Got Equality? Not if you’re 51% of the population.

The new campaign slogan for the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women certainly gets right to the point. And if anyone is unconvinced of their assertion, then I wish you could have attended Women’s Day at the Capital on Tuesday.  Invited speakers and the public submitted testimony on Tuesday and called attention to many issues like health care, domestic violence and protection, education, employment, women in politics, and childcare.  Two high school students from the Young Women’s Leadership Program essay contest also read their winning essays which focused on breaking the cycle of domestic violence and the need for more women in leadership positions. Read the full story

BREAKING NEWS: There are street gangs in Hartford. An internal police memo that was obtained by the Hartford Courant describes the gang activity in the city as an “infestation”, citing a total of 138 crews and 4,000 members, 800 of whom are under the age of 17. A large portion of the gangs are said to be affiliated with cliques such as the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings & Los Solidos, all national organizations. After parents, city officials & educators expressed their concern, the cops said, “Oh, that number isn’t really accurate – groups that don’t meet the Department of Justice definition of gangs were included in the totals”. The tone deaf city school Superintendent Steven Adamowski’s reaction was “Gangs? What Gangs? We don’t have gangs in our schools!” It was amusing yet sad to watch Adamowski change course after parents confirmed during an October 21 community meeting that yes, gangs are a fact of life in Hartford schools. Former Weaver High principal Paul Stringer weighed in, stating that Adamowski was well aware of the presence of gangs in city schools. Read the full story

Peter James Barr talks about the Bicycle Enthusiasm Initiative, Recycle Bicycle, which helps youth learn to fix up and build bicycles in New Britain, CT.

Click here to download the MP3

The latest blow to the museum field comes from the rejection of the We’re Making Connecticut History Interdistrict Grant program with the Connecticut Historical Society.  Funding provided by the State Department of Education, this program pairs Hartford 4^th and 5^th grade urban students with suburban 4^th and 5^th grade classrooms from all over Connecticut.  This study of Connecticut history partnered with students from diverse backgrounds helps to reduce racial and economic isolation and helps to build important relationships between urban/suburban children.  Read the full story

Perhaps it was a bluff, but sources indicate that even though Hartford Public High School officials planned a virtual lockdown of the school for today’s PBS Newshour visit, the plan to sequester a list of problem students was not implimented.  No word yet as to why this action was not taken as planned.  A list of students was circulated late last week.  These students were to be kept in a designated room all day while the PBS film crew was present.  Read the full story

On Monday May 18, PBS’s News Hour will be visiting Hartford Public High School.  They will arrive at 7:00am and are scheduled to interview superintendent Steven Adamoski.  And to make sure everything looks good on camera, they’re sequestering the trouble kids.  Read the full story

We interview Christine Rapillo of the CT Juvenile Justice Alliance, about the implementation of “raise the age” in the state and other issues concerning youthful offenders.

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Tonight, I along with two other people who are involved in Food Not Bombs in Hartford, went to speak to some high school kids as part of Learning to Repair the World, a program sponsored by the Charter Oak Cultural Center and HartBeat Ensemble. The young people in the program have discussions with community members about social justice topics and then make a play about it. (The play will be performed on Thursday, April 23 – more details here.)

I was struck by these students as they took part in our discussion, which covered issues of poverty, homelessness, hunger, and the problems inherent in a capitalist society. I found that these students, who ranged in age from around 13 to 17, had a pretty sophisticated awareness of things. For example, the youngest of the group at one point made a concession to the media’s influence on her thinking and presented an even-headed reason as to why people get trapped in poverty.

I guess it was not so much the answers themselves, but also the open-minded and thoughtful way that they approached new ideas that impressed me. The questions they raised about decision-making in a way that does not promote majority rule, for instance, were really valid points; so were their questions about how representation in an anarchist system would be different than representation in the system we have now.

Anyway that is just my piece of commentary for today – I’m feeling optimistic about the possibilities of education. Having a small discussion like this was really cool. And I was wondering do you feel like kids these days have a more sophisticated understanding of things these days? I for one feel like these three kids knew a whole lot more than I did at that age.

This week, an interview with Marla Ludwig, founder of Bright Star Vision – a secular grassroots organization based in West Hartford.  BSV is currently building a school in Dalive, Ghana.  Be sure to attend the fundraiser on February 7, 6-10pm at Artspace in Hartford.

Click here to download the MP3

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Refreshments at 3 pm Program from 3:30-5 pm

The X Room Hartford Public Library
500 Main St. Hartford, CT

Come to a unique event to find out what other teens in Hartford are doing to make an impact and find out how you can get involved.

If you would like to showcase your program at this event, call Chiedza Rodriguez at 860-985-0154.