Senate chaplain ask for more than ‘thoughts and prayers’ needed after Nashville school shooting

During his opening prayer Senate Chaplain Barry Black called on lawmakers to “move beyond thoughts and prayers,” a day after Monday’s school shooting in Nashville.

Watch his prayer below:

Jimmy Lee Day II named Colorado’s Teacher of the Year

Jimmy Lee Day II, an African American educator from Aurora, Colorado who has been teaching for over 13 years, has made history as the first Black male to ever be awarded the state’s Teacher of the Year Award.

As part of the celebrations for his achievement, Day was recently given special recognition by Colorado State Senator Rhonda Fields at the state Capitol. It comes a few months after he was honored during a surprise ceremony at East Middle School in Aurora, where he currently teaches, last October.

Since 2017, he has taught at the school, serving as its band director and instrumental music teacher. In his 13 years of teaching experience, he has rebuilt 3 struggling band programs, developing them into award-winning programs that achieved top ratings at district music festivals.

Day said his simple formula for effective transformative teaching just includes consistency and connection to his students.

“From classroom management to how I rehearse my students to how I want my expectations — it’s consistent, it doesn’t change, it’s unbending and then my connection — me making myself human just like you and we make connections,” Day told CBS News.

Moving forward, Day intends to continue giving his students valuable lessons, highlighting the importance of music to them.

Rep. Bowman Leads 20+ Social Media Creators at Press Conference Opposing TikTok Ban

Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16) held a press conference with 20+ social media creators with a combined following of over 60 million people to oppose the TikTok ban. Social media creators shared how TikTok has impacted their small businesses, artistic expression and communities. More than 150 million Americans, including 5 million U.S. small businesses, use TikTok to inspire creativity, bring joy, and support their livelihoods.

“The rush to ban TikTok sets a dangerous precedent for our country by undermining our freedom of speech and distracts from the real issue: protecting Americans’ data and privacy,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (NY-16). Every Big Tech company, both foreign and domestic, mines and sells our data for their own profits, and cracking down on surveillance capitalism is what we need to be focused on. Many who are hyper focused on TikTok seem to look the other way when Facebook enables right-wing and Russian disinformation to undermine our democracy, and they are springing into action now because it suits their Cold War crusade against China. I, along with millions of others, use TikTok as a place to interact with my community in a positive, uplifting way. But this is not about defending TikTok as a company. We need strong regulation that applies to every platform in order to protect our data and especially our children. And we also have to protect young people’s right to free expression. Let’s use this moment to craft a comprehensive approach to safeguarding and democratizing the social media landscape.”

Rep. Bowman's statement below:

Instead of banning TikTok we need comprehensive legislation to ensure social media users' data is safe and secure.

Banning TikTok won't solve that problem, and I was proud to stand with some of the most incredible creators today. pic.twitter.com/FXSWCGfTgc

— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) March 23, 2023

Sierra Brooks Earns Second Consecutive Big Ten Gymnast of the Year Honor

Senior Sierra Brooks of the University of Michigan women's gymnastics team was named the 2023 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year on Saturday night (March 18), the conference announced following the conclusion of the Big Ten Championships.

The honor is the second of Brooks' career as she also earned the honor in 2022. She is just the third Michigan gymnast to earn the honor twice or more.

Outside of the gym, Brooks is the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is an outstanding student-athlete as a business administration major in the Ross School of Business with a minor in entrepreneurship.

[SOURCE: MGOBLUE]

THE AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: March 24 – 26, 2023

The African Diaspora International Film Festival Women’s History Month presents a selection of 10 films centering on women of color from various social backgrounds in the USA, Egypt, Peru, India, Senegal, Puerto Rico and Burkina Faso.

Highlights include:

Ludi by Edson Jean (USA/HAITI).
After a half truth lands her under immense financial pressure, Ludi Alcidor embarks on a frantic scour through Miami's private care-taking world in an increasingly desperate attempt to send money to her family in Haiti.

Ticha Shaher Hona / City Personified by Rasika Agashe (INDIA)
This Mumbai-based story follows Archana, a professional woman leading a routine life who meets confident and vocal house help Kiran. Tragically, Kiran dies in a road accident witnessed by Archana, who is left shattered. This incident changes Archana's perspective and life forever.

Colorism in Latin America: White Like the Moon by Marina Palmier & Angelica by Marisol Gómez-Mouakad (USA / Puerto Rico).
In White Like the Moon, a Mexican-American girl struggles to keep her identity when her mother forces her to bleach her skin. In Angelica, a young Black woman returns to Puerto Rico when her father suffers a stroke, forcing her to confront her strained relationships with family members who judge her for her skin color.

Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun by Sam Pollard (USA)
A documentary about the pioneering novelist and anthropologist who established African American vernacular as an important voice in American literature. This definitive film biography captures her complexity, presenting her as a gifted, flamboyant, and controversial yet fiercely original figure in the American literary canon.
Q&A with writer / producer Kristy Andersen after the screening!

ADIFF Women’s History Month Program will be at Teachers College, Columbia University - 525 W 120th St. Room 408 Zankel. Tickets are $11 and $13. Weekend Pass is $45.
WEB SITE: http://www.NYADIFF.org
For more information about the African Diaspora International Film Festival, to receive links and high resolution images please contact Diarah N’Daw-Spech at (212) 864-1760/ fax (212) 316-6020 or e-mail pr@nyadiff.org.

The African Diaspora International Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

ADIFF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH COMPLETE LINE-UP

Friday, March 24
7:30pm Ludi by Edson Jean (USA)

Saturday, March 25
1:00pm Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story by Yousry Nasrallah (Egypt)
3:30pm Angels on Diamond Street by Petr Lom (USA)
5:20pm Rosa Chumbe by Jonatan Relayze (Peru)
7:00pm Ticha Shahar Hona (City Personified) by Rasika Agashe (India)

Sunday, March 26
1:00pm Colorism in Latin America: White Like the Moon by
Marina Palmier + Angelica by Marisol Gómez-Mouakad (USA)
3:20pm The Silent Monologue by Charles Van Damme and Khady Sylla
(Senegal/Belgium)
4:30pm An Uncommon Woman by Abdoulaye Dao (Burkina Faso)
6:30pm Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun by Sam Pollard (USA)

The African Diaspora International Film Festival WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM is made possible in part thanks to the support of the following institutions and individuals: ArtMattan Productions; the Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs, Teachers College, Columbia University; the New York City Council in the Arts and WBAI.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Established in 1993, the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) is a Harlem based minority-led not-for profit international film festival that presents, interprets and educates about films that explore the human experience of people of color all over the world in order to inspire imaginations, disrupt stereotypes and help transform attitudes that perpetuate injustice.
The mission of The African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) is to expand the traditional views and perceptions of what the Black experience is by showcasing award-winning socially relevant documentary and fiction films about people of color, from Peru to Zimbabwe, from the USA to Belgium and from New Zealand to Jamaica. Visit nyadiff.org for details about the festival.