THURSDAY | MAY 23, 2013
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Why I am Moved to End Domestic and All Types of Violence
I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. My father left for the United States when I was 7 years old. From the time I was 6 years old (that I can remember), I was subjected to sexual abuse by my uncle and other people who were close to my family. The physical [...] 
In 2012, Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European & Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAAELII) Executive Director Dale Asis told me that Rev. Walter “Slim” Coleman of Centro Sin Fronteras was doing a new project “4+1=20 Afterschool Program.” They were concentrating on health issues and high school students in nearby Benito Juarez High School in [...]
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I am outraged by the prominent media outlets’ inaccurate and inflammatory coverage of the Supreme Court case Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl. As a lifelong civil rights activist, I remember the struggle to pass the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978 and the reasons it is still so badly needed to protect our families [...]
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I was sitting at the bar in el Hueso del Fraile, a coffee shop in downtown Brownsville in Texas. Laura, the owner, was working with a younger friend of hers putting together sandwiches. My friend from the ACLU was going to show a film (“Two Americans“) later that evening, and the two women were [...]
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The story you are about to read is true. It resonates with a class of women who are considered disposable. It resonates with those who are situated at the very bottom of the social ladder. These women are born into a world that offers them little hope for success. Still, many succeed despite the [...]
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I am a 28-year-old immigrant who now has the life opportunities of an 18-year-old American-born citizen. I have been undocumented for 22 years, and as such, traditional American milestones have eluded me. In this country, the milestone of turning 18 is about becoming an adult, and gaining a whole new set privileges and responsibilities. When [...]
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The patterns of racial inequality in San Francisco are unique among urban public school systems. Our school district has some of the highest overall scores and, at the same time, the lowest rates of success in the state for Black and Latino students. At Coleman, we believe this achievement gap runs counter to community [...]
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I live on the banks of Looney Creek in Benham, Ky., deep in the hills of Harlan County. I’m proud to say I’m a former U.S. Marine. I spent my 19th birthday in Vietnam. I came home from the war and went into the coal mines and shortly after was crushed in a rock [...]
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I am too old for this, I told myself, as the alarm chimed brightly at 3:25 a.m. I crawled out of bed, pulled on my yellow “Equal Voice” t-shirt, and my gray and green tennis shoes (the ones that make me look like I run faster than my speediest thoughts), and headed out the door. [...]
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Public schools are community institutions supported by tax payer revenue to stabilize, strengthen, support, and sustain communities. However, there are market-driven interests in the U.S. determined to profit off the backs of our children; resulting in destabilized communities, and solidifying poverty in communities of color. Recently, the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) worked with 18 [...]
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