Deciding to have a plastic surgery is not only a decision to change some things in your body, but it is also a decision to trust someone to bring about that transformation in you. Deciding to undergo plastic surgery is not an easy decision, not is it easy to look for the best plastic surgeon to whom you can entrust your body to. Here are some tips to find the best plastic surgeon in your area.
The credentials of a plastic surgeon should be checked since it is very crucial to the procedure. He should be a member of a reputed medical organization of plastic surgeons. If someone is a member of these medical organizations, then it adds to his credibility as a plastic surgeon.
IF you need to work on a special parts of your body like your nose, your face, your arms, breasts, then make sure that you don't go to a general plastic surgeon. A surgeon dedicated to a specific type of reconstructive surgery is the one to go to who specializes in the area that you want to fix. The best plastic surgeon to go to if your face has been damaged in a car crash is someone who specializes in facial reconstruction or ENT reconstructive surgery. So for your specialized plastic surgery treatment, you can find these clinics if you do a quick search online.
Make the most of your consultation with a plastic surgeon by asking questions so that you will understand the methods the surgeon will use. Another good way to find about the plastic surgeon is to read his client testimonials in his website so that you will know how satisfied his clients were with his work and how fast they have recovered from the treatment. Make sure to understand the procedure you will go through. Ask the surgeon to show you diagrams of the procedure so you will have an idea of what you will be put through. Choose a plastic surgeon that is able to talk freely about the procedure and someone who exhibits patience when asked.
Check out reviews of plastic surgeons in your area. You will find that patients are very honest about their opinions. You will then get a good glimpse of the plastic surgeon you are considering through these online reviews. Your final decision can be influenced by the things you read in these online review sites. It takes a lot of careful research to find the plastic surgeon that is best suited for your needs.


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Fritter - A Pantry Blog
The Spice Route
Photo by Aran Goyoaga
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How we cook and what we cook are the subject of much discussion when we sit down to plan our community dinners.
Our classes cover a wide array of cuisines, techniques, and styles, so I've always wanted our dinners to feel like they belong to us. At this point it's fair to say we have a style, built largely on the early days when Kim and I were growing as chefs together. We both like food that is layered, colorful, and filled with textures, but we also like our food to feel casual and approachable. Messy even. I take my time writing out the menu descriptions, in hopes of sharing how excited we are about each dish, and what we think it will taste like (because we haven't ACTUALLY developed the recipes yet), while also hoping that no one on the other end is rolling their eyes with every adjective.
After 5 1/2 years of community dinners, we've been finding ourselves a little itchy. Our geographic roots are clearly in the Pacific Northwest, but our family has grown to include more voices, and with that, more flavors. We tested the waters last spring with a Japanese-inspired dinner that triggered several long discussions about what it means for the Pantry to give a nod to Asian flavors. We certainly don't harbor illusions that we can cook Japanese food better than the chefs in Japan, so we searched for a way to maintain our own voice with those new ingredients. It was a smashing success (if we do say so ourselves) and we followed it up with a Vietnamese-inspired dinner last summer, and then an Indian-inspired dinner this February. We called it "the Spice Route", in a nod to the journey all these fantastic ingredients make as they find their way to our plates:
Papadum with cilantro avocado mousse and pickled mango
Coconut-chickpea fries with caramelized onion and Madras curry aioli
Mini crumpets with spicy carrot jam and crème fraîche
Roasted cauliflower with turmeric-coriander cream
Lime, cilantro, and fried onions
Spicy gunpowder prawns
Sweet potato pancakes, cilantro yogurt, savoy cabbage slaw
Tamarind lamb shanks with Nepalese curry paneer purée and toasted coconut
Ginger-braised black lentils with carrot, celeriac, and mustard greens
Coconut rice pudding with fresh mango
Pink peppercorn-spiced caramel sauce
I got my first taste of Indian food around the age of 21, on my first trip to London. I fell so head-over-heels in love with that first meal that I refused to eat Indian food again for at least a year, because I was so afraid it wouldn't live up to what I remembered (oh to be that young and romantic about food again!). I was finally convinced to give it another go while visiting New York, and then likely ate Indian food once a week in the years that followed. I love the colors, the richness, the heat, everything about it. So when we decided to host an Indian-inspired meal at the Pantry, I set the bar pretty high. This month's dinner was led by Jay, our newest chef, who came to us with a resume that included heavyweights like Gabrielle Hamilton and Renee Erickson. It was his first time in charge of a dinner, and well, I didn't make it easy. It took several rounds of recipe testing to hit the bullseye on each dish, but boy did we. We served this dish during our standing appetizer course, and I might have been given the stink-eye for how many times I went back for more. It was worth it.
Avocado Mousse with Pickled Mango
2 cups of mousse
Pickled Mango
2 cups peeled semi-ripe mango, cut into small cubes (from about 1 mango)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, lightly ground
2 tablespoons cumin seeds, lightly ground
2 teaspoons red chile flakes
Avocado Cilantro Mousse
1/2 teaspoon citric acid
2 bunches cilantro, washed and chopped (stems too)
4 medium avocados, split, pitted and scraped
2 limes, juiced
As many papadums as you like.
I'm not going to lie, these posts are getting harder and harder to write.
I frankly don't have a lot to say about soup at the moment, so let's just get in there and talk about the state of our country.
Being born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama meant that I grew up keenly aware of racial tension. All around us were reminders of the Civil Rights movement: the church where King preached, the Capitol steps where the Selma march ended, the Maya Lin Civil Rights Memorial, the defunct bus system that didn't survive the boycott, the humiliating public schools that were defunded after desegregation, the all-white private schools that were created as a back door to re-segregation, and the racist slurs that slipped out of my parents' mouths without anyone noticing. So as far back as I can remember, I struggled to make sense of the complicated history that makes up the current Southern reality, and searched for ways to be a better citizen than many of those who came before me.
But it was probably during my college years that I started to really connect the dots about my immediate family and the timeline of the Civil Rights movement. When we studied that period in school, and even when we talk about it now, it feels so distant and abstract – a faraway time that's hard to imagine or relate to. And while yes, it was before I was born, both of my parents were in junior high school when the Montgomery public schools were desegregated, and my grandparents were as old as I am now. That means they were cognizant of the fight for equal rights happening right in their backyards. And while I'll never understand the nuances of their positions on equal rights, I do know that not one member of my family felt the call to march.
My grandmother, who had more of a hand in raising me than either of my parents, cannot explain this chapter of her life. It has taken most of my adult life for me to come to reconcile the person I know her to be – someone who took me road-tripping all over the country, who constantly peppered me with advice about doing the right thing, who opened her home to me when I could no longer live with my mother – with the person that my young militant mind would likely be angry at, for not standing up and fighting. I love her more than anyone I have known or ever will know, but I don't know how to explain away that indifference. And while I understand how easy it can be to ignore truths that are staring us in the face, I cannot imagine not fighting this administration, this proposed wall on our border, this ban on Muslim immigration, this horrible display of ignorance and fear. So many years ago I promised myself that if there ever was a moment to march, I would be there, no matter the effort or cost. Immediately after the election, I snapped up a plane ticket, canceled a class I was scheduled to teach on inauguration weekend, and made my first-ever trip to our nation's capital.
I was so extremely proud to have marched with over 3 million people from around the world, in protest of the election of the most repulsive man possible. A man who admits to sexually assaulting women. A man who makes fun of the disabled and those wounded in war. A man who is a known racist, who thinks Mexican Americans are rapists, and who thinks Muslims deserve fewer rights. An incurious man who places no value on decency, and who thinks intelligence and education are overrated. A man whose ego is so fragile that the slightest challenge sends him into a full temper tantrum. A man who seeks to punish those who disagree with him. A man whose sanity is in question. The Civil Rights fight of our grandparents generation has grown to include so many corners of our beautifully diverse country, and I am ready to fight to preserve that diversity.
I arrived to a city taken over by pink knit hats and Make America Great Again caps, and fought the urge to size up everyone I saw, to draw the line and find out which side they were on. It felt so right to be there, standing up for what is already great about this country, yet I couldn't wait to return to my big blue bubble where I could hide from that specific kind of diversity. The relief upon returning lasted approximately 24 hours — and this constant swinging between despair and inspiration is exhausting. We're now only ten days in and already that weekend in DC feels like a microcosm of what our whole country now feels like. On one side we have a president signing executive orders that will do nothing to help our national security and economy, that will only punish innocent people that many of our fellow citizens have deemed scary by virtue of nothing more than their race, religion, or country of origin. We have Republican politicians remaining silent, alongside huge swaths of our Christian leaders. And on the other side we have a large portion of the population screaming "no!," running into the streets to protest, and preparing to fight like hell. I am both broken and made whole by my fellow Americans.
So that's where I'm at. This week I spent my days reading the news voraciously, taking walks to look at the mountains and calm myself, researching the best use of my time, money, and the Pantry's table, and feeling overwhelmed with how to be impactful. I spent my evenings teaching classes, joining with my neighbors, who all have the same wild-eyed look, laughing and eating cake, feeling so thankful for and proud of our community. The yo-yo of emotions is dizzying, but I suspect it's what we all need to get through this. One of the many bits of my advice my grandmother used to repeat to me was "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." She credited Hank Williams for that little nugget, though I'm fairly confident that's not where it originated (a quick internet search left me with the feeling that it's been said many times, and well, really, who cares). Well grandma, this is what standing up looks like.
