Crisis counselors are being hailed as police alternatives. It's too heavy a burden, some say.

Rebecca Tan

June 16, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Montgomery County, Maryland

Montgomery County's longtime crisis response center illustrates the pitfalls of embracing a policing alternative without proper resources or thinking through the implications. The racial-justice protests of 2020 inspired many more cities and counties to explore mobile crisis response teams instead of police, to minimize violence and get people needed help instead of incarceration. While Montgomery County's team often deescalates crises and can either provide care or refer people to needed services, it lacks the staff to respond effectively. And the system of mental health care is too thin for the need.

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How teens are using online platforms to call out racism in high school

Umme Hoque

June 16, 2021 |

Prism |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

All over the country, students are using the internet to call out racism. Young people are publishing open letters, creating Change.org petitions and Google Docs “with lists of racist people in their classes, and using online platforms to organize protests.” In Boston, teens from the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center wrote an open letter asking school officials to address the wave of anti-asian hate crimes. After the letter, officials issued a resolution. Although, in some instances these actions do result in change, sometimes it can result in censorship towards students of color.

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If We Can Soar: What Birmingham Roller Pigeons Offer the Men of South Central

Shanna B. Tiayon

June 15, 2021 |

Pipe Wrench |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

The Black Country Roller Club and its founder, Cornell Norwood, fostered a subculture in Los Angeles' South Central neighborhoods among Black men who broke the color barrier in competitive pigeon husbandry. Besides the success they found in their hobby of breeding and raising roller pigeons, known for their distinctive aerial acrobatic talents, the young men and boys drawn to this world found mutual support "in times of flux and instability," and a meritocracy that provided meditative benefits: "a more organic form of the Big Brother program, and a culturally sensitive outlet for mental health."

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Reflective literature in school can encourage reading and improve literacy. Here's how

Sravya Tadepalli

June 14, 2021 |

Prism |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

In 2019, close to half, or 45 percent of white students scored proficient or above in reading comprehension, compared to 18 percent of Black fourth graders, and 23 percent of Latinx fourth graders. However, research shows that exposing students of color to books that reflect their culture increases reading comprehension and motivation. In the wake of those disparities, American teachers are beginning to reckon with the lack of diverse authors they teach. Some teachers are launching social justice classes, requiring more diverse books, and challenging norms.

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The push to remake policing takes decades, only to begin again

John Sullivan Robert Klemko

June 10, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

Three "historic firsts in policing reforms" show how attempts to root out systemic problems in policing can fail. In all three cases – federal intervention to curb civil rights abuses in Pittsburgh, a computerized early-warning system to spot abusive Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, and rules put in place to reduce racial profiling in New Jersey traffic stops – bureaucratic and leadership failures, plus cultural resistance to change in police ranks, undermined early successes or good intentions. In all three cases, the problems persist decades later.

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San Francisco's new homeless street teams make progress, garner praise

Joshua Sabatini

June 04, 2021 |

San Francisco Examiner |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Street Crisis Response Team is a pilot project meant to divert 911 calls for mental health emergencies from police to new teams of mobile counselors. Though it started with only one team and later expanded to four, the project in less than six months took 20% of the eligible calls. More than half the clients were helped on the streets, while most others were hospitalized or connected with shelters. The city is proposing a major expansion of this and related teams aimed at reducing the reliance on police in non-violent situations.

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Black Women Come Up Short On Funds And Food In COVID-19 Pandemic

Marissa Evans

June 01, 2021 |

Fierce for Black Women |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Village Minds was started by Natia Simone as a Facebook page to connect people in need of food and assistance, due to COVID-19 and grocery store closures after the protests following the murder of George Floyd. However, a broader issue of food insecurity led her to expand into a formal organization that has made more than 3,650 grocery deliveries. A partnership with a local produce store helps fill bags with fresh food and a food pantry provides other staples. With the help of friends and family, Simone uses a rented U-Haul to deliver the groceries to seniors throughout Chicago.

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A way forward for employing people with disabilities in Lithuania

Giedrė Čiužaitė

June 01, 2021 |

Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Lithuania

Employment intermediaries from VšĮ SOPA act as workforce development counselors and recruiters for both employers and people with disabilities. By preparing people for jobs that fit their abilities, and then aiding in a job search, the intermediaries are able to place about half of their 100-plus clients in appropriate jobs. Common in Western Europe, where government funding enables such services, the service in Lithuania relies on private funding, which can be less stable. Jobs for people with disabilities provide self-confidence and independence.

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'A long time coming': House of Tulip puts trans and gender-nonconforming New Orleanians in control of their housing

Jake Clapp

May 31, 2021 |

Gambit |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

House of Tulip is a community land trust that offers affordable housing to transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. After securing seed-funding, the group raised over $400,000 with a GoFundMe campaign that was amplified by social media and national article features. The Trust first rented and later purchased homes to offer zero-barrier housing and office space that serves as a community resource center. The Trust was started by two Black trans women who understood the community’s experiences and the barriers they face. People stay as long as they need and staff helps them pursue other life goals.

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Seminary Built on Slavery and Jim Crow Labor Has Begun Paying Reparations

Will Wright

May 31, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Alexandria, Virginia

The Virginia Theological Seminary is giving cash to descendants of Black Americans forced to work there during slavery and Jim Crow. Annual payments, taken from a fund set to grow at a sustainable rate, will go to the closest direct descendant of each Black worker. Fifteen descendants have received payments so far, but that number will likely grow as genealogists continue to search through records. The payments, along with efforts to build relationships with the families, are the Seminary’s way of acknowledging their role in the exploitation and recognizing the contributions of those forced to work there.

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