Category Archives: Intentional Communities

Citizens must stand up when its clear by his words and actions that President Donald Trump doesnt share, doesnt understand and doesnt care about this fundamental value of America, exemplified by Seattles adoption of police reforms.

I couldnt believe what I heard Friday from the president of the United States about the rule of law. Perhaps I shouldnt be shocked because of all his previous vulgar, disrespectful and downright harmful comments. Maybe thats his intent, to over time lull the country into stunned silence, a dulled acceptance of his radical, authoritarian mindset.

But its a big deal when President Donald Trump attacks the rule of law, the principle that we are governed by laws, standards and broadly accepted norms, not the whims of an individual. These attacks reached an alarmingly dangerous new level when Trump said these words to police officers about the arrest of violent subjects:

when you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon you just see them thrown in, rough I said, please dont be too nice. Like when you guys put somebody in the car and youre protecting their head, you know, the way you put their hand over? Like, dont hit their head and theyve just killed somebody dont hit their head. I said, you can take the hand away, OK?

Tim Burgess is an at-large member of the Seattle City Council.

Thats the president encouraging police officers to rough up people they have arrested. Telling police officers not to use their hands to guide an arrestees head into the back seat of a patrol car so it doesnt bang against the door frame. The president was encouraging police misconduct. Shameful.

This on top of his previous attacks on federal judges, the director of the FBI, our intelligence services, the Department of Justice, and his own attorney general. Words matter. Trumps constant barrage of verbal attacks matters. By his words and behavior, Trump is tearing down the rule of law, the fragile standards and mores built up over generations. The presidents scorn, his contempt, is very damaging. Yes, we have serious problems, especially when it comes to criminal justice, but, believe me, these problems will not be correctly addressed by destroying the rule of law.

Fridays comments elevated the danger to a new level. Any elected official, but especially the president, who encourages illegal police violence should be roundly condemned. Trump was wrong, absolutely wrong.

The rule of law and the peace of our communities is only assured when people respect, understand, and welcome the police and the other elements of local government dedicated to keeping us safe. This doesnt happen by chance or automatically; it takes intentional effort. Its hard work building community trust.

Weve experienced this here in Seattle. Since the Department of Justice issued their report in 2012 about use of force, biased policing and mismanagement of the police department, a lot of people have worked diligently to create sustainable reform the elected leaders of the city, Police Chief Kathleen OToole, the Community Police Commission, City Attorney Peter Holmes and his colleagues, civil rights advocates, and, importantly, the women and men of the Seattle Police Department. Excellent progress has been made, as evidenced by the 10 compliance assessments completed by the federal monitor, Merrick Bobb.

Much more remains to be done to make certain the reforms take root and actually change the culture of the police department. For example, we have yet to tackle hiring and promotion standards; how best to structure an in-service leadership academy to prepare future leaders; and how to create a political climate that recognizes the importance of effective policing and civilian oversight, yet doesnt lead to inappropriate interference the kind weve come to expect from the president at the national level.

The rule of law is a revered treasure of our democracy. Its clear by his words and actions that President Trump doesnt share, doesnt understand and doesnt care about this fundamental value of America. Lets stand up and defend the rule of law and condemn those who would tear it down, including the president of the United States.

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What next for rule of law when president calls for police brutality? - Seattle Times

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (PBS) announced today that Micheal Cristal was elected International President of the 103 years old community service organization. Effective immediately, Mr. Cristal will become PBS's 35th International President. In this role, Mr. Cristal will lead the organization's 2017-2019 General Board and provide leadership on PBS business strategies, headquarters operations, investments in the membership, branding opportunities and organization decisions.

"I am honored to serve as Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. 35th International President," said Mr. Cristal, Vice President of Merchandising, Kroger Corporation. "I believe in the power of our brotherhood, our brands, our values and our commitment to serve the communities where our chapters exist, he added. "Phi Beta Sigma is transforming to be a faster-growing, more intentional brotherhood of conscious men. I am committed to the strategies we will employ, and look forward to leading the talented cadre of General Board members and our headquarters staff to drive growth, engage our sponsors, foster our Sigma Beta Clubs activities and create value to our brotherhood and the communities we serve," he emphasized.