And we'll probably need some soup.
White Bean Soup with Brussels Sprouts and Apple Cider-Glazed Pumpkin
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 small garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
2 tablespoons dry white wine
8 ounces carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
6 ounces celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1 pound Great Northern beans, washed and picked over
1 sage sprig
2 1/2-3 quarts water, as needed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream, or more to taste
1 1/2 ounces unsalted butter
13 ounces brussels sprouts, shaved very thin
Cider-glazed Pumpkin
1 1/2 cups apple cider
11 ounces 1/2-inch diced butternut squash
High heat oil, for roasting
Wow. I don't even know where to begin.
Fritter is a wonderful place for me to share stories and food from our kitchen with like-minded folk from around the country and the world. It offers me a challenge every month: to reflect on the past weeks, to pick a recipe that I think others might actually cook on their own, and to write, even when writing feels like the last thing I want to do.
It feels especially hard this month. Not because I don't have things to say — if you know me outside of this context then you're well aware that I have plenty to say — but because the standard "pick a recipe and then write a story connecting that recipe to your feelings right now" just doesn't feel like enough. There literally is no recipe that makes sense this month. I'm still going to share one, because we can't fight the good fight if we're not feeding ourselves, but my words are going to digress. Indulge me, if you will.
I was born in Alabama, a state that has historically been dragged kicking and screaming into contemporary standards of civil rights, and was raised by racist parents. But life offered many chances to catch a glimpse of the other side: being educated in the bombed-out remains of Alabama's (supposedly) desegregated public education system, reading the autobiography of Malcolm X at 13, and leaving the church altogether when "black people wouldn't be comfortable here" wasn't a good enough answer for why our church lacked diversity. I questioned and I studied, and ultimately I left, because the burden of correcting over a century of injustice felt too great for my tiny shoulders. I enrolled in art school, moved to San Francisco, and never looked back.
Art school is a haven that draws in people from all walks of life, and there my world expanded to include a variety of people that I would have likely never crossed paths with had I stayed in Alabama: Latino people, Asian people, Middle Eastern people, Muslim people, Hollywood people, LGBT people, descendants of royalty, politicized hip-hoppers from Detroit, and people with an array of mental heath disorders. I learned to embrace all of our differences, I learned that there are more forms of injustice than just racial oppression, and I learned that there's more to being a badass than being a punk rocker in a depressed Southern town.
I go home twice a year, to visit my grandmother who did most of my raising, to see my niece, who I hope will find her path and continue to break the cycle of poverty and ignorance that is rampant in our family, and to check in with a few friends who stayed behind to fight for a better South. Other than that I have lived a comfortable West Coast life, filled with all of the geographic, social, and economic riches that we have at our disposal. I have found a home in a beautiful corner of the PNW, and opened a community kitchen that has filled me with more pride than I could ever deserve. I am thankful for this life, and thankful for the range of experiences that have allowed me to see the many dimensions of America. But I am also aware that I have become complacent, and that simply growing up as an antiracist teenager doesn't mean I'm doing enough now to stand up against injustice in all its forms.
The act of cooking for another is one of humanity's most beautiful gestures. At the Pantry we see this as key in our goal of building and strengthening our community. It starts with thoughtful consideration for who is growing the food we purchase, extends to building a staff that feels respected and supported, and culminates in carving out a space that allows our guests to connect with neighbors at our table. It is our greatest hope that what we do carries forward, encouraging everyone to continue cooking and sharing meals at their own tables.
No meal feels more significant than the upcoming holidays, where family members from all across the political spectrum will come together to continue old traditions and make new ones. For many of us, this year the intrigue at the holiday table has a few extra layers, with the election having drawn sharp lines in the sand. I don't have answers for this. In fact, long before Nov. 8th, when I still held hope that fear and anger would not win the 2016 election, I cancelled my trip to Alabama for Christmas. It will be my first year missing it, but even then I knew that I wouldn't be up for it.
I'm grappling with the paradox of owning a business that celebrates difference and encourages dialogue, while refusing to break bread with my own family because of who they voted for and what they believe. I don't know how to reconcile my reality — one steeped in acceptance, curiosity, and a lot of privilege — with the large swaths of the country that are angry, fearful, and suffering in the age of globalism. And I'm struggling with how to love and respect those who had a hand in raising me into the compassionate fighter that I am today, but who ultimately chose their white economic privilege over the dignity of others. No matter how "woke" you considered yourself on November 7th, this election was a punch in the gut to those who've spent their lives fighting for social justice — for those who have been celebrating how far we've come in the last 60 years, and for those who saw just how far we still have to go. I have spent many hours wallowing in the loss, overwhelmed with shame for not fighting harder, and crying for my friends and neighbors who are now afraid because they are not white, because they are muslim, because they are not here legally, or because they are LGBT.
Unfortunately there are no take-backs for this one, so that means we've got a lot of work to do to protect the most vulnerable members of our community. Here at the Pantry we'll be spending the next few months studying up on how we can help locally, through political engagement, community outreach (it's time to leave the kitchen!), and partnerships with local schools. We'll also be looking for ways to help nationally, through donations to organizations like the ACLU and SPLC, and through scholarships for underprivileged students of social justice. At our first post-election staff meeting, I wept when I realized that everyone had an item on their discussion agenda on how to reach out, get involved, or protect each other. We are all ready to fight, and we welcome any ideas that you have.
So for anyone out there who feels alone, scared, threatened, or intimidated because of your race, religion, sexuality: please know that you have a place at our table. We welcome open and honest discussion, but have zero tolerance for intolerance, and are more than ready to remove anyone from our kitchen who engages in hate speech, bullying, or any other behavior that makes our guests feel unwelcome. And we'll continue to do what we can to foster community through education, through sharing, and through eating.
Take care of each other, and maybe I'll see you in DC on January 21st.
Farro Cakes with Duck Confit and Pickled Cranberries
Farro Cakes
1/2 cup small diced onion
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1 1/2 cups semi-pearled farro
5-6 cups hot vegetable stock
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons mascarpone, room temperature
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs, plus more as needed
High-heat oil for frying
1 whole clove
3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 shallot
2 inches rosemary
Zest of 1/4 medium orange
2 duck legs
2 cups duck fat
Pickled Cranberries & Cranberry Puree
4 ounces cranberries
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 each allspice berries
Culinary Magic
My culinary awakening happened fairly late in life.
It was around my second year in college, eating pomegranate-braised chicken legs at a Turkish restaurant that a friend dragged me to. I distinctly remember that first bite, and the bites that followed – of spinach and feta wrapped in filo pastry, of smoky eggplant purée, and of walnuts drowned in honey. Realizing that food was, in fact, not scary at all, sent me straight on to the streets of San Francisco, seeking out every cuisine imaginable over the next 10 years. Pakistani, Peruvian, Burmese, Senegalese – the Bay Area had it all.
As you can imagine, growing up in Alabama was a bit different. Globalization has brought a few more options to my hometown (we have a Korean restaurant now!), but as a young one, there really wasn't much to eat outside of fast food chains, Applebee's, and the occasional Southern meat-and-three restaurant. What we DID have access to, however, was Cajun food. So while my early years didn't see much action in the way of ethnic cuisine, my palate was formed tasting that fantastic combination of spicy and sweet flavors and classic French technique that defines Cajun cooking. So when we realized that after five years of feeding the community, we hadn't yet hosted a Cajun-inspired dinner, well, we changed that.
Dirty rice arancini with jalapeño pepper jelly
Rabbit rillettes, plum jam, pickled fennel seeds on crostini
Spicy corn fritters with bell pepper relish
Penn Cove mussels
Cranberry beans, peppers, andouille, and crispy cornbread
Shaved celery root and apple
Tasso ham, celery leaves, and creamy Creole mustard dressing
Housemade boudin blanc with sweet potato purée and fried sweet potato skins
Cream-braised chard and pickled grapes with pecan gremolata
Apple soufflé with buttermilk anglaise
If you're familiar with my desserts, then you know I'm not a huge fan of classic French pastry (the horror!). I mean, yes, they make a delicious... everything. It's just a touch fussy and rigid for my taste, with all the rules, the precise widths of cake layers, and — let's just be honest — the attitude. I appreciate good technique as much as the next chef, but I've always gravitated towards the more casual (rustic, if that sounds better) and approachable side of baking: pies, trifles, puddings, etc. Back in architecture school I attended a fantastic lecture on classic garden design history, and learned about the English garden vs. the French garden. Oddly enough they make a perfect metaphor for pastry: the classic French garden is rational, ordered, and clean, and the English garden is wild and uninhibited. I'm definitely an English garden. I like my desserts big, messy, and served family style. That being said, there's one area of pastry where my aesthetic aligns perfectly with the French: the soufflé.
