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2018 Spanaway Lake High School graduate wins prestigious fellowship to study abroad

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SPANAWAY LAKE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE FREDERICK UY WINS PRESTIGIOUS FREDERICK DOUGLASS GLOBAL FELLOWSHIP TO STUDY ABROAD IN LONDON THIS SUMMER

Frederick Uy, a 2018 Spanaway Lake High School graduate, today was awarded a prestigious Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship (FDGF), which provides a full scholarship for the Claflin University freshman to attend a comprehensive study abroad program in London, England this summer.

 

The FDGF is operated jointly by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), the nation’s largest non-profit facilitator of studying abroad, and the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI). Each year, the Fellowship is awarded to 10 outstanding students that attend a Minority Serving Institution (MSI).

Uy, who was born in the Philippines and later moved to Tacoma, Washington, is pursuing a double major in Finance and Computer Science. After his undergraduate studies, Uy hopes to enroll in a joint MBA and Law program then become a financial lawyer who helps smaller companies thrive.  “It has always been a dream of mine to study abroad and be in a learning environment outside of the standard classroom,” he said, noting that he looks forward to being forced to adapt outside his normal comfort zone.

“Studying abroad will push me to become a better person from networking and being engaged with different people and different cultures,” Uy said. “This opportunity is very important for my career because it will allow me to establish strong and solid connections and relationships with successful people in the business world.”

Uy said that he is honored to be a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow and immerse himself into different cultures.  He is very excited to meet new people, form networks, and expand his horizons even more. Outside of school, Uy enjoys playing guitar and other instruments, exploring new places, doing photography, and watching the financial trends of different stocks.

The Fellows were nominated by their college presidents and selected during a national competition. The winners have demonstrated high academic achievement, possess exemplary communication skills, display the hallmarks of self-determination, exhibit characteristics of bold leadership, and have a history of service to others.

The winners will use their experiences to motivate other under-represented students to pursue opportunities to study abroad.  Of the 332,727 US college students who studied abroad in 2017, less than 30% were students of color — 0.4% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 4.3% multiracial, 6.1% African American, 8.2%Asian/Pacific Islander and 10% Hispanic Americans, according to data from the Institute of International Education.  The data shows that students of color largely miss out on international education experiences that can play a critical role in their personal growth, as well as academic and career success.

The Frederick Douglass Fellowship, which launched in 2017, is representative of efforts by CIEE and CMSI to increase diversity in study abroad by breaking down the barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture that prevent students from participating in international education experiences. Named for the African American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and international statesman Frederick Douglass, the Fellowship encourages students to use his life as a model to becoming bold, globally conscious and service-oriented leaders.

 

“The students selected for the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship are ten exemplary student leaders who demonstrate the iconic leadership, keen intellect, and natural change-agent attributes of Frederick Douglass,” said James P. Pellow, President and CEO of CIEE. “These students will be the next generation of leaders and I know that the intercultural competence and global perspective they will gain during the London program will benefit them throughout their lives.”

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About The Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions
The Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions brings together researchers and practitioners from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions. The Center’s goals include: elevating the educational contributions of MSIs; ensuring that they are a part of national conversations; bringing awareness to the vital role MSIs play in the nation’s economic development; increasing the rigorous scholarship of MSIs; connecting MSIs’ academic and administrative leadership to promote reform initiatives; and strengthening efforts to close educational achievement gaps among disadvantaged communities. For further information about the Center, please visit www.gse.upenn.edu/cmsi

About CIEE

CIEE, the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, transforms lives and builds bridges by promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences. To help people develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world, CIEE sponsors a wide variety of opportunities for cultural exchange, including work exchange programs, teach abroad programs, and a worldwide portfolio of study abroad and internship programs for college and high school students. Visit www.ciee.org.

 

SEATTLE’S YOUTH POET LAUREATE AZURA TYABJI IS ANNOUNCED AS A REGIONAL FINALIST FOR NATIONAL YOUTH POET LAUREATE.  The announcement of the 2019 National Youth Poet Laureate will take place on Thursday, April 4, 2019. 

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Seattle Arts & Lectures is delighted to announce that Azura Tyabji has been invited to perform at the third annual National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement on April 4, 2019 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The event celebrates the five Regional Finalists, of which Azura is one, and announces the new 2019 National Youth Poet Laureate.