Cristal, who was PBS' immediate past International First Vice President, delivered four (4) consecutive years of record membership growth, averaging 30% growth over the four years. Cristal is a proven leader who has the experience and track record of delivering results. He has a keen understanding of PBS' business, external and internal structures, having served in several leadership roles in the organization. He has helped charter many chapters nationally and assisted in growing the Southwestern Region to be one of the largest regions in the fraternity. He was also instrumental in introducing and rolling out PBS' revised Membership Intake Process.

Since 2013, Mr. Cristal has worked with the Honorable Jonathan A. Mason, Sr., 34th International President of PBS, administration to transform the organization. Working closely with Mr. Mason over the last four years on the organization's strategy to strengthen and focus PBS' brotherhood, business partnerships and brand portfolio, the organization experienced a transformation.Cristal is well positioned to continue to lead the most comprehensive transformation in the venerable organization's recent history. PBS is a more focused and balanced organization of conscious college educated men, who are fathers, husbands, brothers,uncles and community leaders. Cristal's leadership team is committed to serving communities globally and creating value for the brotherhood. He plans on strengthening PBS' brand and headquarters operation, while streamlining the organization's cost structure to deliver improved results. He is also committed to sharpening PBS' strategies and lead the execution of the next important phase of building a better Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

About Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. is an international organization comprised of college and professional men, predominantly of African American origin, open from its inception to men of all race, religion, class and national origin. The Fraternity holds as its motto, "Culture for Service and Service for Humanity." With over 175,000 alumni and collegiate members, located in more than 500 chapters throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, the organization has its international headquarters in Washington, DC. It conducts national programs in the areas of Education, Social Action and Bigger & Better Business, a youth mentorship program of Sigma Beta Clubs for young men from 8 to 18, and a Sigma Wellness program in partnership with the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes and national Centre for Disease Control. It has worked in partnership with St. Jude's Children Research Hospital.

Members include James Weldon Johnson, George Washington Carver, Congressman John Lewis (GA), Former Congressman Edolphus Towns (NY), Former Mayor Harold Washington, African Presidents: Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Knamdi Azikiwe (Nigeria) and William Tolbert (Liberia), Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Hines Ward, President Bill Clinton, Reverend Al Sharpton, Al Roker, Terrence Howard, Hon. Demetrius C. Newton, Esq. among others.

CONTACT: Ron Carter (626) 345-1413 - office (323) 864-7092 cell rel="nofollow">ron@thecarteragency.com

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Micheal Cristal Elected 35th International President Of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. - Markets Insider

The Vanguard Group has wrapped up its annual All Cans on Deck food drive a key effort of the Vanguard Gives Back Program serving local agencies in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and North Carolina. This year, Vanguard said, it donated 893 tons of food a 63 percent increase from the forecasted goal of 500 tons.

New to the program this year was the ability for Vanguard employees to donate by credit card, which were also eligible for a company match. This advancement to the program came after listening to the needs of our local agencies and taking into account the tremendous buying power many non-profits have.

Dollars go farther when you give them to your partner, said Carra Cote-Ackah, director of Vanguards Community Stewardship efforts. Vanguard has built a legacy of generosity and were looking to become a more intentional steward on behalf of our communities.

In Pennsylvania, Vanguard donated non-perishables and monetary donations to: Philabundance, the Food Bank of Delaware, the Chester County Food Bank, the Food Bank of South Jersey, Community Action Development Commission (CADCOM), Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities, Arm in Arm, and the Salvation Army.

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Food donations soar at Vanguard - Daily Local News

The kickoff for the trainingWhy We Play InSideOut Teambegins Wednesday, August 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, and is the first phase of a year-long commitment being made by the partners to educate school athletic administrators on skill development to implement the initiative with leaders, coaches and students in their communities. In this first phase of training, the group will meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For sports to provide students with a place to belong, moral character development, and accountability to established expectations, our culture must move beyond defining the value of sports by the scoreboard and create space in the culture for a higher purpose, said MSHSL Associate Director Jody Redman, and co-founder of the InSideOut Initiative. It is one that guides school communities into reframing the purpose of sports and that focuses on the development of the social and emotional well-being of every student-athlete.