Soufflés are pure culinary magic, and bring with them a giant pile of anxieties and fears. I've been making soufflés for years, and I still find myself staring impatiently at the oven door EVERY TIME, terrified they won't puff. But they always rise, and they always leave me promising to make them more often. If you haven't already heard this, let me be the first to tell you: their reputation for difficulty is a bit overblown. They're easy to prepare in advance, and once you get the hang of it, they're actually a breeze to whip up on a weeknight.
This soufflé is a touch more complex than some – it has a pastry cream base, and really needs the buttermilk custard sauce to feel complete. But you can make the pastry cream and custard sauce in advance, and if you'd like to serve them at a dinner party, you can have them assembled in their ramekins and resting in the fridge before your guests even arrive. If you decide to make them completely in advance, just pull them from the fridge about 30–40 minutes before you're ready to bake them, as a cold soufflé will not rise as much.
Apple Soufflé with Buttermilk Custard Sauce
Apple Souffles
1/2 ounce unsalted butter
1 medium apple, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup apple cider
3/4 cup pastry cream (below)
2 cups apple cider, reduced to 5-6 tablespoons
Pastry Cream
1/4 vanilla bean
1/2 ounce cornstarch
2 ounces sugar
Buttermilk Anglaise
Collaborating Over Ribs
I love the fact that the Pantry is a team effort. But it's not without its challenges.
Sometimes we're not actually sure who's in charge, and there's always the need to make sure we're staying true to the Pantry's voice, and keeping it consistent across many individual styles. We write our menus together, we recipe test together, and, as much as possible, we eat together. That being said, the lack of hierarchy keeps everyone invested and supportive, and means that we get to flirt with so many great cuisines, reflecting the stories and travels of each of us.
I've been itching to cook a Mexican-inspired menu since we opened, but I've been skeptical as to whether there was interest. All of us have been to Mexico, and have had our turn falling in love with the food, but in the United States, Mexican food tends to be relegated to food trucks and taquerias. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, but I wasn't sure how many people would sign up for three and a half hours of feasting when they're used to quick and tasty tacos. We decided to go for it, and boy, were we happy to see this dinner fill the quickest on our summer line up. So yeah, I think we can expect more Mexican-inspired dinners in our future.
Chorizo and queso-stuffed jalapeños
Seared masa cake with shaved snap peas, radishes, and cotija
Grilled corn with Fresno chile-lime aioli and cilantro
Coconut and lime-marinated albacore tuna
Shaved hot and sweet peppers, jicama, and fried sweet potato
Chile and honey-glazed pork ribs with pineapple-radish salsa
Chipotle-braised Anasazi beans with cotija
Wedge salad with avocado, pickled jalapeños, and lime-salt chicharrones
Cilantro and crema dressing
Roasted peach crema ice cream
Cinnamon sugar buñuelos, grilled peach dulce de leche, and candied pecans
Our family dinners are easily one of our favorite things we do here. Big piles of food, bubbles and wine throughout, fun music (we think), and 40 of our neighbors gathering at the table and getting to know each other. We serve as much food as possible family-style, and we relish the chance to get everyone's hands dirty. So when ribs were proposed as the main dish, I let out a resounding YES! Because what better way to get food all over you than with a sticky rack of ribs? Darin developed this recipe for baby back ribs slow-roasted in honey and lime, and then piled high with a pineapple-radish salsa. We made a little extra for us to nibble on throughout the night, but we were secretly pleased when there was barely a rib left. Next time.
Honey Glazed Ribs with Pineapple Salsa
Marinated Ribs
5 pounds baby back ribs
1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
5 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 poblanos, minced
20g kosher salt
1 tablespoon hot water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
6 ounces tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
4 ounces pineapple, finely diced
3 ounces jicama, finely diced
2 ounces radishes, finely diced
1 canned chipotle chile en adobo, finely minced
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Dalit women of Jharkhand being forced into false marriages
Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 04.03.12
Dalit women of Jharkhand being forced into false marriages - Deccan Chronicle
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/east/dalit-women-jharkhand-being-forced-false-marriages-085
Driver alleges MLA Makkar thrashed him, seeks security - Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Driver-alleges-MLA-Makkar-thrashed-him--seeks-security/919788/
Court fixes March 16 to give verdict on case against Rahul - The Times Of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Court-fixes-March-16-to-give-verdict-on-case-against-Rahul/articleshow/12129402.cms
Former UP minister booked for beating Dalit - The Times Of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Former-UP-minister-booked-for-beating-Dalit/articleshow/12124559.cms
March 4, 2012 , ANI
Sunita Kumari, a twelve year old Dalit girl from Balthar Mod, Jharkhand, a student of class seven, was forced into marriage not once but twice. Her first tie-up was at the age of seven with a mentally challenged person residing in the nearby Siktia village.
Soon after the marriage Sunita escaped from the trap and the first thing she did after coming back was to request her mother to let her study and not tie her up again with some stranger. But to her penniless mother, her cries did not make the impact.
Kamal Mahto, a middle man and the conspirator behind the plot, with the help of one Baby Devi, arranged for Sunita's marriage with Danshram of Rath village of Hameed Pur district in Uttar Pradesh against a'small amount' of Rs. 50,000. Sunita overheard the conversation and with the help of her friend alerted the villagers who informed the police and raided Mahto's house. All those involved were arrested and Sunita could be saved.
But not everyone will be as lucky as Sunita as there are many more Kamal Mahto's roaming freely in the rural hamlets of the state.
Jharkhand is one of the worst affected states in India and the fact is confirmed by the governmental agencies, the National Commission for Women, the National Human Rights Commission, and various reputed NGOs. When it comes to women and child trafficking, it has become one of the fastest growing forms of criminal activity in the region.
In the villages of Santal, the most vulnerable victims are the teenage daughters of destitute Dalits and Santal Adiwasi community. In the guise of marriage, the middle- men sell these girls to aged men who take them to states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. To hide it from the villagers, fake ceremonies are carried out and innocent girls are compelled to move to the other states, never to come back again.
This infamous phenomenon of coerced marriages has spread its roots in the region over a decade and at present has affected each and every district, block of Santal Paragana Division. With no voice being raised at the social or administrative level, the innocent girls continue to suffer.
Two girls from Dhajapada village, Masanjor Thana, Dumka disappeared two years ago and so far, there have been no news related to them. Similarly, four girls disappeared from Dhowandgal village. In Ranishwar Thana region, parents of about 15-20 girls are waiting for their daughters to come back.
For Shambhu Kapri of Jama Dharmpur the wait is of several years now. A labourer by profession, Shambhu after the death of his wife was worried how to bring up four small kids. The eldest daughter was 14 years old. One day, one of his relatives proposed to marry off his daughter to a 'good' man. The man was of Shambhu's age but helplessness got its way and the eldest girl was married.
While narrating this unfortunate incident, Shambhu had tears in his eyes - "I overlooked everything. The happiness of seeing my daughter in good clothes and jewellery was the only emotion I could feel. Unknowingly, I sold my daughter to that cruel man. Today, I am clueless, helpless – please bring my daughter back."
The disappearance of over 200 girls from various villages of Santal indicates the gravity of the issue whose network spans from Uttar Pradesh to Punjab and Haryana. The agents keep a track of the impoverished families and a whole web is created to trap the females of such families. They give money to the families in pretext of arranging the marriage and give them only a day or two so that the parents don't even get time to ponder upon the fact that they actually are selling their daughters.
According to the dwellers, police do not take any initiative on their own and wait for the victim's family to lodge an F.I.R. When an F.I.R. is lodged, police quickly nabs the culprit, but very few dare to file a report at the police station.
It is evident and known to all that for last one and a half decade, there has been an upsurge in the rate of human trafficking, more so in women and children in Jharkhand. It intensely affected the areas of Santal Pargana. Every year, about 100-150 girls are being sold in Delhi, Haryana and Panjab.
It is a tragedy that the local women, who mostly belong to poor families and caste, are victims. The voice raised by the non-government organizations against this human trafficking fall on deaf ears as there is rarely any solid social, political and administrative initiative taken in this regard.
If this goes on, the Charkha Development Communication Network feels, Santal Pargana will soon become a hub of false marriages and the daughters of poor Dalits and Adiwasis will be trapped in this inhuman life forever; bound to live every moment of it.
Driver alleges MLA Makkar thrashed him, seeks security
Jalandhar, Sun Mar 04 2012, 01:54 hrs
Sitting Shiromani Akali Dal legislator from Adampur and party candidate from Kapurthala constituency, Sarabjit Singh Makkar, foundf himself mired in another controversy after a security personnel assigned to him alleged that the leader thrashed him publicly and abused him using casteist remarks at his residence in Udham Singh Nagar on March 2.
Head Constable (HC) Gurdev Singh also filed written complaints with the ADGP (security), SC/ST Commission, Punjab State Human Rights panel and Police Commissioner, Jalandhar.
Gurdev, who is deployed as a driver in the escort vehicle for Makkar, alleged that on Friday when he reached the MLA's residence at 9am, he was summoned. Makkar asked him about his whereabouts on the previous day (March 1). "I told him that I was at his residence as Makkar was away in Gurdaspur," Gurdev said, adding that after this "Makkar started abusing me and thrashed me."
"When I asked for the reason, he thrashed me more and used caste-related derogatory words," Gurdev alleged, adding that more than 20-25 person present at the MLA's residence witnessed the incident.
