

Early that April, she was disturbed to hear about the high fatalities of Black residents in Philadelphia. Then a Drexel University researcher reported that people in affluent white areas of the city were being tested six times more frequently than those in poor minority areas.

Stanford knew that people of color were more vulnerable to Covid-19 for many reasons, including that they were likely to be essential workers. Knowing they werent getting tested deeply upset her.

This was your working-class community. They were keeping the city and the country running, she said. But wherever Black people were, one thing that was tough to come by was testing.

So, she gathered up PPE from her office, got testing kits, rented a van and headed out to bring free testing to areas where positivity rates were the highest.

The first day we did a dozen tests. The second time we went out, we did about 150 tests. And the third time there were 500 people lined up before we started, she said.

Throughout 2020, they provided free testing in the parking lots of local churches, mosques, community centers and SEPTA stations, eventually offering antibody testing and flu shots as well as Covid testing.

In January, Stanford and her team began offering Covid vaccinations and for the first few months, vaccinated an average of 1,000 people a day. The group also ran a 24-hour Vax-A-Thon at which they inoculated more than 4,000 people.

The volunteer effort that Stanford initially funded from her own pocket is now a large operation with 70 employees and more than 200 volunteers.

In recent weeks, as the pace of vaccinations has slowed, the group found new ways to reach those in need. Their events now often include music, free refreshments, t-shirt giveaways and other incentives. More than 1,000 people have signed up for their home vaccination program and theyve targeted teenagers with special events as well as high school visits to answer questions about the vaccine.

The group is currently based at Deliverance Evangelistic Church in North Philadelphia. In the fall, they plan to open a health equity center there until they ultimately open their own permanent facility.

Stanfords efforts have brought her such acclaim that shes now under consideration to be the citys next health commissioner.

Laushae Hightower, 78, has become one of the groups unofficial ambassadors regularly bringing carloads of family and friends from his neighborhood.

Anybody that wants to come, Ill bring em, he said. My little bit of bringing them up here pales to what shes doing.

For Stanford, that support means that her efforts to earn the trust of the community have paid off.

Just seeing folks come out, day in and day out their presence says everything, Stanford said. This wasnt my job, but I could not allow one additional life to be lost when I knew that I could do something about it.

CNNs Kathleen Toner spoke with Stanford about her work. Below is an edited version of their conversation.

CNN: Whats the atmosphere like when you vaccinate people?

Dr. Ala Stanford: Honestly, the atmosphere is joy. Its new beginnings. Its exhaling for a lot of people because theyve finally done it. Its also emotional a lot of tears for folks because it takes them back to a person that they lost. We had a woman whose mother had died the night before from Covid. When she came up she was still sobbing and we just built a circle around her, held hands around her and let her cry.

CNN: How have you dealt with peoples fear or hesitation about getting vaccinated?

Stanford: We tried to prepare for it. In the fall, we conducted a survey that gave us some insight into what would make people more comfortable taking the vaccine when it became available. Then in December, I got vaccinated. Id had Covid, so Id thought about not getting vaccinated because I knew I had antibodies, but I took on that responsibility because people were following my lead. Then, when we started vaccinating, we had one day where we ran out of vaccine, so I said to the city, This hesitancy in the Black community, we are not seeing it. They were lined up.

But there are people who have concerns understandably and its not my job to persuade. Its my job to educate and allow you to make an informed decision about your health. So, I listen to what the reason is why theyre not getting vaccinated sometimes its lack of education, sometimes its fear, sometimes they cant even tell you why. Sometimes the questions they have, there are no answers for. So, I just state the facts and Im honest with them. But youre more likely statistically to die if youre African American and you contract coronavirus. That is a fact. Regardless of how much money you make or not, regardless of comorbid conditions or not. I tell them, You have to weigh the risks and benefits and Im available to listen and answer. Its not a one-time conversation for some people. Some people need to come back and watch a couple of people get it. And then theyre like, OK, Doc. Im ready.

CNN: How did the idea for your new center come about?

Stanford: The pandemic has made it glaringly obvious how we are missing the mark with health equity in the United States, so were opening a multi-disciplinary clinic on October 1st where we can do family practice, pediatrics, phlebotomy and flu shots. Who knows we may need to do booster shoots for coronavirus.

But this is answering the need of the community. People just started showing up to say, Hey Doc, could you look at my labs? or Ive got this lump on my neck. Is this normal? So thats whats next for us. Our mission has always been about getting Black and brown communities the access and care they deserve.

Want to get involved? Check out the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium website and see how to help.

To donate to the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium via GoFundMe, click here

Continued here:

This CNN Hero is fighting to save lives in Philadelphia's communities of color through Covid-19 vaccination and testing - Channel3000.com -...