The MSHSL will provide athletic administrators with training and curriculum, developed by the InSideOut Initiative, for coaches during the 2017-18 school year and for students participating in those school communities during the 2018-19 school year.

We know sports engage more people in a shared experience than any other cultural activity, organization or religionand we have the opportunity through Super Bowl LII to make a tremendous impact this year, said Dana Nelson, Vice President of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee. Were honored to partner with the MSHSL and InSideOut Initiative to support the kickoff of this important year-long educational opportunity to improve the sports experience for studentsand proud of our home state of Minnesota for championing the movement.

One of the areas of concentration will be on the mental health crisis that faces todays youth.

In the book Hardwired to Connect, a commissioned-study by a panel of leading doctors, research scientists and youth service professionals, describes for the nation new strategies to reduce the currently high numbers of U.S. children who are suffering from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, and thoughts of suicide.

Findings of the study identified a lack of connectedness as the root of this significant issue. The commission defined three fundamental needs of every child: The need to belong and be affirmed of inherent value and worth, the need for moral character development and a belief system, and the need to be a part of an authentic community that holds individuals accountable to a set of defined expectations.

The study states, enduring attachments to other people for moral development is the best way to ensure a childs healthy development. School athletic programs are one of the potential solutions that meet these fundamental needs if the adults who provide them are intentional about this significant role.

Why We Play, developed in 2012 by the Minnesota State High School League, is a statewide program created to reclaim the educational purpose of sports. The Why We Play curriculum was founded on the philosophy and four questions contained in Joe Ehrmanns book InSideOut Coaching; How Sports Transforms Lives. In 2015, a partnership was formed between Joe Ehrmann and Jody Redman and the InSideOut Initiative was launched.

The InSideOut Initiative is funded by the National Football League Foundation, and catalyzes partnerships with educational leaders, state athletic associations and local NFL teams to address the brokenness of the sports culture, and engages stakeholders in strategic conversations to re-define the role of interscholastic sports in the lives of students and communities. The InSideOut Initiative is currently engaged with 12 NFL markets in nine states

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Minnesota High Schools make commitment to transform the Win-at-all-Costs sports culture - Detroit Lakes Online

$1.6 Million Grant focuses on family success and upward mobility

NASHVILLE The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) has partnered with United Way of Metropolitan Nashville (UWMN) providing a 2-year, $1.6 million grant designed to provide intensive case management for families living in poverty. The partnership illustrates TDHS 2G for Tennessee or two-generation (2Gen) approach focused on creating multi-generational progress for low-income families. The 2Gen approach has a laser focus on providing intentional services and supports to both parents and children that create a solid foundation for the family to build on.

UWMN will work with community partners such as Fannie Battle Day Home for Children and The McGruder Family Resource Center to implement the Family Empowerment pilot program through July 2019. The pilot program will use an intensive case management service model integrated into the community to engage, assess, and assist up to 140 families over the next two years.

The two-generation approach ties together components essential for community impact: education, economic supports, health and well-being, and social capital. These components, paired with intentional case management will have a lasting, positive influence on participating families and the communities they are making stronger, said Danielle W. Barnes, TDHS Commissioner.

United Way of Metropolitan Nashville is excited about the two-generation partnership. We look forward to working alongside TDHS as we work to solve some of Nashvilles most complex problems. Through partnerships like this, we know we can make an impact in the lives of Nashville families, said Erica Mitchell, Sr. Director of Community Impact at United Way of Metropolitan Nashville.

TDHS and UWMN initiated discussions for the partnership in fall 2016. Since then, they have worked together to co-design a program with an intentional focus on education, upward economic mobility, health indicators, community engagement, workforce readiness, and financial literacy.