"I even called up ADGP (security), SR Reddy, and even went to Police commissioner's office where I submitted my complaint with SP (headquarters) Navjot Singh Mahal," he added.
Mahala confirmed receiving the complaint and said Gurdev has sought security fearing threat to his life.
Makkar, on his part, claimed that Gurdev was trying to falsely implicate him. He claimed that Gurdev had reported for duty after remaining absent for about two-and-a-half months. "On March 2 when he came, I told him to go back. Nothing else happened," Makkar said, adding that he had also called up state Transport Commissioner to assign him a new driver for the escort vehicle.
Court fixes March 16 to give verdict on case against Rahul
TNN | Mar 4, 2012, 04.16AM IST
KANPUR: The chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM), on Saturday, received the police report in a complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and fixed March 16 for the order.
The Chakeri police submitted its report in the court of CMM Peeyush Pandey. The court ordered to keep the file and fixed the date for the order. According to sources, the police had stated in its report that a case against Rahul Gandhi and others had already been registered.
Hearing adjourned: The specially constituted SC/ST Act court of Kanpur, on Saturday, adjourned the hearing and ordered the DIG to appear in person before the court on March 13 in connection with arrest of Surendra Bhukya, a student of IIT-Delhi.
Bhukya was arrested by the Kalyanpur police despite a direction to DIG from Allahabad High Court that police had been restrained from arresting him till further orders.
Former UP minister booked for beating Dalit
PTI | Mar 3, 2012, 06.35PM IST
ORAI (Uttar Pradesh): A case has been registered against BSP MLA and former Uttar Pradesh minister Hariom Upadhyay and two others for allegedly beating a Dalit man.
The former minister of state for home guards and his two associates, Yogesh Dwivediand Arun Dixit, were booked after one Phool Singh lodged a complaint at Rampur police station alleging that they beat him and made casteist remarks against him last night, police said.
Police are conducting an investigation into the allegations.
Upadhyay was removed from the state cabinet last year for his alleged involvement in criminal activities.
.Arun Khote
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.


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NNPA Hosts Black Parents' Town Hall Meeting to Discuss the State of Education in Houston's African American Community
by NNPA ESSA | Nov 28, 2018 | ESSA, Every Student Succeeds Act, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Featured, Featured, Houston Forward Times, K12 Education, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, nnpaESSA, Texas
By Jeffrey L. Boney, NNPA Contributing Writer
A spirit of hope and change hovered over the S.H.A.P.E. Community Center in Houston's historic Third Ward community Thursday, November 15th, as dozens of engaged parents, educators, elected officials and community members were on hand at the Black Parents' Town Hall Meeting on Educational Excellence, where a lively discussion about the state of education for Black children in the Greater Houston area took place.
Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board President Rhonda Skillern- Jones, Texas Southern University (TSU) student and Forward Times intern Treyvon Waddy, Educator Larry McKinzie, and Community Activist Monica Riley and her daughter Chirelle Riley
The event was made possible by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who partnered with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to create a three-year, multi-media public awareness campaign focusing on the unique opportunities and challenges of The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA, which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary School Act (ESEA) and replaced No Child Left Behind, received bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2015. The regulations are administered by the U.S. Department of Education and went into effect on January 30, 2017.
Under ESSA, states across the country adhere to more flexible federal regulations that provide for improved elementary and secondary education in the nation's public schools. The law also ensures that every child, regardless of race, income, background or zip code has the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education.
By raising awareness of ESSA policies, the NNPA, which is a national trade association of approximately 211 Black and women-owned U.S. media companies with a weekly print and digital readership of over 20.1 million Black Americans, seeks to empower parents to advocate for instructional strategies that are in the best interest of their students and communities. In addition, this is a tremendous opportunity to increase support around academic issues that will make a difference in closing the achievement gap and ultimately the wealth gap.
Dr. Elizabeth V. Primas, who serves as the program manager for the NNPA ESSA Public Awareness Campaign and is a life-long educator, was on hand to welcome attendees and talk about ESSA being a tool to help increase the effectiveness of public education in every state, including Texas. Lynette Monroe, who is the program assistant for the NNPA ESSA Public Awareness Campaign, served as the event moderator.
Attendee and parent Johnny Taylor addressing the panelists
The panelists were asked questions regarding several topics, including how the Texas Education Agency funding structure promotes or inhibits equitable school funding, their views on standardized testing overall and specifically African American student performance, effective ways to communicate and foster engagement with African American family members, how to increase community engagement, and things the Texas Education Agency or other entities can do to better prioritize the needs of students who receive special education services.
"You must get engaged in your child's education to ensure they don't become a statistic," said parent and community activist Monica Riley.
Monica was one of the five panelists, along with her daughter Chirelle Riley, who participated in this powerful panel discussion, which also included Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, educator Larry McKinzie, and Texas Southern University (TSU) student and Forward Times intern Treyvon Waddy.
Monica, who is the mother of seven girls and a product of the public school system, talked about the passion she developed about education, particularly after having to make tough choices about her children's educational future. After sending her children to public school, private school and even choosing to home-school them, Monica became an educational advocate in order to tackle the issues she saw that were not being addressed by the school administrators tasked with addressing those issues.
Black Parents' Town Hall attendees listening to panelists
Chirelle, who is an 18-year-old sophomore at Houston Community College, spoke about her educational experience from a millenials perspective and emphasized the need for school leaders to ensure students are being taught information that can benefit them beyond simply taking a test.
Skillern-Jones spoke about her own experiences dealing with the educational choices for her kids, which is what drove her to run for public office and become a school board trustee and seek to bring about change from within. Skillern-Jones stated that the elected decision makers at the state level have made things difficult for school districts to solve many of the problems African American children face. She remained optimistic, however, that community engagement could change the current state of the educational system in Texas.
"I think that teachers should contact parents in some way on a consistent basis, not just to say your child is doing this well or this what your child did in class that day, because that's not personal enough," said Waddy, who is a graduate of HISD and attends TSU. "Teachers should seek to build trust with the parents and seek to know the parents on a first name basis, so they can stay in the loop. I think that will go a long way and would open the door to discuss more personal things that may be affecting the child."
McKinzie, who is a 24-year-educator, parent of two public school students and a community activist, states that parents must talk to all elected officials and administrators and be an activist for their children. He believes that the charter schools, which are only located in Black and Brown communities, take away the necessary resources from the public schools in those same communities which disparately impacts those schools.
This regional town hall meeting was a follow-up to the National Town Hall which took place on June 26th at the Gethsemane Community Fellowship Church in Norfolk, VA, which was a part of the NNPA's Annual Conference. This regional town hall meeting was one of several that are taking place across the country, with the focus being on encouraging parents to get involved and stay engaged in their child's education.
Former Houston Texans Player Devard Darling Awards $10,000 in Scholarships to Fort Bend ISD Students
by Forward Times Staff | Aug 3, 2018 | Featured, Featured, Houston Forward Times, K-12 Public Schools, K12 Education, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, nnpaESSA, Scholarships, Texas
Former Houston Texans player and FBISD Alumni Devard Darling recently awarded college scholarships to deserving students through his As One Foundation.
The $1,000 scholarships were awarded to ten Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) high school seniors at the 10th Annual Devard & Devaughn Darling Scholarship Award Ceremony at Center Stage Art Gallery, in Sugar Land, Texas.
The As One Foundation was established in 2007 by Devard Darling, an NFL wide receiver, in memory of his twin brother, Devaughn Darling, with the mission to unlock and unleash the full potential of youth while encouraging them to achieve their dreams in the face of life challenges.
Since Devaughn's tragic death during a pre-season conditioning workout at Florida State University due to sickle cell trait exertion, the mission later became to educate and increase awareness of sickle cell trait while encouraging youth to achieve their dreams in the face of life challenges. The Devard & Devaughn Darling Scholarship Awards is Darling's way of turning the loss of his identical twin brother, into something positive. It's also a way to say thank you to the people who helped them both succeed as student-athletes.
Devard Darling, As One Founder and Scholarship Recipient Alice Opiyo
"I just know Devaughn is smiling down to know we've awarded $100,000 in scholarships in these first ten years of the As One Foundation," says Darling. "It is so important to show these young people they are worth our time and money. So many did that for me and my brother, now this is my chance to pay it forward."
The As One Foundation takes its name from the fact that the doctor had been hearing two hearts beating As One while their mother carried them, unaware she was having twins. Devard lived on to fulfill his and his brother's shared dream to play professional football and to give back to both their homes – Houston, Texas and their native Bahamas.
The 2018 Scholarship recipients are: Tyra James, Kyser Lim, Baylee Suzanne Redmond and Robert Wilson of Austin High School; Jane Akwitti, Samantha Alarcon and Wade Freeman III of Bush High School; Alice Opiyo of Clements High School; Oluwatoni Ajala of Dulles High School and Camden Kelly of Elkins High School.
Legends Do Live Partners with Fort Bend ISD for Senior Fest 2018
by Forward Times Staff | Jun 4, 2018 | Houston Forward Times, K-12 Public Schools, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, nnpaESSA, Texas
This past week, Legends Do Live partnered with Fort Bend ISD to host their first-ever Senior Fest 2018 in Missouri City, Texas at Hightower High School.
