Race
Table talk on peace, Palestine, Israel
By Mia Baghout From a distance, an onlooker watched the man approach and study the poster board-sized sign. “I’m Palestinian. Ask me anything,” it read. What the man said in response, said Liliana, was this: Get up. I want to sit in your chairs, change places with you. Liliana and Romeo – who, fearing for […]
Immigrant raids: ‘People don’t want to risk it’
By Denise Velazquez The man and woman were scribbling down orders and handing Mexican take-out to customers at their food truck. When she heard this reporter say “immigration,” her demeanor changed. Her smile disappeared. She scanned her surroundings. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. Across New York City, it’s not uncommon for […]
Blacks own a fraction of beauty supply stores
By Keva Ellie From behind the counter, a smiling Bashir Amadou waved goodbye to one customer while conversing with three customers at Sahel Beauty Supply, the hair extension, wig and cosmetics shop he owns and has run for 23 years in Brooklyn. His customers feel like family, he said. Mainly, they are Black people, patrons […]
For 40 years, training next-gen journos
By Suriah Joseph Student journalist Michelle Yang was looking for free journalism programs ”that had a diversity of participants” and would help her build upon skills she’s gained during two years of working on her high school newspaper. The New York University Urban Journalism Workshop, which selected her for its 2024 summer cohort, provided what […]
Race and a Summer Reading List
By Rohini Devi Spectrum staff When leaders of Sewanaka Central High School District, in June 2020, voted to list mainly authors of color in the recommended list of books for students to read, it was the first time they had made such a leap. They were showing that they weren’t going to ignore the Black Lives Matter movement and the summer’s unrest.
Addressing Race in Yorktown Schools
By Ashley Alexander Spectrum staff When Amy Belfer looks back on what she learned while a student at Lakeland High School in Yorktown N.Y., she thinks about how much got left out. “We learned the basics about slavery, a tiny bit of Reconstruction,” the 2015 Lakeland graduate said. “And that’s all the black history we […]
A Push to Disarm Auxiliary Police
By Maya Mitchell Spectrum staff Pushed by local teen and young adult activists who want to disarm the Maplewood Police Department Police Auxiliary, made up of volunteers, the Maplewood Town Council voted in late July to suspend the force for 90 days. By a 3-to-2 vote, the town’s Public Safety Committee, which includes the chief of police, […]