To learn more about 2G for Tennessee and the two-generation approach, visit http://tn.gov/humanservices/topic/2gen-approach.

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Tennessee Department of Human Services & United Way of Metropolitan Nashville join for new pilot program - Winchester Herald Chronicle

The Power BI World Tour will allow local user groups to develop and present unique content, mirroring the freedom-based nature of existing PUGs. Each city's two-day event will offer attendees training, experience and networking opportunities.

The tour follows the launch of various features like the PUG Career Center, a rising hotspot to connect employers and job-seekers who work with Power BI. The Career Center also offers PUG members career coaching, assistance with resume writing and reference checking in addition to local and global job postings.

Kamal Hathi, General Manager at Microsoft Power BI, described Power BI's goal as to, "provide BI to more people than ever before, across all roles and disciplines within organizations."

Though independent of Microsoft, Dynamic Communities continues to support this goal by providing volunteer-driven resources in local communities globally. The organization has acquired 34,000-plus PUG members alone since February 2017, breaking 100,000 members across all user groups.

About Dynamic CommunitiesDynamic Communities is a business management organization that develops and supports technology-centric user groups providing necessary resources and business operations such as staff, systems and event production. Dynamic Communities fosters the development, growth and engagement of volunteer-driven user groups that provide hubs for like-minded technology users to exchange knowledge on how to best maximize product performance. Dynamic Communities is independent from Microsoft; however, the two organizations maintain an intentional close working relationship so that members can provide a collective voice to Microsoft on user concerns, needs, and requests.

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Dynamic Communities Announces Power BI World Tour Among Other New Features - PR Newswire (press release)

WATERLOO -- The South Waterloo Church of the Brethren will host the Northern Plains District conference of the Church of the Brethren from Friday through Sunday.

The Rev. David A Whitten, pastor of the South Waterloo congregation, is the moderator of the conference. The Northern Plains District represents 30 congregations in Iowa, Southern Minnesota and Montana.

Worship services will feature the theme from the Book of Judges.

On Saturday, the community choir One Voice from Waterloo will provide special music and the Metropolitan Brass, also from Waterloo, will present special music on Sunday morning.

Participants of the conference will make contributions to several service projects. They include T-shirt diapers for Haiti; supplies for the House of Hope in Waterloo; school kits for Church World Service; and cash donations to agencies that support refugees -- Nigerian Crisis Fund or Church World Service.

There also will be six dynamic workshops. Three are planned for 10:30 a.m. Saturday: "Mental Health and the Congregation" by Kim Hill-Smith and Marlene Dickerson; "Intentional Strength-Based Ministry for the Community of Faith" by the Rev. Belita Mitchell; and "Christ in Action" by moderator the Rev. Sam Sarpiya.

At 8:30 a.m., Sunday workshops will be: "A Listening Session with the General Secretary" by the Rev. David Steele; "Building Bridges across Communities" by Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart; and "Brethren Heritage Trip" by La Donna Brunk, Diane Mason and Diane Sittig.

An auction of handcrafted items, woodworking projects, and antiques is set for 4 p.m. Saturday to support the district.

The South Waterloo Church of the Brethren is located at 6227 Kimball Ave. The public is invited to attend the workshops, auction and worship services.

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South Waterloo church to host district event - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Gather your crowd, make connections and take small steps were the basic tenets. Gone is the old way of having to always form committees and talk an issue to death. Here to stay is the simplicity of just doing.

Don't get me wrong committees are still needed. But for many fabulous ideas, simply gathering your crowd and taking small steps is the solution to growing our rural towns.

It can be as simple as asking questions to get the ball rolling. "What do you do?" "Who do you know?" "What do you think?"

RuralX brought together community leaders, economic developers and regular joes, all trying to make a difference in their rural areas. Folks came from Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas to share ideas, strategies, successes and failures, and to hear some mighty motivating speakers.

Jason Roberts of Better Blocks (www.betterblock.org) uses the "gather your crowd" strategy to recreate whole streets quickly. He uses items gleaned from friends and neighbors to show what CAN be done in communities lacking gathering places, walkability or experiences, and he helps to visualize how streets and neighborhoods could be reimagined.