Senior Fest is an annual event that focuses on preparing high school graduating seniors for life after high school by providing workshops, financial enrichment classes, scholarship awards (over $60,000 in scholarship raised in previous years), and free concert tickets, to promote a positive lifestyle after high school graduation while still enjoying things that youth are excited about.
Legends Do Live founders, Jarren Small and Douglas Johnson, chose to collaborate with Fort Bend ISD this year in what they refer to as the "Livest" end of the school year event and the hottest ticket in town. The two-day event featured a Senior Luncheon; an All-Star Scholarship Basketball Game, Decision Day; and an Empowerment Forum & Concert.
Legends Do Live is a non-profit organization that focuses on inner-city youth by providing and promoting ways to become accomplished youth, through partnerships, strategic planning, self-esteem building and interactive events. Legends Do Live also provides networking opportunities that cultivate individual gifts and that produces positive youth contributors by focusing on celebrating high school seniors and equipping them with the necessary tools to graduate.
"The kids aren't the future, they are right now," said Small. "So many people forget include the individuals who are affected most during this critical time, which are the students. Legends Do Live puts this event on because we were once those kids who needed that push and guidance from our younger peers. We are excited to encourage the youth to continue moving forward."
On Thursday, May 24, hundreds of graduating seniors got to enjoy complimentary lunch as they geared up for Decision Day, where the seniors decide which college they want to attend. Seniors got to hear from several key speakers during a pep-rally style session in the Hightower auditorium featuring former Houston Texans player Wade Smith, former NFL player Herbert Taylor, State Rep. Ron Reynolds, Missouri City Council Member Jeffrey L. Boney, Blake Simon, Ja'Leah Davis and many more.
Later that evening, Hightower High School hosted an All-Star Scholarship Basketball Game featuring a cast of student All-Stars. Proceeds from the game went towards scholarships for four special students where they were announced during halftime of the game.
On Friday, May 25, seniors attended a power-packed Empowerment Forum featuring keynote speaker Ron "Boss" Everline, personal fitness trainer to Award-winning actor and comedian, Kevin Hart, and a cast of young panelists from various professional backgrounds.
Everline has made personal fitness and training his life's work. He trained for the royal family throughout Europe, Africa and the United Arab Emirates. His celebrity client list also includes Grammy-award winning R&B artist and actor Ne-Yo; singer, actress and host Christina Milian; former Cheetah Girl and star of "Empire Girls" Adrienne Bailon; and R&B artist and actor Trey Songz, to name a few. The Senior Fest 2018 Concert, in conjunction with Island Def Jam Records and Radio One- 97.9 The Box, featured performances from Rocky Banks, Bobby Session, Tim Woods, and student performer, Jessica Baines.
For Small, he states that Legends Do Live looks to change today's urban landscape by fostering a generation of higher social awareness, strong intellectual pursuits, and constant economic success.
"Every individual possess the ability to make a difference in this world," said Small. "Our goal is to merely motivate today's youth to use their gifts, live life to the fullest, and leave a lasting legacy. Though strong collaborations we understand that if we dedicate ourselves to the advancement of our generation, we will not only be remembered but we will never die. We will be Legendary."
For more information about Legends Do Live and to become a sponsor for future events, please visit their website at Legendsdolive.com.
Dj Young Streetz, Ron "Boss" Everline, Ja'Leah Davis and Legends Do Live Co-Founder Jarren Small
Legends Do Live Founder Jarren Small, Ridge Point student, Ridge Point Principal Leonard Brogan, Hightower students, and Hightower Principal John Montelongo and Founder Douglas Johnson
The post Legends Do Live Partners with Fort Bend ISD for Senior Fest 2018 appeared first on Houston Forward Times.
Nicki Minaj Continues Student of the Game Scholarship Program for Fans
by Chelsea Lenora White | May 31, 2018 | higher education, Houston Forward Times, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, nnpaESSA, resources, Scholarships, Texas
WRITTEN BY: CHELSEA LENORA WHITE
Nicki Minaj might have pushed back her album release date, but the Queens rapper is making sure her fans are straight when it comes to school. The Pinkprint hitmaker continues her initiative to pay off her fans' college tuition fees, student loads and books, which she originally launched with her Student of the Game scholarship program last year.
On May 24, Nicki tweeted a set of instructions for fans on how to become eligible for the program, which includes using the charity's hashtag, requesting the particular amount of money and then waiting for a direct message from her.
"Ok just send one tweet w/ hashtag #StudentOfTheGame saying how much $ you need & what it's for," she writes. "All $ will b paid directly towards the tuition, books, etc. I'll fave ur tweet & DM you if you've been chosen, for more info. Not every faved tweet will get a DM."
One of the fans was worried that they missed their opportunity to apply for the scholarship, but Nicki assured them that they could wait up to three days for a confirmation message from her.
Last year, Nicki helped a few fans out with their college payments, which inspired her to launch her new charity in order to help ease their financial burdens.
Yesterday, the New York native revealed that she would be pushing her anticipated Queen album from June 15 to August 10. While there's no word on any tracklist or what the album cover will be, Minaj did say that there would be some surprises coming our way next month.
If You See Something, Say Something: The Seriousness of Gun Threats at School
by Jeffrey L. Boney | May 17, 2018 | Florida, Houston Forward Times, K12 Education, New Mexico, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, nnpaESSA, school safety, Texas
As schools all across America continue to get back to a sense of normalcy after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, in Parkland, Florida, they continue to remain on edge as the number of threats and activity that schools have witnessed since the Parkland shooting has significantly increased, especially here in Harris County.
This past week, Houston Community College closed its Central College campus located at 1300 Holman Street on Monday and Tuesday (May 7-8) as a result of a shooting threat that was made on social media over that weekend.
HCC officials immediately responded to the threat and took every precaution to protect students from any potential harm, in spite of finals being scheduled for that week.
"It was my decision to close the campus for the last two days," said HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado. "It was a decision made out of an abundance of caution and concern for everyone's safety and based on input from law enforcement and my leadership team."
After an intense investigation by HCC Police, a person of interest was identified and investigators sought to have charges brought against that individual. Upon review of the information, the Harris County District Attorney's office charged 21-year-old Luis Antonio Rivera with allegedly making a terroristic threat at HCC's Central Campus. The HCC Central Campus eventually reopened, but HCC identified that this matter was too important to ignore.
"Houston Community College remains vigilant and responds thoroughly whenever any reports of a concerning nature are received and, as always, we will be proactive in the safety of our campuses," HCC said in a statement. "We want to thank the many agencies that were involved in responding to this threat and remind everyone if you see something, say something."
Since the beginning of the year, America has found itself having to deal with countless acts of domestic terrorism as a result of gun violence. Sadly, many of these acts came after warning signs were displayed and threats were made through openly accessible outlets like social media.
In the case of 19-year-old domestic terrorist suspect, Nikolas Cruz, the Florida Department of Children and Families had been alerted to social media posts where Cruz talked about buying a gun and doing physical harm to himself at least a year and a half before he shot and killed those seventeen people in Parkland, according to a state report. Even after a person close to Cruz called into a tip line to identify him as a gun owner who had intentions of potentially murdering people at a school, the F.B.I. publicly admitted to not investigating the tip. Cruz had just legally purchased a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle in February 2017 – a year prior to killing his victims.
Just a day after the Parkland shooting, 17-year-old Jaquinn Alani Smith tried to come to school at the Hobby campus of Houston Can Academy with a gun in his backpack. Because Houston Can Academy had a screening process to enter the school, the gun was discovered and Smith ran away. Smith was eventually arrested by members of law enforcement and charged with carrying a weapon in a prohibited place, but the thought of what had happened the day before in Florida was fresh on the minds of students, teachers, administrators and parents.
This is a prime example of why monitoring these types of threats, particularly social media activity, is critical and can stave off a potential tragic event like the Parkland shooting and others.
Back in September 2016, then-14-year-old Jesse Osborne, went onto social media to ask his Instagram friends whether he should go back to his former elementary school or to the middle school he had been suspended from, a week before he fatally shot 6-year-old Jacob Hall and wounded two others at Townville Elementary School.
According to the F.B.I., Osborne's social media posts showed that he stated he was going to kill his father, get the keys to his truck and drive to Townville Elementary School to commit the act of violence. Less than a year before the Townville shooting, Osborne was criminally charged with bringing a machete and a hatchet to his middle school because he was being bullied.
On December 7, 2017, 21-year-old William Atchinson went to his former high school in New Mexico and fatally shot Casey Marquez and Francisco Fernandez before killing himself. Minutes before he committed the horrific act, he posted a message on social media talking about what he planned to do.
Ironically, that was not the first time Atchinson had made these types of comments on social media. He was investigated by the F.B.I. a year prior for making disturbing comments on social media, but the F.B.I. did not charge him with anything because they said he was no threat at the time. Atchinson went on to legally buy the gun he used to kill his victims and himself.
According to officials at the Harris County District Attorney's office, at least 140 criminal cases involving threats against students and school campuses have been filed with their office since the Parkland shooting, with most of the individuals charged being between 12 and 16 years of age.
