Dear friends,
Getting the message out is a big part of justice work and telling the truth sometimes entails great risks.
A few days ago, exiled Russian journalists published the first issue of Novaya gazeta.Europe, after their independent newspaper had to suspend operations in Russia. The paper is online and distributed by a Latvian publishing house.
“The blood of thousands of Ukrainians and hundreds of murdered children is on your hands,” read the message that took over their screens. “TV and the authorities are lying. No to war.”
At the recent White House Correspondents' Dinner, the group honored Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne, the first two Black women given White House press credentials.
[They] joined the White House press corps around 1950 and were repeatedly ignored during President Dwight Eisenhower’s press conferences because they asked questions about civil rights.
It matters that the heirs to Dunnigan and Payne will be called on by Jean-Pierre.
Jen Psaki distinguished herself from the parade of liars who served the last administration. The video of Psaki announcing Jean-Pierre as her successor, whom she referred to as her “partner in truth,” is worth watching.
A DoorDash delivery driver saved a woman’s life. Sophia Furtado was delivering a pizza and the woman who came out to receive it had fallen unconscious in her driveway. Furtado acted quickly, waking the woman’s husband and relaying information to the 911 dispatcher.
Furtado had trained to become an emergency medical technician (EMT) and had the presence of mind to ask the woman’s husband for
gauze and a towel to stop the bleeding, and a blanket to keep Hebert Sullivan warm. She also stabilized [her] neck to prevent a potential spinal injury.
I hope Furtado finds work as an EMT. Hebert Sullivan was awfully lucky, though, that Furtado was the person who showed up in her driveway with a pizza.
One of my favorite and most challenging students recently became an EMT. Ruben struggled a lot as a teenager. His story is also good news, and he thanked his mom in this beautiful Mother’s Day post.
There’s been a lot of disturbing and important reporting on the struggles of students who are contending with mental health and learning difficulties. Resourceful educators have been working with the Comfort Dog Program, which brings therapeutic animals into classrooms.
Getting students excited about being pulled out of their regular classroom to work on phonics can be a struggle — particularly this year, when pandemic-related learning disruptions have left some kids lagging several years behind. But having the dogs helps make it more fun, said Kirsten Kinsella, P.S. 70’s former assistant principal, who now leads the New York City education department’s Comfort Dog Program.
“They explain the sounds to Chip [a shih-poo — poodle/Shih Tzu mix]. They’re learning it with the dog,” Kinsella explained. “It builds confidence and communication.”
Chip is one of five dogs who regularly works with P.S. 70 students on literacy, math, yoga, and social-emotional skills.
Getting children to read to dogs is a great idea.
Traffic violence claimed the life of a mother on Mother’s Day. The good news is that you are alive and the legislature is still in session.
Take this 15-second action from the Safe Streets Coalition to pass the Crash Victim Rights & Safety Act – a package of life-saving bills.
The state currently allows the city to control the speed cameras that issue tickets in school zones, but they are not operational overnight and on weekends. Rodriguez said that left several hours of each day unchecked and unaccounted for, meaning no accountability for dangerous drivers.
“They should be running 24 hours, seven days a week and the DOT should be in power to decide where we install those cameras,” Rodriguez said. “It should be a data-driven decision.”
Last year, 273 New Yorkers were killed by vehicles and traffic fatalities rose by 44 percent in the first quarter of this year.
Contact DOT to use traffic and speed cameras to issue ‘shadow tickets’ and gather data on traffic violence. This is a 30-second action!
A more comprehensive expansion of red light and speed cameras is needed, not only in school zones, but throughout the city. This will require new legislation and realistically, will have to wait until next session.
Meanwhile, however, it makes sense to urge the passage of A6681/S5602, which
increases penalties for multiple violations where liability is imposed under camera systems; requires suspensions; extends authorization for photo monitoring program.
Contact your state legislators to urge passage of a bill to increase penalties for traffic violations and give more authority to NYC for traffic enforcement.
I used to teach about the Underground Railroad, which is one of the most inspiring examples of (transit!) justice work in US history. The means that participants used to communicate are the subject of much fascination.
Their descendants may be the members of the Auntie Network, a group of volunteers who coordinate efforts on Reddit to provide lodging, transportation, and care for people who need abortions and may be on their own in hostile states.
Resilient and resourceful people are all around us.
Read this beautiful article about some incarcerated men who were wrongfully imprisoned and joined together to win their freedom.
It’s our turn to get the message out. Help get high school seniors registered to vote.
Join Th!rd Act’s Senior-to-Senior Voter Intergenerational Voter Registration Drive.
Have a great day!
with love,
L