Deb Brown and Becky McCray from SAVEYOUR.town (www.saveyour.town) also wowed the crowd. These two ladies from different parts of the country have teamed up to share their expertise applying the Idea Friendly method to build connections and make a difference, all with little or no budget.

A huge highlight at RuralX was following up with two young men who attended last year's RuralX as its only "youngsters" (ages 16 and 17). Dylan Fulton and Camden Breitling went back to Miller, S.D., with the idea of having pop-up shops over the holidays. With a little help and a newly formed youth leadership team, they were able to get sheds donated for booths at the first Cozy Cabin Christmas. They had five vendors and, from this event, two of those businesses are actively looking for permanent buildings. Win!

Building on last year's event, RuralX 2017 had nearly a full dozen youth in attendance! That is amazing! I thank them for taking an active role now and in our future, and teaching us how best to communicate with our youth.

Another outstanding presenter was Hugh Weber, founder of We Are OTA and the Potluck Society (www.hughweber.com). Hugh has been a driving force in making connections across the OTA region MinnesOTA, North DakOTA and South DakOTA and has sparked many into acting on wishes and dreams for our rural areas. Hugh's strategy of stopping the disconnect and pulling people together is based on basic potlucks where everyone has something to offer. A simple invitation to do XYZ creates intentional acts of community, conversation and celebration with incredible results!

Rural areas need more rural folks to participate in events like RuralX. The ideas, conversations and actions that result are what help keep our towns growing and thriving.

"Not all towns will survive but those that do are open to new ideas."

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A new way of doing business: RuralX Summit - AG Week

(Photos by Stephanie Sugars)

Many townhouses on this block in Bedford-Stuyvesant look nearly identicalthe same stairs lead up to clean, white stone facades and glass doors with black framesso much so that, walking past, I wonder if the same contractor has recently remodeled them. But the house Im heading for stands out. Past the rusting gate, there are mismatching chairsincluding a repurposed and faded bike taxi seatencircling a makeshift coffee table, and the slightly battered front door is secured with a keypad deadbolt.

The differences become even more apparent once inside. The hallway is narrow, with at least six bicycles leaning or hanging on the walls, along with containers overflowing with helmets and other gear. These are the bikes we actually use, Amy, one of the residents, tells me. In the backyard and basement, there are parts for more than 25 more. But this isnt a bike shop: its Noyes, a housing collective where eight unrelated people live together in a means that differs radically from that of most others living in New York.

The collective was founded in 2012, a time of pushback against exploitative capitalism, when hundreds of people encamped in Zuccotti Park as part of the Occupy movement. Sarah and Clark, having met while organizing for Occupy, founded the collective around similar political objectives and, in part, because her previous collective wouldnt allow cats. Its now one of a least a dozen collectives in north Brooklyn alone. This is an area where young radicals are moving, Amy says, as I sit at Noyess kitchen table with her and Jedidiah, another resident, who continues to pluck noncommittally at the banjo in his lap. (All names used in this pieceincluding the names of the various collectivesare pseudonyms per the request of the residents.)

Ive been interested in collectives and communes since my auntthe first Stephanie Sugarsmoved to Moonlight Farm in Kenwood, California a decade ago. She was a teen in the Bay Area in the late 1960s, and was there in 67 when the Summer of Love drew hippies, anti-capitalists, artists and beatniks to San Francisco and collectives began in the United States in earnest. When years of serious illness prevented her from having a formal job, even if she had wanted one, life on the farm provided her stability and community when she could not have afforded much else. The farm is mostly self-sustaining, raising livestockthey had a cow named Sal, short for Salisbury Steakand maintaining a vegetable garden alongside fruit trees. Her low living expenses enabled her to spend her time painting, participating in a potluck group, leading cancer survivor groups and reading and writing voraciously until she passed in November 2016. Her memorial, a full five months later, was held nearby and attended by nearly 150 people who were close to her.

