When making calls-to-action, or waxing poetic about the threats we are currently facing as a country and within our local communities and corners of the world, I can’t help but think about the innate disappointment that Black people have been left with by the promise of American  “democracy.”

Aside from whatever political or social issue captures or creates the zeitgeist in a given time period, are there keystone characteristics behind why people vote? Are there core human traits that are ever present or underlying motivations that goad people to action? And what are the external factors that bear the greatest and deepest influence? In short, what makes people vote?

It is not just giving youth a seat at the table; it’s about youth being active participants with the adults in the conversation and the action that comes after that conversation.

The model explicitly combines deposits from inside the community with deposits brought in from outside the community that might otherwise be deposited in bigger banks like those on Wall Street.

Creating an environment of acceptance and belonging for all students shouldn’t be controversial. In this new era of disinformation, one of the best things we can do to ensure that our schools are safe and welcoming is to make concrete and reliable information available to students, their families, and educators.

Worker cooperatives and consumer cooperatives are two of the most powerful tools to stabilize the economies of urban neighborhoods and small towns. They wait only for the participation and support of local governments and local investors

There is almost no discussion about what students actually want to learn. The debate offers the illusion of choice when success is defined so narrowly — yes, choose between these two options, but they both lead to the same place.

On August 16th, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law, committing $369 billion to mitigate climate change and advance the country’s transition to clean energy. As the most significant Federal climate initiative in history, the passage of the IRA should be celebrated, but we cannot exult for too long. We witnessed the […]

This dog fight is between center-right Democrats and far-right Republicans and more about political grandstanding than protecting democracy.

The heat of August is not limited to climate alone but to the significant events that have taken place at this time of year in our democracy’s history.

Nichelle Nichols was Uhura for over fifty years, on television, in movies, and at conventions, even though she didn’t want to be.

On August 12, 2022, the office of Madsen, Prestley & Parenteau, LLCAs announced, “As part of an agreement to resolve the claims filed by Dr. Nicole Esposito, the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (“CSCU”) is reinstating Dr. Esposito to her position as Chief Executive Officer of Manchester Community College effective August 22, 2022. Through the […]

The beauty of promise programs is that you don’t have to leave. Colleges are supposed to be partners, but oftentimes they drain the talent out of the community.

Executive action, including state-wide shutdowns and other emergency measures are the norm for extreme cold weather conditions; the same actions are needed to address dangerous heat waves

There’s great potential to reorganize our existing set of adults who contribute to education systems in a way that would increase the amount of sustained interactions.

Voting is not only a right for adults but a learning opportunity for youth. When children are able to accompany their parents to the polls, it leaves an imprint; a lasting impression of purpose and each child’s ability to be part of and engage in this democracy.

President Trump may be the latest (and perhaps most egregious) example of executive malfeasance, but he is hardly the only president to behave unethically, if not outright break the law.

It is both ironic and deeply troubling that the Democratic Party poses a major threat to the future of democratic elections.

Not all stakeholders are on board with expanding support in schools, which some say could burden educators and encroach on parent rights. When the superintendent in a small Connecticut town recently proposed opening a mental health clinic at a high school, for example, the school board rejected the plan. 

Over the course of a 24 hour hospital stay, Karmen received some of the worst medical care I’ve ever seen. I know, because I was FaceTiming with her most of the time.

I spent the following day recalling all the experiences of homophobia and cissexism since coming out at twelve years old. Homophobia, cissexism, and biphobia come from within and outside the queer community.

The answer to some of our unmet needs could be accessing cash benefits available to us through the Federal Child Tax Credit and/or the Connecticut Child Tax Rebate. Accessing these benefits is a right for those who are eligible and doing so is an act of civic responsibility and engagement.

As the cost of higher education soars, more and more students want to get a jump on earning college credits. EDsmart looked at ways students could accomplish that goal.

Art allows for communities to come together to celebrate but also exchange cultures and approaches. Culture is the life beat of American cities and art fosters dialogue and sharing.

Public art can and will get so many in Hartford and beyond to respect cultures, histories and experiences. Hartford’s art initiative and its funding may only be a start to something more for our capital city and so many Connecticut cities.

If we want to protect the rights that we have taken for granted for generations, we have to take action. It is time to expand and reform the Court, and it is imperative that greater efforts are focused on state courts to ensure that they are willing to protect our individual rights when the Supreme Court will not.

Stacker investigated the way the idea of privacy has changed in the U.S. during the last two decades using a variety of news and government sources.

The real victors in the battle over abortion rights are the wealthy few who benefit from every division and every form of oppression that exists in the working class.

“Skills-based hiring” is catching on as fewer employers require college diplomas, a major step toward shrinking the racial wealth gap.

A global pandemic and social unrest have provided a collective experience of traumatic events and the need to elevate mental health as a priority for the people of Hartford. Particularly pressing is the need to help individuals identify the distinction between common daily ups and downs – and what could be signs of a more serious mental health condition.

My last column on gun control has me thinking, “What is my responsibility as a writer to respect the people affected by the topics I write about?”

Fresh, affordable food produced on local, Black-owned farms is one solution to the health inequities caused by segregation and racist grocery practices.

Public control of utilities can be part of a new, direct democracy that gives communities more power over systems that affect our everyday lives and more of a say over systems that determine the future of our planet.

With gun violence again dominating the national discussion, UConn faculty members are at the forefront of doing the research and gathering the data needed to approach the issue differently, and to craft real solutions to the problem.