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs is honored to welcome celebrated artist Phung Huynh to the department as Creative Strategist for the Office of Immigrant Affairs as part of the Creative Strategist Program administered by the L.A. County Department of Arts and Culture.

Phung Huynh is a Los Angeles-based artist and educator whose art practice focuses on drawing, painting, and public art. Her work explores cultural perception and representation. Known for exploring the complexities of Southeast Asian refugee communities through drawings that include the iconic pink donut box, Huynh will apply her artistic practice and her own experience as a refugee and immigrant to her work with OIA staff on strategies to build trust and increase participation in LA County support services.

The talents of immigrant artists have helped to make Los Angeles County the nations creative capital, said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair, Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District. Phung Huynhs work speaks to the immigrant story and makes a perfect match to help the Office of Immigrant Affairs celebrate the contributions of immigrants that make L.A. County a vibrant and welcoming place for all.

Its an honor to welcome Phung Huynh and her impressive artistry and ideas into our Office of Immigrant Affairs, said Rafael Carbajal, Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. We extend our gratitude to the Department of Arts and Culture for selecting OIA as a place where art can help us better engage and serve those who have made Los Angeles their home.

Artists have the power to inspire and advance belonging and identity in communities. The Creative Strategist Program brings that power and creative problem solving into the service sector, said Kristin Sakoda, Director of the Department of Arts and Culture. We believe that this cross-sector partnership with the Office of Immigrant Affairs and the amazing, community-minded Phung Huynh will find innovative ways to build more access to arts and cultural resources for immigrants in Los Angeles County.

The role of artist is deeply connected to the role of cultural builder who serves the community, said Huynh. Intentional engagement and making art through a social justice lens are central to my practice, as well as my commitment to immigrant communities, womens issues, and BIPOC solidarity. As an artist, educator, mother, and activist, I hope that when people engage with my work, they are positively impacted and rethink their relationships with their own communities and what sort of impact they can make.

The Creative Strategist program is a recommendation of theL.A. County Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative, which is implemented by the Department of Arts and Culture. The program places artists and creative professionals in residence at a County agency, applying artistic practices towards the development of innovative solutions to complex social challenges.

In addition to her new assignment with OIA, Huynh has been commissioned with other County public art projects and recently earned a city of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Fellowship through LA Citys Department of Cultural Affairs. As one of 14 COLA fellows, Huynhs works are currently being featured virtually at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.

Learn more about the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs atimmigrants.lacounty.gov.

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LOS ANGELES, June 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Launching June 25th, global superstar, actress, social activist and beauty maven Becky G introduces her Latinx-inspired brand, Treslce Beauty. Inspired by Latinx culture and made for all, the brand is dedicated to paying homage and uplifting Latinx creators, while honoring the unique beauty within each and every Treslce Beauty consumer.

Becky G partnered with beauty brand incubator, Madeby Collective, to create an innovative, vivid world of color in a conscious beauty line that will highlight communities and always give back in an intentional way, supporting Latinx artists and artisans across the U.S. and Latin America.

As a second-generation Mexican-American, Becky G has always been devoted to shining a light on her humble beginnings, family values and Latinx identity. As an authority in beauty, serving as the youngest CoverGirl to date, she is determined to present positive change, and acknowledge Latinx creators, consumers and tastemakers who are the driving force in today's beauty economy. The first collection is inspired by Becky G's Mexican heritage and future collections will seek to celebrate all Latinx cultures.

"Growing up, I never really saw people who looked like me represented, especially when it came to ads for beauty brands. My inspiration for Treslce came from wanting to put more diverse faces at the forefront of beauty. Being Mexican-American, my Mexican heritage was also very much an inspiration. I wanted to highlight it in a very special way, along with all the other beautiful Latinx cultures within our community."

The brand has developed high-performance, conscious, vegan-friendly formulations that deliver high-impact artistry, with the mission to encourage beauty aficionados to tap into their inner artist. Additionally, the line is cruelty-free, and packaging as well as formulas, are infused with Latinx sourced ingredients and art. A key ingredient is blue agave sourced from Jalisco, Mexico. The soothing and nurturing Mexican blue agave delivers a unique softness improving the skin texture, and is derived in a sustainable way from the nectar of the plant.

Treslce Beauty will be launching with six products including: "I Am" Shadow Palette, "Like An Artista" 8pc Brush Set, "Ilusion" Premium Lashes (Sueo 3D, Fantasy 5D, Deseo 6D), "Intenso" Liners (15 shades), "Mi Tesoro" Lash Case, and "Super Fcil 2-in-1 Lash Applicator". Prices range $8-$35.00.

Media Contact: Danielle Alvarez [emailprotected]

SOURCE Madeby Collective

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Becky G Launches Treslce Beauty, A Brand Rooted In Celebrating The Latinx Community - PRNewswire