Her strong connection to community is why Ive thought about living collectively myself. The closest Ive come is a campus house my senior year of college where I lived with 12 other members of the literary magazine staff, and the group renting my friends from home continue to embrace. When I moved to New York, I relied on my fledgling graduate community to find an apartment and roommates. While Ive kept collective living in the back of my mind, I wasnt sure of its feasibility in this city or for me as a student and journalist. Curious if any intentional communities or collectives existed here, my search turned up Noyes just a neighborhood away from my own apartment.

Touring Noyes, its clear that theres more to living in a collective than having a lot of roommates. Residents select new roommates based on applications and decide by consensus during biweekly house dinners and meetings, where debating and reaching agreement on issues can take hours. Alongside consensus decision making, Amy says, the collectives key tenets are open communication and accountability. The aim is to emulate family organization and life through mutual reliance, cooperation and community. Most everything is shared, funds are pooled for buying house goods and stocking the kitchen, and chores and other responsibilities rotate.

For example, they try to spend very little on food. As Amy leads me from the entryway towards the warmly lit kitchen and dining room, I see two six-foot-tall metal shelves filled to overflowing with jars, cans, bags and boxes of food, many of which are labeled with black sharpie on masking tape. They have a communal kitchen, sharing groceries and cooking basics like rice and beans each week to be available to everyone. One of the benefits of living with so many people, she tells me, is the ability to buy some things in bulk, which often saves money. They often grow vegetables and herbs in the backyard, and go dumpsteringsearching through garbage bins outside restaurants or grocery stores for unspoiled foodas several of Noyess residents, including Jed, are freegans.

This impulse to reduce waste and live more sustainably extends across life in the collective. Jed saved some kitchen chairs and the secretariat next to the doorway into the kitchenwhich I notice is nearly identical to my ownwhen they were going to be taken to the dump, he says. Amy elaborates that Jed cant stand seeing things thrown away that are still good. This is a bit of a shared impulse: While we are sitting at the table, Amy receives a message from Noyes founder Sarah saying that there is free food available near Union Square if they can come pick it up within the next hour. When Jed does leave with his truck, its without knowing, or seemingly caring, what the food will be.

The ultimate aim is to spend as little as possible on rent and living expenses. They pay an average of $500 a month, with an added $90 that goes towards groceries, utilities and a house fund: its just half of what I pay for my room in a three-bedroom walkup nearby. If I wanted a studio, Id be lucky to find anything less than $1,200 in the area. Because of their lower expenses, Noyes residents dont have to work nine-to-five jobsor worselike most New Yorkers. Many piece together an income through doing odd little things: part-time jobs, repairs, massage, yoga instruction, cottage enterprise and, recently for Jed, helping people move. It started as a hustle, he said, but has turned into a business. Another collective house in the area, Amy tells me, was wholly supported through a bed-and-breakfast the residents ran on a floor of the house: each resident would work ten hours a week, and the income generated was enough to pay everyones room, board and a bit extra each. But new legislation targeting Airbnb effectively closed down their enterprise, so theyve had to take on new residents and charge everyone rent.

While paying less in rent is its own reward, it can also open doors. If your rents lower, Jed says, you have more energy to focus on the things that matter to you. While Noyes resident Lucy does the majority of the work on her intricate graphic novel at an easel in her room, every surface in the basement is covered in tools and projects underway. Walking down the carpeted stairs I see bike parts scattered around: Noyes founder Sarah built and repaired bikes, including one made entirely of semi-truck springs and another with six-foot tires large enough to stand and cartwheel in. Joss, Amys partner, is working at a table in the center of the room: He says hes constructing forge, and is planning to work with the scrap metal and railroad ties he and Amy collected this morning. Behind where Joss stands, screen-printing frames and canvases lean against a doorway across from a white, square fridge that Amy tells me is filled with dead animals: Jed evidently dabbles is taxidermy.