Born and raised in Seattle, Azura Mizan Tyabji is serving as Seattle’s 2018/19 Youth Poet Laureate. As a writer, spoken word performer, facilitator, and educator, what motivates every aspect of her artistic practice is a love for community, justice, and healing. If her words leave you feeling hopeful, empowered, or thinking deeper, she has achieved her goal as a poet. She hopes to continue challenging and expanding her craft and giving back to the city that inspires her. She is 18 years old and a graduate from Nova High School. Azura’s first book of poetry will be published this May with Poetry NW Editions. The book will debut at Northwest Folklife at a celebration which will also crown next year’s Youth Poet Laureate.

Azura is averrable for interviews. Please contact SAL with requests.

About the YPL Program: A joint program between WITS and Urban Word NYC—with support from Northwest Folklife, Poetry Northwest, and the Academy of American Poets—the Seattle Youth Poet Laureate Program aims to identify youth writers and leaders who are committed to civic and community engagement, poetry and performance, human relations, diversity, and education across Seattle. SAL, WITS, and our other partners recognize that youth voices and community engagement are vital for empowering young people to effect positive changes in their communities and beyond.

About Seattle Arts & Lectures: Founded in 1987, Seattle Arts & Lectures champions the literary arts by engaging and inspiring readers and writers of all generations in the Puget Sound region. SAL’s programs include the Literary Arts Series, Poetry Series, Women You Need to Know (WYNK), Journalism Series, SAL Presents, Hinge, Local Voices, Summer Book Bingo, the Youth Poet Laureate (YPL) program, and Writers in the Schools (WITS). For more information about SAL, visit lectures.org.

Public Defense launches post-conviction unit Attorneys will help people vacate convictions and expunge records

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Criminal records hinder a person’s ability to get a job, secure housing, obtain benefits and more. The Department of Public Defense’s new post-conviction relief unit will help people rebuild their lives by vacating convictions and expunging records as allowed under state law.

People with criminal convictions who are eligible to have those convictions vacated will get additional legal assistance to do so, thanks to a new post-conviction relief unit at the King County Department of Public Defense.

The department started its new unit this month, a pilot project funded by King County’s recently passed 2019-2020 operating budget. One paralegal and the equivalent of one full-time attorney will provide the legal help eligible clients need to get convictions vacated. The pilot project also provides funding to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to vacate convictions.

Under state law, many convictions can be vacated, provided enough time has passed. For certain non-violent Class B felonies, one can file a motion to vacate 10 years after completion of the sentence; for non-violent Class C felonies, the wait is five years, and for misdemeanors, three years.

Vacating a criminal record helps to end some of the collateral consequences of criminal legal system involvement. It means, for instance, that the person can state in job applications, housing applications and other forms that he or she has not been convicted of a crime. It also provides some protection in background checks.

“A criminal conviction is like a scarlet letter. It keeps someone entangled in the criminal legal system for years and years, long after they’ve completed their sentence,” said Anita Khandelwal, director of the Department of Public Defense (DPD).

“This kind of work is critical to equity and social justice,” she added. “A person who has completed a sentence should not be forced to carry that mark forever. An equitable and fair system is one that, at a minimum, allows a person to rebuild his or her life.”

DPD already provides some post-conviction work, but on a limited basis. The new unit will enable DPD to provide the service to many more people and to do so systematically, Khandelwal said. The department, for instance, will begin reaching out to people via community partners, social media, workshops and other avenues in an effort to let people know the service exists.

“We don’t know what the volume will be, but we know the need is great,” Khandelwal said.

The attorneys in the new unit will also help clients get their records expunged, which means removing an arrest record or criminal charge that was later dismissed. They can also help people get records sealed, a discretionary process that requires the individual to show his or her privacy needs outweigh the public interest in open access to the courts.

DPD provides high-quality legal advocacy in all areas of criminal law and some areas of civil law to people who cannot afford an attorney. The department employs attorneys, investigators, social workers, paralegals and administrators. In 2018, DPD represented nearly 20,000 individuals in courts throughout King County.

For information about DPD’s post-conviction unit, call the department at 206-296-7662.

When Rim Sparks Fly – Become a Spark Plug for Someone Else! How One Woman’s Flat Tire Inspired a Global Trucking Movement

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By Keith Martino

The sun baked down on the four door station wagon stalled on the side of the road. And the driver inside fumed and sizzled.

“What do you mean you can’t help? I’m stranded,” she explained in haste.

“Two hours?”

“Surely, you’re joking!”