Much of the gun violence tied to schools can seemingly be prevented, and it begins with a simple focus. If you see something, you must say something – before it is too late.
The Forward Times plans to continue being a part of these discussions related to gun violence, and will keep our readers informed on any new developments surrounding this important issue of gun violence in our country.
The post If You See Something, Say Something: The Seriousness of Gun Threats at School appeared first on Houston Forward Times.
Our Kids Deserve Better: HISD Forced to Relinquish Control of 10 Black and Brown Schools
by Jeffrey L. Boney | Apr 25, 2018 | Featured, Featured, Houston Forward Times, K12 Education, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, nnpaESSA, STEM, Texas
The community is outraged. The options are limited. The time to do something is upon us.
The Houston Independent School District (HISD) has come to the point where it is being forced to relinquish control of ten Black and Brown schools in the Greater Houston area, in compliance with a 2015 law they have to deal with because of their failure to improve academic performance at these campuses.
The controversial and much-talked-about law, SB 1882, has forced HISD to make some very tough decisions about what they have to do about these ten schools; and many Houston taxpayers and families are not happy about the proposed actions the district is set to take.
To be compliant with SB1882, HISD has until Monday, April 30th, to have a signed contract submitted to the office of the Texas Education Agency (TEA), in order to avoid having their schools permanently taken over by the statewide educational governing body.
To help you better understand SB 1882, it basically allows HISD to enter into a contract with a qualified entity, such as a charter school, to operate a district campus and share teachers, facilities, or other education resources on that campus. More importantly, however, under the new state law, the TEA can legally takeover any school within HISD, if that school has received an "improvement required" rating for poor academic performance for five consecutive years.
The ten HISD schools on the chopping block, that fit that criteria this year include: Blackshear, Dogan, Highland Heights, Mading and Wesley elementary schools; Henry Middle School; Woodson PK-8; and Kashmere, Wheatley and Worthing high schools. All of these schools are made up of predominately Black and Brown students.
Because HISD did not want to run the risk of having TEA takeover the schools, they met on this past Tuesday to propose their next steps in order to comply with the state law.
According to HISD Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, the vote on Tuesday was simply to give interim HISD Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan the authority to negotiate a contract with their chosen qualified partner, which happens to be one of HISD's existing charter school operators – Energized For STEM Academy.
There are many questions swirling, as to whether Energized For STEM Academy is the right entity to takeover these 10 underperforming Black and Brown schools.
Energized For STEM Academy, which has been run by Lois Bullock since 2008, currently operates middle and high schools within HISD with approximately 1,000 students combined.
Zeph Capo, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers (HFT), held a press conference this past Monday to express his wide-ranging concerns about the proposed entity and the lack of details and information surrounding the selection.
However, Skillern-Jones says the district has no other choice but to choose a partner they are familiar with on a local level, and one that meets the criteria.
"SB 1882 is the law governing these schools, and while we don't agree with it, it is the law," said Skillern-Jones. "We have to find the best options to help our students. The other options are closure, or do nothing, and allow TEA do come in and do what they will with our campuses. Right now, we need to focus on getting a partnership in place, getting these schools off the list and getting them back. In addition, we have to ensure that no others join them and that's where our focus needs to be."
To be eligible for the benefits of SB 1882, HISD has to partner with two types of entities in order to operate the charter. HISD had to either, on approval by the TEA Commissioner, (a) choose an institution of higher education, a non-profit, or a government entity that has been granted a charter under Subchapter C, Chapter 12; or (b) choose a State-Authorized Open-Enrollment Charter School in good standing.
Skillern-Jones said that while Energized for STEM Academy was the recommended option, she believes avoiding school closures and keeping control at the local-level, is the best way to deal with the challenges the district finds itself faced with, because that is what her constituents want.
According to Skillern-Jones, the HISD Board reached out to various entities in the area, as well as across the country, such as the City of Houston, Texas Southern University, Houston Community College, University of Houston, Johns Hopkins, and others, but could not find any takers for a variety of reasons.
For the most part, Skillern-Jones states that the entities they initially targeted had concerns about potential legal issues and challenges they would face having to oversee these schools, as well as the potential liability they would undertake by becoming a qualified partner with HISD.
According to Skillern-Jones, when the request for applications went out to solicit partners, only two entities responded back to HISD – Energized for STEM Academy, which is local and already operating in the district; and Generation Schools Network, which is based out of New York.
This is an unprecedented situation, which has the current HISD Board of Trustees flying blind, and having to solely rely on HISD's legal counsel to provide direction and guidance.
As far as the details of what HISD can and can't do, along with other critical details, Skillern-Jones states that the board won't know anything until they have a negotiated contract to review. Skillern-Jones did say, however, that all of the schools would keep their names, identities and school identification numbers. As it relates to governance and academic control, HISD would have no regulation over the administration of the academic plan, as well as no say over who gets hired or fired, according to the rules of the partnership under the state law.
TEA did not finish writing the final rules for SB 1882 until recently, and per their own website, the final rules were not set to be published until February 26th or sooner. The final rules articulated, among other items, the definition of what "to partner to contract to operate" actually meant. The, new TEA rules (regulations) became effective on April 4th.
In essence, there is no way HISD could have known what the full criteria would be until then.
There are other questions lingering out there, such as whether the impacted schools will be allowed to keep their sports, fine arts, and other UIL-related programs and activities. Will these expectations be in the final negotiated contract? Has the HISD Board given Dr. Lathan instructions as to what the district wants to see in the final contract? Will current HISD employees be paid by HISD or by the selected entity? How will the employees' pensions and retirement be handled? There are so many unanswered questions that the community won't know until the negotiated contract has been finalized and prepared to send to TEA.
Getting to this point didn't happen overnight, but unfortunately, the day of political reckoning has now come. By entering into a partnership, HISD would be able to hold off having the state takeover these schools or close them down for at least two years.
Many in the community are asking HISD to sue the TEA over their failure to comply to state testing laws, as well as for discrimination based on race through the accountability system.
HISD is on a time crunch and the clock is ticking. If they don't submit a negotiated contract with their chosen partner before the April 30th deadline, they'll have to either quickly find another partner within days, or simply adhere to the state sanctions, which could include school closures.
In the meantime, the Forward Times will continue to follow this issue and keep the community abreast of the latest happenings.
The post Our Kids Deserve Better: HISD Forced to Relinquish Control of 10 Black and Brown Schools appeared first on Houston Forward Times.
STEM, Students and Space: HCC to Launch Innovative New Challenger Learning Center in Houston
by Jeffrey L. Boney | Apr 18, 2018 | District of Columbia, Featured, Featured, Houston Forward Times, K12 Education, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, nnpaESSA, STEM, Texas
BY: JEFFREY L. BONEY
Houston Community College (HCC) is on a mission to thrill and educate young students in simulated flights to Mars, the Moon and beyond. That mission was officially launched in Greater Houston area this past Thursday, April 12, when HCC joined Challenger Center President and CEO Lance Bush to announce the new Challenger Learning Center – a place where elementary, middle and high school students will be taught how to apply the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and math to a trip to outer space.
This past February, HCC submitted a formal application to Challenger Center, headquartered in Washington D.C., to open a Challenger Learning Center at the HCC Southeast College-Felix Fraga Campus. HCC found out it had received approval late last month, clearing the way for the start of a $2 million fundraising campaign to support construction of the 10,000 square foot Challenger Learning Center.
"HCC is proud to have been selected as the site for the newest Challenger Learning Center," said HCC Board Chair Carolyn Evans-Shabazz. "Houston put a man on the moon and now HCC is adding to Houston's heritage as Space City with this project. This new partnership with Challenger Center is a perfect match made in the heavens."
As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, Challenger Center provides more than 250,000 students annually with experiential simulation-based programs that engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. These programs, delivered in Challenger Learning Centers and classrooms, strengthen knowledge in STEM subjects and inspire students to pursue careers in these important fields. Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51-L.
"We are incredibly impressed with Houston Community College's vision for a seamless STEM pathway that launches students on a trajectory to higher education and 21st century skills," said Challenger Center President and CEO Lance Bush. "I congratulate everyone at Houston Community College on this extraordinary step to provide students in the area with a STEM experience that will spark a passion for learning that lasts a lifetime. We share both this vision and a passion for inspiring today's youth, and we look forward to working together to open the doors of this new Center."
The Challenger Learning Center at Houston Community College will join a network of more than 40 Challenger Learning Centers around the globe. Each Center is a fully immersive experience, including a Mission Control Room and Space Station where students work with hands-on labs, conduct experiments and analyze data during a Challenger Center Mission. Students learn teamwork, communicate with one another to complete tasks and solve problems when emergencies arise. Aligned with national education standards and informed by real science data, Challenger Learning Center Missions introduce students to careers in STEM fields and help them build important 21st Century skills.
"This will add to HCC's growing innovative educational offerings that already include participation in the city's new innovation corridor in Midtown and partnerships with NASA and the University of Houston to build a Mars surface habitat and other additional facilities for manned missions to Mars," said HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado. "Today's students are the innovators, explorers and designers of tomorrow. We must nurture their excitement and inspire their imagination."