Noyes residents have not only the flexibility but the space to purse these interests. While some of the rooms are quite smallthough perhaps not by New York standardsthey have access to the whole house. Noyes is three stories, with front and back yards, a basement, an attic and roof access, which means plenty of common spaces. As we walk up the narrow, squeaking stairs to the second floor, Amy leads me into the large, central living room. Several couches and loveseats are piled high with pillows and pushed against the walls, each more or less facing a blank white wall where they project movies for fun and when they host screenings.

Politics and activism are a central passion for all of the residents, so their events and screenings reflect this. Were all political people, Amy says, though this isnt the most political house either she or Jed has lived in, and political action isnt a central tenet. In general, though, they agree pretty firmly, she adds. Most collectives and communes have organized around shared politics, typically of a feminist, socialist, communist or anti-capitalist bent; the collective where Jed lived in Washington, D.C. has existed for 40 years as a venue for socialist organizing, queer film nights, radical speakers and political agitation. Noyes is ideologically similar: The Beehive Collective produces the black-and-white illustrated posters Ive seen up around the house, and each uses graphic art to convey histories and messages of resistance against global capitalism. Tacked to a wall upstairs is a handwritten note saying, In case of emergency, break glass ceiling, and a sticker on the mirror in Amys room reads, Consent is sexy. Recently, Amy says, theyve screened episodes of Mr. Robot, and learned the basics of the technologically accurate techniques and tools for encryption and hacking featured in each episode.

The distinctiveness of this lifestyle means that once people join, they often continue to live in collectives. We do a pretty good job of indoctrinating people, Jed said, laughing. He was working on a construction site where Sarah, who was still living at Noyes, was the contractor. Realizing they had mutual friends in Georgia, she invited him to apply to live at Noyes, and hes so glad to have been accepted. I never felt settled growing up, Jed said, but when he moved into a collective, everything changed: Suddenly I had community and family. This is Amys fourth collective in north Brooklyn, and, for her, she says, its all about interconnectedness and communication. Over time, collectives across the city and even the country have formed a larger, mostly informal network in which each collective house is a node.

Inevitably, there are problems and complications that come with living collectively. When personalities clash, Amy says, taking a deep inhale, Its crisis. The atmosphere sours and becomes toxic, and the meetings! Dear god, the meetings! Amy exclaims. They go on forever. Typically, she says, it ends with all parties to the disagreement moving out, often into other collectives or founding a new one.

Yet that exit may be preferable to what now threatens Noyes and its residents: gentrification. Their lease is set to expire in just a few months, and theres no guarantee theyll get the three-year lease theyre hoping for. When the first residents moved in, the wine bar and the coffee shop around the corner didnt exist. This is a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, Amy says, and they recently saw their landlady speaking to a man in a suit. They worry that the owners ambivalence towards fixing things is a sign that shes looking to sell, and Amy says theyre not sure what theyll do if that happens.

The house has issues, Amy tells me as we climb the last flight of stairs and step onto plush red carpet: The roof might be caving in, the plumbing is fucked throughout, stuff like that. In her and Josss room to the left of the stairs, they have a partial kitchen with a range that hasnt worked since they moved in. To top it off, Joss recently discovered that not only is there a large, oval, metal washing tub in the attic, but that its full to overflowing with rainwater now leaking through the ceiling. While they wait to renew the lease, theyre doing what repairs they can and pushing off thinking about what the future may hold: finding a new place that would rent to the collective with all of its current residents is a challenge.

The time demands of collective living arent something to scoff at. Noyes co-founder Clark no longer lives collectively, at least for the time being, because he felt that he had very little time for relationshipsplatonic or romanticafter his work and house responsibilities. And the house, he says, was the easiest thing to cut back on. But he hasnt left communal living completely: hes currently living with five other men whove all lived in collectives before and share similar values. And he says hes starting to get the itch for collective living again.

For those committed to this lifestyle, its worth the risks and tradeoffs. It has definitely changed my life for the better, Jed says with certainty. While the realities of modern life push people to move across the country to start their educations, their careers, or just to start over, for many, this means moving alone: Living collectively helps with both the financial and community struggles this city is known for. For Amy, its the only way she can live according to her values, without engaging in these oppressive systems intrinsic to success in the existing system. By freeing yourself from rigid professional demands, you are able to pursue and cultivate a life outside of monetary concerns. Because, Amy says, fuck money.