The conversation screeched to a tense halt. You wouldn’t need a PhD to know that the driver of the car, Virginia, Ellen’s mother was out of sorts. Virginia was a strong person, but the signs were evident. Her face was red. Her pulse was racing. And her adrenaline was pumping. Unfortunately, it seemed Virginia wasn’t going anywhere fast on that particular day.

Across town, Ellen’s father’s heart was also pounding. He owned the local funeral home and despite his sincere desire to help, he was completely out of position to solve his wife’s dilemma. Virginia’s rear tire was flat and the July heat was driving the mercury level through the roof.

As the proverbial philosopher once wrote, “If necessity is the mother of invention, bad timing is the father.” This seemingly unfortunate incident spawned a significant advancement in the trucking industry. It’s an advancement that we celebrate today.

To understand the impact of this one lady’s untimely flat tire on an entire industry, you’d need to fast-forward almost a decade. On another memorable occasion, Ellen’s now calm, cool and collected mother stood beside Ellen quietly encouraging her with words like “You can do anything. You can be anything you want to be. Don’t let anything slow you down.”

Then Virginia harkened back to that fateful afternoon in July. “Remember that time I was stranded with the flat tire?” her mom reminded her. “It never happened again. I took matters into my own hands. That was the moment that I decided to take my first mechanics course.” Virginia smiled.

Ellen Voie took the direction from her mother’s experience quite literally. And she applied that advice in ways beyond her mother’s wildest imagination. In 2008, Ellen founded Women in Trucking: an association designed to be a resource and encouragement to transportation leaders.

Ellen’s ride to the top with her association group hasn’t always been smooth cruising either.

She’s encountered her own array of potholes along the way. But she has persevered while pursuing experience in steel fabrication, traffic management, and transportation regulatory consulting. Ellen even owned a multi-truck fleet while married to an over-the-road driver. So she has seen the trucking industry from almost every conceivable angle.

Here are five specific strategies Ellen put in place to accelerate her progress. Regardless of your gender or profession, you will likely find them helpful and motivational.

  1. Ellen listened to and followed the advice from a woman she deeply respected. She didn’t question whether she had the talent to succeed. She accepted the encouragement offered and set a goal to achieve something special. When her mother passed away near Ellen’s 19th birthday, Ellen picked up the leadership encouragement torch and drove forward.

 

  1. Ellen prepared for every position in which she served. She never assumed that the world owed her a fortune. She set aside preconceived notions regarding the appropriate role of women in any enterprise and apprenticed in a variety of positions that others might have avoided. Eventually, Ellen was so well diversified that she wrote a thesis on the complex identities of women married to professional drivers.

 

  1. Ellen worked in both traditional and non-traditional positions. Ellen’s gender never stopped her from learning about all sorts of topics like drafting, steel fabrication and detailed trucking regulations. She spent almost 18 years licensing and permitting carriers in Central Wisconsin. Ellen isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and she loves strategic planning. Ellen can shift all 10 gears with the best of them.

 

  1. Ellen continues to surround herself with bright minds. She doesn’t need to be the smartest person in the room. Ellen has formed a Board of Directors for Women in Trucking that is steeped in wisdom and experience. She continues to attract fellow visionaries from global corporations to guide and fuel her vehicle for helping women. As a result, Ellen’s association is picking up speed and adding new members daily.

 

  1. Ellen mentors people by empowering them to make decisions, take risks and achieve their dreams. She has established a leadership culture that enables women in the transportation industry to build their confidence by proving themselves capable and competent. Ten years ago it was unheard of that women were starting trucking companies. Today, many women are taking over truck lines from their fathers and these companies are continuing to fire on all cylinders. Ellen loves to mentor.

 

So do you think Ellen ever encounters her own flat tire of sorts? Absolutely!

 

A few years ago the economy turned down at the most inopportune time. Ellen wanted to grow the association but many companies were in dire straits and unable to pay their dues. This posed a significant threat to the still-budding association she had established.

 

Did Ellen wither in the heat of the noonday sun? Hardly. She devised a plan to extend the term of struggling members from 12 months to 18 months. Voila! The association continued to grow despite the economic pressures.

 

Remember Ellen’s mom? The sun baked down on the four door station wagon stalled on the side of the road. The driver inside fumed and sizzled.

 

“What do you mean you can’t help? I’m stranded,” she explained.

 

“Two hours?”

 

“Surely, you’re joking?”

 

It may have seemed like just another flat tire at the time. But, that was the day the trucking industry took a turn for the best. Women in transportation have never looked back.

