Community – Page 4 – NAACP New Bedford

Get more vaccines into the Greater New Bedford area, prioritize underserved populations

Petition to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker We are concerned that vaccination access and allocation is not meeting the needs or even getting to the most underserved area residents. We appreciate the outstanding work of the South Coast COVID vaccination partners (Southcoast Health, GNB Community Health Center, Seven Hills, Community Health Departments, and others) in our region, but it is clear to us that the effort is insufficient to meet the needs of the most underserved people. We applaud the work that has been done and want to support and enhance that existing infrastructure with a more targeted outreach effort. To Bring...

CDC Toolkits

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) created a communication toolkit to help public health professionals, health departments, community organizations, and healthcare systems and providers reach people who may need COVID-19 prevention messaging in their own languages. Visit the CDC Toolkit page here The toolkit provides: Current messaging from a trusted source. Information in plain language available for downloading and sharing. Translated materials to help communities disseminate messages to a wider audience.

SROs and Juvenile Justice

For anyone unable to join last night's presentation on Juvenile Justice and SRO's — you missed an absolutely great program! Moriah Wiggins, Founding Co-Chair of IMPACT (Improving Multicultural Presence & Advocating for Community Transformation), co-hosted the Zoom meeting with Branch President Dr. LaSella Hall. Presenters included: Leon Smith, Esq., Executive Director, and Joshua Dankoff from Citizens for Juvenile Justice; Matthew Cregor, Staff Attorney, Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee; and Ricardo Rosa, Ph.D., Co-chair, New Bedford Coalition to Save Our Schools/. In addition, we were joined by a number of members of the community, including school committee members and School Superintendent...

19th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast

19th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Friday, January 29 9:00-11:00 a.m. On Friday, January 29, 2021, from 9 – 11 a.m., UMass Dartmouth will host the 19th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast in a virtual format featuring a keynote address by social justice activist Tamika D. Mallory, remarks from recently appointed Interim Chancellor Mark Fuller, and performances by the student-led D'SWORD Gospel Choir. The event’s theme Call to Action: Then and Now, will look back at the activist actions of Dr. King and how that legacy has translated into current racial equality movements. The...

Community Forum and Discussion: Juvenile Justice in New Bedford and School Resource Officers

NAACP New Bedford Branch Community Forum and Discussion Juvenile Justice in New Bedford and School Resource Officers Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 6:00pm- 7:00pm Please join the NAACP New Bedford Branch for a panel discussion on Juvenile Justice reform and School Resource Officers in New Bedford, MA. Panelists will be discussing a new report on juvenile justice in New Bedford and a new initiative led by youth of the city. Panelists: Leon Smith, Esq., Executive Director, Citizens for Juvenile Justice Joshua Dankoff, Citizens for Juvenile Justice Matthew Cregor, Staff Attorney, Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee Ricardo Rosa, Ph.D., Co-chair, New...

Community

“New Bedford Light” Survey

The "New Bedford Light" is a project by local people working to create a new, community-oriented on-line newspaper. We have been asked if Branch members might be interested in shaping this new, free, on-line news source for New Bedford and neighboring communities. You can share your ideas and preferences about news you need or want by responding to this short survey in one of four languages. It should take you about five minutes or less to complete: Español: https://s.surveyplanet.com/tpLfLEcza Cabo Verdean Creole: https://s.surveyplanet.com/nTjCv8tCo Portugués: https://s.surveyplanet.com/6IGeJA1dW English: https://s.surveyplanet.com/HktnGUavq

YWCA Post-Election Panel

On Thursday, November 12th, 2020 a group of panelists convened by the YWCA Southeastern MA met over Zoom to discuss the state of affairs following the 2020 Presidential election and outlined priorities for after the election. Panelists offered updates with information on how to support our community during this year of tremendous and seismic changes. Panelists were Gail Fortes (YWCA Southeastern MA), Jennifer E. DeBarros, PhD (NorthStar Learning Centers, Inc.), Lisa M. Lemieux (1199 SEIU), Dr. LaSella Hall (NAACP New Bedford Branch), Andy Pollock (SouthCoast LGBTQ+ Network), Helena da Silva Hughes (Immigrants Assistance Center), and Dr. Juli Parker (UMass Dartmouth...

NBCSOS – USOS forum on school safety during COVID-19

New Bedford Coalition to Save Our Schools (NBCSOS) in Collaboration with Uniting to Save Our Schools (USOS) Presents a Community Forum What does it mean to safely return to schools? How do we build power to demand safety & equity? Please join us this Thursday from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. for an online community forum on school re-opening during the COVID-19 Pandemic and impacts on students in special education and other vulnerable populations. You may join the forum by clicking the link below/copying the link into your browser. A meeting ID and passcode are also provided in case you need...

UMassD webinar: Vote 2020 – What to Expect

On October 28th the UMass Dartmouth Student Government Association sponsored a Zoom webinar titled VOTE 2020: "What to Expect," hosted by Student Government Association President Elizabeth Anusaukas and Student Trustee Dakeyla Johnson, which asked a four-person panel for their thoughts on how the 2020 election might unfold. Kenneth Manning, UMassD Professor of Political Science; Dwight Duncan, UMassD Law School Professor; Dr. LaSella Hall, NAACP New Bedford President; and Alex Psilakis, Policy and Communications Manager at MassVOTE all offered their views. You can watch a recording of the webinar here.

2020 Stand for Justice High School Graduate Scholarship Awards

Because of COVID-19 we were unable to hold our annual Freedom Fund Breakfast last June. Our backup date in August was a bit over-optimistic, so plan C was to hold an informal awards ceremony in the Fall. Thanks to our donors — many from the community who really stepped up this year — we were able to hold the 2020 Stand for Justice High School Graduate Scholarship Fund ceremony on October 10th. Despite clouds, chill, wind, masks and social distancing, the ceremony was joyous and successful. Ten students received awards in 2020: Yileisy Almada (New Bedford Voc), attending Bay Path...