While I see the ails of society and am sympathetic to this view, too much of my time is spent commuting, in class, attending events, interviewing, writing or working for one of my jobs, for me to commit to a collective like Noyes. The hours necessary for dumpstering, composting or cooking for eight people are hours I dont have. Sofor now at leastmy two roommates, couple of kitchen herbs and neighborhood composting program will be enough. (Though there is an eight-bedroom house in Cleveland that a friend and I are casually eyeing.)

As I pack up my notebook and grab my jacket, Amys friend pulls a second container of popcorn out of her bag and places it on the table: theyre preparing for a movie night. Joss has come up from the basement, Jed is on his way back with a truck bed full of food and three bottles from a six pack are open. They pause their conversation long enough for me to say thanks and goodnight, picking up where they left off as I turn and head out the door. Near where Bushwick meets Ridgewood, I unlock the door of my walkup and head up two flights of stairs to what I know is a dark and empty apartment. Flipping on the lights and grabbing the last beer from the fridge, I settle into the silence to finish scribbling out my notes.

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You Can Live in Brooklyn For $500 a Month If You Don't Mind Dumpster Duty - Bedford + Bowery

By Donna Thornton Times Staff Writer

The Black Alabamians for Educational Opportunity will host a second community meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at the Downtown Civic Center to discuss Gadsden City Schools.

The BAEO is the same organization that hosted a meeting July 6.

BAEO founder Neonta Williams describes the meetings as A Community Conversation Series: Education and Your Community. Williams is a Litchfield graduate now working as an education advocate.

At the July meeting, she presented test scores and talked about the achievement gap among black, white and Hispanic students.

Williams said the first meeting brought together a number of people with experience and expertise who can help develop community plans for improving education.

In the second meeting, she hopes to continue the discussion with those concerned community members.

According to an organizational history of the BAEO provided by Williams, the organization was founded after a national education reform advocacy organization Black Alliance for Education Options exhausted its financial support for Alabama operations.

Although BAEO was no longer funded nationally to operate in Alabama, staff and supporters of this necessary organization are still needed, the history states. As a result, we have formed (our) rebirth as Black Alabamians For Educational Options.

The national organization counted among successes the passage in 2013 of the Alabama Accountability Act, with two key components:

The Parent Refundable Tax Credit program giving parents with a child zoned to a failing school the opportunity to receive a tax credit to transfer their child to a non-failing public or private school.

The Tax Credits for Contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations program that allows low-income students who are zoned to failing public schools to receive a scholarship to attend the school of their choice.

The national BAEO also pursued legislation that would offer Alabamians the option of charter schools. In 2015, the Alabama School Choice and Opportunity Act became law. According to the history provided by Williams, the law will allow educational alternatives for Black families."

After four years of grassroots work, the national organizations funding in Alabama ended, leading to the state BAEO.

One of the BAEOs fundamental core values is that we are UNAPOLOGETIC, Williams history states. We are unapologetic in our belief that the changes we seek require engagement and/or leadership by the Black community on behalf of the Black community.

When national advocacy financial support ended in Alabama, the history states, there was no organization particularly no Black-led organization, with grassroots efforts in Alabama.

With this huge absence of presence, former Black Alliance for Educational Options staff members and parents have opted to form Black Alabamians for Educational Options with the sole intent to continue to fully advocate on behalf of Black communities, which are often impacted by reform, the history continues.

While our engagement is intentional with Black low-income working class families, we are inclusive of all families. We will ensure that the broader education reform options that are now lawful and optional in Alabama are given great attention to.

We intend to do so by engaging Black families, communities, faith/clergy leaders, business owners, educators and others that are most affected and interested in the education of our K-12 students being college and/or career ready upon graduation from high school, the history continues.

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Meeting set to discuss schools, achievement gap - Gadsden Times