 

Step on it Ellen!

 

 

Keith Martino is head of CMI, a global consultancy founded in 1999 that customizes leadership and sales development initiatives. Martino is the author of Expect Leadership, a series of leadership books – The Executive Edition, in Business, in Engineering, and in Technology. After more than 20 years and numerous awards at FedEx, Xerox and Baxter Healthcare, Martino and his team provide world-class counsel and proven web-based tools that produce consistent results. Martino is quoted in Young Upstarts, Entrepreneur Magazine, NewsMax Finance, the FedEx Worldwide Manager’s Pak, and several metropolitan business and industry trade journals. For more information visit KeithMartino.com

 

House leaders unveil bill to help U.S. meet Paris Climate Agreement goals

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Leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives today announced the introduction this week of H.R. 9 “The Climate Action Now”. This legislation is aimed at keeping the United States on track to achieve benchmarks set by the Paris Climate Agreement, which President Donald Trump has vowed to quit. The legislation would ensure that the United States meets its international commitment to cut carbon emissions by at least 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.

Bruce Speight, Environment Washington Director, issued the following statement:

“We applaud the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Energy and Commerce Chair Frank Pallone, Foreign Affairs Chair Eliot Engel, and Select Committee on Climate Crisis Chair Kathy Castor for sending the message to the world that America still has the will to be a strong global leader on the climate crisis.

“One hundred and eighty-five countries have ratified the Paris Agreement with the understanding that concerted global action is necessary ‘to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future,’ according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“The United States is uniquely capable of developing and implementing the solutions we need — transitioning to a society completely powered by clean energy, electrifying our cars, and expanding mass transit and bike lanes. We have the research universities and institutions, the renewable energy technology, and most of all, the indomitable spirit of innovation that has powered America for more than 200 years. All we need is the political will to make it happen.

“This bill is just a first step in solving the climate crisis and maintaining our global standing.  We sincerely hope this is a building block on our road to a 100 percent carbon-neutral future, which is what science tells us is crucial to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. Environment Washington looks forward to working with our congressional leaders and anybody — no matter their political party or where they’re from — who wants to join the effort.”

Community invited to participate in South Park Community Center Site Redevelopment Project 

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Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to provide input on spray park features, playground equipment, cultural themes and field usability for the new site wide design at the South Park Community Center.  Please join us on Friday, March 29, 2019 from 5 to 8 p.m. at  the South Park Community Center’s multipurpose room at 8319 8th Ave. S., 98108. Children’s activities and refreshments will be provided.

This meeting is an opportunity for the community to learn about the South Park Community Center Site Redevelopment Project and provide input on specific features. In spring 2018, SPR finalized a concept design to install and relocate a play area, install a spray park, create a full-size multi-sport synthetic turf field with a circular walking trail, and add features including an outdoor fitness zone, LED lighting, ADA accessibility, sport court, off-leash area and a renovated parking lot.

This community driven project is funded by Seattle Park District and includes the Major Projects Challenge Fund, state grants and a partnership with Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences through the Seattle Parks Foundation. SPR hired Broadview Planning in 2017 and MIG/SvR in 2018 to lead the planning and design with an emphasis on providing strategies for mitigating negative health impacts resulting from the site’s proximity to a major transportation corridor. The project incorporates the principles of crime prevention through environmental design and a race and social justice lens with a strong focus on engaging underrepresented communities.

For more information about this project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/south-park-community-center-play-area-renovation or contact Karimah Edwards at Karimah.edwards@seattle.gov or 206-233-0063.

Celebrate Earth Month with Seattle Parks and Recreation

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Seattle Parks and Recreation is all about connecting community members with nature any time of year, but each April the theme is even more important. April is Earth Month, an annual celebration and appreciation of our beautiful planet, and a chance to have fun and give back while getting some fresh spring air.

This Earth Month, join Seattle Parks and Recreation and our partners at one of the many volunteer Earth Month events happening across Seattle. You can get your hands dirty and help revitalize a much-loved park or look for wildlife along trails bursting with new growth. Volunteer activities include nature walks, gardening, trail repair, mulching, cleanup, planting, weeding, invasive species removal, nature exploration, and much more. Whatever you do, Earth Month is a great time to practice active gratitude for the bounty around us.

More volunteer opportunities can be found on the Green Seattle Partnership’s event calendar here.