The Felix Fraga Campus, located on 11 acres at 301 N. Drennan St. in southeast Houston, offers a rigorous STEM curriculum that includes engineering, maritime logistics, drafting, math, physics and astronomy. It also has an astronomical observatory to serve students and the community.
The Challenger Learning Center will be a fantastic addition to the Houston community and will add to HCC's growing innovation- based educational offerings.
For more information about Challenger Center, please visit www.challenger.org.
The post STEM, Students and Space: HCC to Launch Innovative New Challenger Learning Center in Houston appeared first on Houston Forward Times.
OPINION: Guns in Schools: Are Our Kids Truly Safe?
by Jeffrey L. Boney | Feb 28, 2018 | Connecticut, Featured, Featured, Florida, Houston Forward Times, K12 Education, National, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, nnpaESSA, President Donald Trump, school safety, Texas
WRITTEN BY: JEFFREY L. BONEY
Just how easy is it to bring a gun into our schools?
Sadly, it appears to be too easy based on the number of school shootings that are happening on a consistent basis in America.
What can be done? Who is next? How can the students, and the adults responsible for their care, be sure that they won't be next?
These are extremely frightening questions, yet they are also extremely legitimate ones.
When it comes to the issue of gun violence in the United States, it is safe to say that the bullets don't discriminate – for the most part. And while there does tend to be a double standard related to the media attention and societal support certain groups receive versus others when it comes to 'dealing with' the issue of gun violence in America, the pain that all parents, families and friends experience due to these traumatic experiences is the same – heartbreaking.
Since the beginning of the year, America has found itself once again experiencing a tragic act of domestic terrorism, whereby many young people and adults have been tragically gunned down by an individual or individuals who were easily able to access guns – guns that eventually led to the loss of multiple lives as a result of them carrying out a mass shooting.
Case in point – take the recent mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, in Parkland, Florida, that has sparked an outcry from many people in the country, particularly many of the students who were impacted by the shooting and are now demanding changes in the gun laws in this country.
In this case, 19-year-old domestic terrorist suspect, Nikolas Cruz, had just legally purchased a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle in February 2017 – a year prior to killing his victims.
According to reports, Cruz caught an Uber to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and then proceeded to walk inside the school carrying a black duffel bag and a backpack. Cruz hid loaded magazines in his backpack, until the very moment he decided to pull out his newly acquired AR-15 rifle and start blasting away at people.
All-in-all, Cruz killed seventeen people and fourteen others were transported to local hospitals.
The entire world once again watched in horror as politicians and lawmakers, who are entrusted to lead and serve, offered the victims and their families little more than their thoughts and prayers via Twitter, sound bites and scripted press releases.
Nothing changed. Same thing…Different day.
So, as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass school shooting has been added to the list as one of the deadliest school shootings and acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, it has now also been added to the list of tragic mass shooting incidents that have seemingly and sadly become the norm in this country.
Many people remember the tragedy that took place on December 14, 2012, when 20-year-old domestic terrorist Adam Lanza killed twenty 1st graders between the ages of 6 and 7 years of age and six adults with an assault rifle at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Sadly, since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, there have been roughly 240 other school shootings that have taken place in America with at least 438 people being shot and 138 people being killed. Now of course, school shootings aren't the only type of mass shootings that have been impacting Americans over the past several years, but it is challenging to know young people are being killed before they have a chance to truly experience life.
Many have argued that this continued loss of life, while tragic, merely reinforces the recurring narrative that America is strongly encouraging a culture of gun violence, particularly because of the flat out refusal of lawmakers to take action and pass any sensible bipartisan gun control legislation. Over the years, the relationship between gun lobbyists and those who make policy has seemingly produced an unwillingness to advance responsible gun safety legislation, and it has caused a major divide amongst many people in this country.
And then, instead of clearly addressing the unrestricted access to high-powered, military-style semiautomatic rifles, like the ones used in the Florida and Las Vegas mass shootings, President Donald J. Trump and many of his supporters have focused on pushing for arming teachers with guns in the classroom. In addition to that, President Trump has also sought to excuse the actions of these domestic terrorists as a mental illness issue rather than a focus on the relatively easy way these individuals can acquire these deadly weapons with no real vetting process.
Many people across America have found President Trump's mental illness narrative to be a confusing one to find credible, especially considering the fact that Trump's latest budget proposes dramatically slashing Medicaid, which is the primary source of mental health funding for 70 percent of low-income Americans.
Why acknowledge that mental illness is the issue with gun violence and then turnaround and cut the funding for many low-income Americans who need it, and who suffer from incidents of sustained gun violence in their respective communities?
Speaking of mental illness, there are usually after affects that individuals have to deal with regarding their traumatic experience. Parents suffer, families grieve, students experience trauma, employees and educators have to deal with the stress of coming back to work knowing what had just occurred and whether it could happen again, and many other feelings of fear and concern.
Managing Partners Shantera Chatman and Natalie Arceneaux of PROSCI of C+A Global Group believe that more should be done to help the parents and employees, as well as the students affected by these tragedies and traumatic occurrences.
"For parents affected by a devastating trauma such as a mass shooting at their child's school, they should really tune-in to their emotions," says Chatman. "Some parents have lost their children and are literally going through the motions at work. Their best course of action is to check with their employer to understand their benefits. Some companies provide hotlines to counselors and other actually pay for counseling services. These services typically cover the entire family."
Arceneaux states that those working with people affected by these traumatic incidents should understand that their coworkers will never be the same and it is unrealistic to assume they will ever be.
"Employers should invest in team sensitivity activities or counseling to help those that have to encounter the affected parents," says Arceneaux. "Understanding the mood swings and the 5 stages of grief go a long way to helping your teammates."
The issue of mental illness related to coping with tragedy and trauma is important, but it does not deal with the real issue of gun violence in the nation.
Most experts believe that any serious plan to stem the tide of this cycle of violence must include common-sense gun laws. A survey by the Pew Research Center concludes that while Americans say they want to protect the right to bear arms, "they're very much supportive of many gun policy proposals, including more background checks on private and gun show sales and banning semi-automatic and assault-style weapons."
One would think that protecting local neighborhoods, schools, students and families would be a bipartisan priority and that elected officials would not be bought and sold to the highest bidder. However, it appears there are many lawmakers that have little to no conviction as it relates to doing what it takes to help reduce the risk that all American citizens face regarding this national epidemic of mass shootings due to gun violence that continues to plague our nation.
Many in the Greater Houston community have been pondering how this type of situation can be prevented, while the debate about gun control rages on.
Here locally, an elected official from the Houston area has called on national lawmakers to address this issue and states that it is time for the state of Texas to take gun laws more seriously.
"It is our responsibility to protect the people from any policies that can have a negative impact on any resident in this country, especially in the city of Houston where I serve," said Houston City District D Councilmember Dwight A. Boykins. "I am a proud outdoorsman and supporter of the right to bear arms, but I am also an elected leader who serves to promote policies that enhance the safety and security of my constituents."
Boykins believes that federal elected officials must acknowledge the common sense notion that implementing effective gun control measures does not have to interfere with private gun ownership, but that we must put the safety of children and the citizens first above all things.
"After the 1500+ mass shootings since 2012, they (lawmakers) continue to pursue donations and endorsements from the National Rifle Association, while ignoring the clear and present danger posed by lax gun laws," said Boykins. "The focus on obtaining the NRA's support and blessing runs rampant, influencing our politics on all levels of government. Therefore, my plan is to create an environment where we can have this discussion openly and seek to deal with this issue from a grassroots perspective."
Boykins plans to hold a community town hall meeting on Monday, March 5, 2018, from 6pm to 8pm at Greater Grace Outreach Church located at 10800 Scott St., Houston, TX 77047, where he plans to have a proactive conversation on "Keeping Our Children Safe: How Do We Prevent Gun Violence in Our Communities and Schools?"
Boykins has invited local pastors, Houston Police Department (HPD), Harris County Sheriff's Department, Precinct 7 Constable Office, Houston Independent School District (HISD) Police, Texas Southern University (TSU) Police, University of Houston (UofH) Police, Houston Community College (HCC) Police, HISD Superintendent, District D School Principals, KIPP, and many more to participate in this much needed discussion.
The Forward Times plans to be a part of these discussions and will keep our readers informed on any new developments surrounding this important issue of gun violence in our country.
The post Guns in Schools: Are Our Kids Truly Safe? appeared first on Houston Forward Times.
COMMENTARY: There is No Black History When Black Students Are Failing – Time For a New Approach
by Kevin P. Chavous | Feb 28, 2018 | commentary, ESSA, Every Student Succeeds Act, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Houston Forward Times, K12 Education, National, Texas
WRITTEN BY: KEVIN P. CHAVOUS
It's the type of thing that occasionally makes Twitter lose its virtual mind, and maybe in a good way. Frederick Joseph, a 29-year old Harlem based activist, took it upon himself to start a GoFundMe campaign to buy advance complimentary tickets for at-risk black youth to see eagerly anticipated hit Marvel Comics' movie Black Panther. Millions of social media handles in the Black Twitterverse were ecstatic, applauding Joseph for the move.