Earth Month volunteer events:

 

April 6: English Ivy Crush at Frink Park

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Help Green Seattle Partnership and Friends of Frink Park protect open spaces from the threat of English ivy, an invasive plant that covers trees and results in a loss of native habitat. Register Here

April 7: Bird Walk on the Burke-Gilman Trail with Woody Wheeler

8 – 11 a.m.  Join Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail for our monthly Bird Walk and Citizen Science project. All ages and experience levels welcome. Woody, Wheeler, Master Birder and author will lead our walk.

Contact mailto:jim.corson@comcast.netfor more information.

April 7: Warren G. Magnuson Park Reforestation

9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Help create and improve thriving forest habitat on what was once a denuded and sterile navy airfield. Enjoy nature and learn a bit about native plants while doing satisfying work! Contactmailto:tpaulkelly@hotmail.comfor more info and to join.

April 12: Help the forest grow at Me-kwa-mooks

1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Help the birds, butterflies, bees, rabbits and other creatures thrive by removing invasive species such as ivy and blackberry at Me-Kwa-Mooks park in West Seattle. Contactmailto:psocoupeville@gmail.comfor more information.

April 12 and 19: Wetlands Restoration and Community Lunch

10 a.m. – noon at Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetland. Join Tilth Alliance staff, neighbors and a longtime community crew of East African seniors. We’ll enjoy a healthy and delicious community lunch at noon, so please bring a small donation or a dish to share. Children, youth and families welcome! Contactmailto:chrishoffer@tilthalliance.orgfor more info.

April 13: Golden Gardens Park Work Party

9 a.m. – noon. Remove invasive weeds and plant native species that return the forest to a more natural ecosystem. We provide tools and training, so we only need your enthusiasm to help restore this beautiful park! Contact mailto:doug@greshamenvironmental.comfor more info.

April 13, 20, and 27: Wildlife Walks/Bird Tours

8 – 10 a.m. at Discovery Park.  Join experienced leaders as we explore for migrants and year-round residents within Discovery Park’s varied habitats. Please dress for the weather and bring binoculars if you have them. $5 for ages 8 and older. Visit this page for more info on registration.

April 14: Lewis Park Restoration Event

10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Spring’s warmer weather brings out the flowers, but also the weeds! We need your held to thin out the invaders to make room for mulching, among other tasks. Contactmailto:rickpaulsen@earthlink.netfor more info.

April 14: Martha Washington Park Restoration

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. We’ll work to restore this Native American site and its historic white oaks by removing invasive plants, tending new plantings, watering and/or doing whatever is needed. Contactmailto:perasso@cruzio.comfor more info.

April 20: Carkeek S.T.A.R.S. Work Party

9 a.m. – 12 p.m. A fun morning of forest restoration and trails maintenance in one of Seattle’s most beautiful parks! Contact mailto:carkeekstars@gmail.comfor more info.

April 20: Duwamish Alive! Orca Earth Day

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Herrings House Park (Tulaltx). Orca populations are struggling because of the lack of their main food source – salmon, especially Chinook. Herrings House Park provides critical salmon habitat for juvenile salmon before they enter Puget Sound. Please join us in maintaining this habitat! Conacts.leishman@comcast.net for more info.

April 20: Student Conservation Association at Washington Park Arboretum

9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The SCA and Washington Park Arboretum on work to restore Washington Park Arboretum, gathering members, alumni, friends and partners to weed, remove invasives, and add mulch. Meet at Crabapple Meadow, just South of the Visitor Center. More info here.

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP SECURES CRITICAL VICTORY IN EFFORT TO COMBAT WHITE SUPREMACY ON FACEBOOK PLATFORM

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Facebook announced a new policy banning content that promotes white nationalism and white separatism as impermissible hate speech, following nine months of advocacy from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Facebook’s new policy declares white nationalism and white separatism to be equivalent to white supremacy, and prohibits any praise, support or representation of these hateful ideologies. Until now, white nationalist and white separatist content was allowed on Facebook, despite the company’s Community Standards and Terms of Service.

“There is no defensible distinction that can be drawn between white supremacy, white nationalism or white separatism in society today. By maintaining this distinction, Facebook ended up providing violent racists a platform that could be exploited to promote hate. While we are pleased that Facebook is taking long overdue action, we know well that communities are still reeling from the rise in hate and racially motivated violence, and that extensive remedial action must be taken to ensure that hate is eliminated root and branch across the platform,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “As we have seen with tragic attacks on houses of worship in Charleston, Pittsburgh, New Zealand, and elsewhere, there are real life consequences when social media networks provide platforms for violent white supremacists, allowing them to incubate, organize, and recruit new followers to their hateful movements.”

On May 29, 2018, Motherboard published training materials used by Facebook content moderators that showed that while Facebook prohibited white supremacist content on its site, it allowed content related to white nationalism and white separatism. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law undertook extensive advocacy with Facebook, including issuance of a letter that demonstrated that “white nationalism and white separatism are white supremacy”. The organization also repeatedly met with Facebook over the past year to urge the company to reform its policies.

Clarke continued: “While Facebok’s new policies are one step forward in the fight against white supremacist movements, much work remains to be done. Putting in place the correct policy is a start, but Facebook also needs to enforce those policies consistently, provide meaningful transparency around any AI techniques used to address this problem, and adequately retrain its personnel. Without proper implementation, policies will prove to be just empty words, and white supremacy will continue to proliferate across its platform.”

 

About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 56th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and voting rights

 

About the Stop Hate Project

The Stop Hate Project works to strengthen the capacity of community leaders, law enforcement, and organizations around the country to combat hate by connecting these groups with established legal and social services resources.

Matching grants help preserve Pierce County landmarks

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The Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission is now accepting applications for the 2020 Preservation Matching Grant Program. These grants assist in funding preservation efforts in Pierce County.

The program’s goal is to distribute small, yet meaningful, matching grants to help promote historic preservation throughout the county. Grant requests can be made for two types of proposals:

•      Historic preservation (maximum request of $20,000) for stabilization, restoration or rehabilitation of properties listed on national, state and local historic registers.

•      History-related projects (maximum request of $5,000) include photograph or document preservation, historic markers, history research and public events and programs.

Nonprofit organizations, public agencies and owners of properties listed on local historic registers are eligible to apply. Recipients must provide matching funds.

Applications will be accepted until 3 p.m. May 10, 2019. Project activities must be completed by Nov. 10, 2020.

The grant guidelines and application form are available atpiercecountywa.gov/historicpreservation.

Applications are evaluated by the Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission, which administers the grant program. The commission forwards project and funding recommendations to the Pierce County Council for approval.

If you haven’t yet, for Women’s History Month please order one (two or three) of these eBooks written by and about Black Women

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If you haven’t yet, for Women’s History Month please order one (two or three) of these eBooks written by and about Black Women:  Two books about pioneering Black women; “Fanny Marion Jackson Coppin: First Black Female Principal,” amazon.com/dp/B06XDJ9FKN  (available on Over Drive) and “Ms. Forten of Philadelphia,” amazon.com/dp/B01N22E6JC. Both books are free with Amazon Prime.
Short, sweet, and only 99 ȼ.  Five stars on Amazon.com ! “Hell Hath No Fury.” amazon.com/dp/B0734J5N5G.
THE DOWN LOW ON THE LOCK UP!!!! “ABCs of the BOP;” Re-released, updated, new and improved, ready for primetime paperback, amazon.com/dp/1548538515 or eBook, amazon.com/dp/B077Y5Z6SC  Get your copy now. Give a copy to someone else to read. Recommended reading for anyone pursuing a career in criminal justice; anyone who has an incarcerated friend or relative; anyone who believes it is time for criminal justice reform; and anyone who just wants to know what the heck goes on in women’s prisons.
Thank you in advance for ordering my books.
L.A. Johnson of Aberdeen, WA
About Author:
L.A. Johnson of Aberdeen, WA  first book, “The ABCs of the BOP,” I’ve adopted the pen name L.A. Johnson. After reviewing my book, my granddaughter referred to me as “Piper.” That made me feel real good.

I earned an A.A. from Fresno City College, a B.A. from Fresno State and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Purdue University. I retired from the Los Angeles School District with 26 years of teaching service credit.

From my humble beginnings in Hamlin, Texas to my current home in Aberdeen, Washington, I’ve journeyed far; that is meant in both the literal as well as the metaphorical sense.

I am one of the many who was wrongfully investigated, convicted, and incarcerated for crimes that I did not commit. As of today, I am still fighting to have my conviction overturned. I have faith that one day I will succeed.

Nelson Mandela said “After one has been in prison, it is the small things that one appreciates: being able to take a walk whenever one wants, going into a shop and buying a newspaper, speaking or choosing to remain silent. The simple act of being able to control one’s person.”

I have found that to be quite true. Other books that I have written are:

Fanny Marion Jackson Coppin: First Black Female Principal

Miss Forten of Philadelphia