"I knew I wanted to do something for the children, especially of Harlem, because it was a community primarily of color," Joseph later said during a CNN interview. "I said to myself, how can I get as many children as possible to see this film and see themselves as a superhero or a king or queen?"
Black Panther, with its timely Black History Month release, has eventually become a global box office hit that has many looking for the needed emotional and cultural comfort. Times are urgent, social justice challenges are constant and there has always been a sense that Black History is not as appreciated as it should be. Even when it is as deeply woven into the very foundation and pillars of American society, defining and shaping who we all are, it still suffers from the tragedy of convenient cruelty and selective national memory. Indeed, we could all use a Black History Month observance and a healthy dose of Black History lesson.
But, what sense does it make to celebrate Black History when the condition of our Black youth suggests it may not have much of a future?
The dilemma with Black History Month memoriam is that it carries with it a tendency to tell ourselves that great progress has been achieved. Yet, in terms of educating African American youth, we appear to regress. More important than free tickets to Black Panther matinee showings are functioning educational systems and access to quality alternatives and opportunities. Progress is unreachable when a community fails to reach its academic and intellectual zenith.
African American high school students still lag considerably behind their white and Latino peers. A Johns Hopkins University study of 2015 national graduation rates found they were 74.6 percent for Black students versus 77.8 percent for Latino students and 83.2 percent for whites. The discourse on these rates has simmered somewhat and given us all the impression that we've somehow solved the dropout crisis.
Clearly, we haven't. More than a quarter of black high school students are dropping out, and it's more pronounced in some states than in others.
Something systemic continues to eat away at full Black student educational progress. While we have seen the narrowing of math and reading test score gaps between Black and white students, 8th grade math score test results compared against white students are worsening more for Black students than for Latino students. And even though 65 percent of Black high school graduates go on to college, just 39 percent of them remain there and finish with a bachelor's degree.
What's going on? Quite a bit.
As National Equity Atlas data show, Black students are stuck in high poverty school districts – the majority of Black students in half of the largest U.S. cities go to schools where three quarters of students are considered. Other studies, such as one at Stanford, also prove that high poverty school districts are scoring several grade levels below wealthy school districts. Black students are much more likely to live in distressed socio-economic circumstances plagued by unemployment, depressed access to financial capitol, little to no social mobility and a merciless school-to-prison pipeline. An overwhelming and destructive number of young Black men, over half, are dropping out of high school or receiving diplomas late. When that happens, we find a situation where 1 in 3 of them ends up incarcerated.
The data points are staggering and seemingly endless. Yet, while depressing, it also presents an opportunity moment. We may not be able to solve the current litany of socio-economic ills cutting off Black youth dreams, but we can certainly start to minimize their impact in the present and begin a path towards eliminating them in the future. That starts with re-examining how we educate our children, and a need for creative thinking and fresh models.
In the information age, it defies logic that we're still having conversations about learning gaps and divides. Existing modes of learning, particularly a public education system that insists on being stuck in an Industrial Age past where students sit in buildings all day, is obviously not the most sensible approach. Instead, educators and school systems must adapt to our highly digitized and fiercely competitive environment – and that doesn't mean simply putting more laptops in a classroom or increasing the frequency of standardized tests rife with disparities and abuse.
There are encouraging signs that educators are recognizing that the one-classroom-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for everyone. This is the case in a diverse, multi-cultural and multi-faceted society where students on the K-12 level are faced with a variety of socio-economic circumstances. In fact, white students will only be 46 percent of the public school population by 2024 while Black (15 percent) and brown students (28 percent) will shift into the majority. We need a radical fix before then.
Which is why it's encouraging to see school systems and policymakers not only exploring, but implementing new learning models whereby curriculum can be easily tailored to the student. No longer should it be just a classroom: it can be a mix of digital learning, expanded course offerings, experiential learning in the field through institutional partnerships, career and technical education, and more. Economically-disadvantaged Black students, faced with daunting challenges, need access to the same doors of opportunities that are available to students with greater economic means.
In his seminal, turn of the 20th century work of American sociology entitled The Souls of Black Folk, the great African American thinker W.E.B. DuBois observed that "[t]his meaning is not without interest to you, Gentle Reader; for the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of color line." That problem persists today, aggravated by education gaps that we should deem unacceptable in the 21st century and beyond. Unchecked, these gaps will prove unsustainable and destructive. This is not just important to our Black students struggling to make their own Black History. It's absolutely crucial to our collective future and the health of our nation as a whole.
Kevin P. Chavous is an attorney, author, education leader, and president of academics, policy and schools for K12 Inc. He served as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia from January 1993 to January 2005.
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Margaret Turner, Elspeth Reid and Susan Healy to receive DistinguishedService Awards. Central Bank of Ireland Archives and Erin Lee Winnersof Recordkeeping Service and Recordkeeper of the Year Respectively.
All candidates are nominated by peers or stakeholders in the archives, records and conservation community. The Record-keeping Service and Record-keeper of the Year awards are determined by public vote. The ARA's Board of Trustees votes on nominations for the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) – usually limited to three recipients per year.
The one remaining ARA Excellence Award for 2018, New Professional of the Year, will be determined in the coming weeks.
The winners of this year's DSA are Elspeth Reid, Margaret Turner and Susan Healy.
Susan is one of the UK's leading policy experts on freedom of information and data protection having (among other roles) been closely involved in developing and implementing major legislation in these areas since the 1990s. Susan has also focused on translating legislation into useful advice for practitioners, playing a leading role in developing a data protection Code of Practice for UK recordkeepers in the aftermath of the 1998 UK Act. She later led the 2009 revision of the records management Code of Practice under the UK Freedom of Information Act. Recently, Susan has been a leading commentator and adviser on the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and given her time selflessly to helping colleagues – in the UK and Ireland – prepare for the new legislation. In addition, Susan has been part of the editorial team of the ARA Grade 1 research journal Archives and Records, which has seen a rapid growth in downloads across the globe in recent years, in no small part due to the professionalism and dedication of Susan and her colleagues.
Elspeth has spent most of her career in the local government sector, becoming archivist for Falkirk District Council in 1992, where she took the service to new heights and led her team to achieve UK Archive Accreditation in March 2014, the first Scottish service to do so. Elspeth also advocated successfully for a records management service for the Council, well before the obligations of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act, 2002. She was again at the fore-front of innovation in the introduction of EDRMS records management systems in Falkirk in 2006. Elspeth has also been a committed mentor, adviser on vocational distance learning courses, and developer of work experience programmes. More widely in Scotland, she was a Commissioner of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) from 2008-2015 and involved in the formation of Historic Environment Scotland. Selfless, professional to the core, Elspeth epitomises energy, initiative, and commitment to professional ethics and values.
Dr Turner, Ms Healy and Ms Reid will receive their awards later in the year.
In a very strong competition, the Central Bank of Ireland Archives emerged as the 2018 winner of Recordkeeping Service of the Year.
The Central Bank of Ireland Archive Service has been a leader in promoting and innovating access and facilities, notably its recent decision to open 14,000 documents in the bank's historical archives to the public and its move to new purpose-built premises in 2017. The Bank's four-person Records and Archives team, part of the Facilities Management Division, led this game-changing approach, which involved major innovations in policy, technological (online) platforms and physical infrastructure. The outcome is a revitalised outreach strategy and increased media coverage of the Bank as well as (crucially) increased awareness among the Bank's general staff and management about the brand, compliance and reputation benefits that an in-house archive offers.
The Central Bank of Ireland Archives will receive its award in Dublin on 22 August.
This year's winner of the individual award for Record-keeper of the Year is Erin Lee of the National Theatre (UK) in London.
Erin is the National Theatre's archivist, a post she has held since 2013, during which time has become established as a core part of the UK's performing arts heritage network. Under her leadership, for example, the National Theatre Archive became the first theatre to achieve Accredited Archive Service status. She is currently Chair of the Association of Performing Arts Collections (APAC), the membership organisation for professionals, specialists, and other individuals working with or interested in performing arts heritage in the United Kingdom and Ireland. She is also a Clore Emerging Leader, which identifies young, future leaders in the cultural and heritage sectors, and has led a wider range of initiatives, including on theatre and performance collections, the Archive Trainees UK network, and on external advisory boards, such as BAFTA's 70th anniversary project in 2017 and as a trustee of the (UK) National Jazz Archive.
Ms Lee will receive her award at the ARA annual Conference in Glasgow on 30 August.
The Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland) acts is the leading professional and membership body for archivists, records managers and conservators in the British Isles. It currently has around 2,500 members and has been growing steadily for the past five years.


Balancing work and family is an important priority for working women, in particular, nursing moms. Today, over 75 percent of women in the United States begin breastfeeding. When they return to work after their babies are born, time and space to express their milk during the work period help them continue to give their best to their work and their baby.
It's important for employers to know that it is required to provide breaks for mothers to express breast milk during the workday. Breastfeeding requires supportive environments − including our workplaces.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirement of break time for nursing mothers to express breast milk does not preempt State laws that provide greater protections to employees (for example, providing compensated break time, providing break time for exempt employees, or providing break time beyond 1 year after the child's birth).