Tag Archives: Republican

First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to Wayne State University on Friday to attend Detroit’s first-ever citywide College Signing Day Celebration — an event aimed at honoring those students dedicated to furthering their education.

The First Lady commended the 2,000 students present — and all college-bound high school seniors throughout America — on their college acceptances and called them real role models. In congratulating the soon-to-be graduates, the First Lady also called on them to help younger students reach this impressive goal of attending college.

See highlights from the First Lady’s trip — and check out how students across America celebrated College Signing Day.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sport their college t-shirts in support of the First Lady’s “Reach Higher” initiative on College Signing Day, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Weekly Address: Ensuring Every Child Gets a Great Education

In this week’s address, the President reiterated his commitment to expanding access to education, and to spreading the joy of reading to more children and young adults. Earlier this week, the President announced two new efforts that help every student get a library card and provide more than $250 million in free e-Books for low-income students. The President also previewed his upcoming commencement speech at Lake Area Tech in Watertown, South Dakota.

President Obama traveled to the Anacostia Neighborhood Library in Washington, D.C. last week to announce new partnerships to expand access to free books for America’s students, and to ensure every student has easy access to their local libraries. While in a conversation with kids, the President shared new details of what he was like as a young student.

Last week, the President hosted the Japanese Prime Minister, joked around at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, sat down for an interview with the Wall Street Journal, took a walk with the 2015 National Teacher of the Year, and participated in a “virtual field trip” with students at D.C.’s Anacostia Neighborhood Library.

Isaac Bloom, Everytown for Gun Safety: Oregon Victory

05/05/2015 Nativegrl77

BREAKING: Oregon just passed a law to require background checks on all gun sales.

This is an incredible victory for Oregon — but also for gun sense across the country — because it shows what happens when we come together to stand up to the gun lobby. Not only do we win, we win BIG.

Now, THAT is a victory worth celebrating. Spread the word about this big win by sharing the image below on Facebook or on Twitter:

Check out the amazing ways that Everytown and Moms Demand Action supporters helped make this victory possible:

More than 100 volunteers came to the state capitol to advocate for a strong background checks law.

Everytown ran powerful TV ads across the state featuring Mike Reese, the former Portland police chief, and Paul Kemp whose brother-in-law was shot and killed in the Clackamas Town Center mall shooting.

Volunteers spent time making calls to lawmakers to build support for SB 941, the background checks bill.

Ted Alcorn, Everytown for Gun Safety’s Research Director, presented key findings on background checks at a legislative hearing on SB 941.

Our Moms Demand Action volunteers brought together law enforcement, gun violence survivors, and lawmakers to speak out in the press about the life-saving bill.

It turns out, the NRA has a formidable opponent in people like you, and we’re ready to take this fight across the country until every state joins Oregon on the background checks map.

But first, spread the word about today’s amazing victory in Oregon:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Here’s to many more to come,

Isaac Bloom
Deputy Organizing Director
Everytown for Gun Safety

As a movement of Americans fighting for common-sense gun policies, we depend on contributions from supporters like you to fund important work to reduce gun violence.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Republicans are attacking women’s health care coverage

05/02/2015 Nativegrl77

Tell Republicans in Congress:
“Women deserve coverage for maternity care, birth control and preventive services and to be protected from gender-based discriminatory pricing. Your relentless, partisan attacks on the Affordable Care Act undermine women and their families.

http://act.alternet.org/go/60279?t=3&akid=13040.231355.-rllnn

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

No gays allowed …

04/29/2015 Nativegrl77

I’m an openly gay Eagle Scout, and the Boy Scouts recently rescinded a job offer based solely on my sexual orientation. I’m calling on the Boy Scouts to end its ban on gay leaders.

Sign Tanner’s petition

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

History, Rebellion and Reconciliation : NMAAHC

04/25/2015 Nativegrl77

The Smithsonian’s National Museum
of African American History and Culture
presents a national conversation by hosting a daylong symposium,

Saturday, April 25, 2015, 9:45am to 8:30pm EDT
National Museum of the American Indian
Rasmuson Theater
Independence and 4th St SW
Washington, D.C.

Metro: Orange and Blue lines, L’Enfant Plaza or Federal Center SW
The symposium will be live streamed via Ustream

Admission is free and open to the public; however, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and reservations are recommended. Reserve your free tickets by visiting Eventbrite. Please note if you wish to attend all panels, be sure to reserve a ticket for each panel.

A police shooting of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo., this summer, along with other shootings by police officers around the county, led to weeks of protests in communities around the country. “We need to explore what this moment in our nation’s history means, especially in terms of leadership,” said Lonnie Bunch III, NMAAHC director. “What impact does generational change have on leadership and faith communities? What are the lessons to be learned from Ferguson, particularly within the context of community mobilization?”
Symposium Schedule

9:45am, director Lonnie Bunch opens the symposium and welcomes guests, followed by a discussion with Rev. Willis H. Johnson, pastor of Ferguson’s Wellspring Church. Willis will describe the conditions that led to the distrust between law enforcement and the city’s African American community.

10:30am-12:30pm, panel #1, “Ferguson: Impact, Importance & Long-Range Hopes.” This panel explores the evolution of the media, community leadership and activism as they relate to communities organized against excessive police force and economic inequality. Panel moderated by Juan Williams, journalist and Fox News political analyst. Panelists include: Lisa Crooms, Howard University law professor; Opal Tometi, founder of Black Lives Matter; Rev. F. Willis Johnson Jr., pastor Wellspring Church, Ferguson.

1:30pm to 2:30 pm, “On Art and History: A Conversation with Ava DuVernay.” Selma director, DuVernay, will discuss filmmaking and the creative responses to historic events such as the Selma to Montgomery march.

3:00pm – 5pm, panel #2, “Ferguson & Faith in the 21st Century.” This panel addresses the past, present and future roles of faith organizations as advocates for social change. It also examines changing roles of faith leaders. Moderated by Rex Ellis, NMAAHC associate director of curatorial affairs, the panel includes: Jeff Johnson, journalist and motivational speaker; Renee Harrison, Howard University School of Divinity professor and former Los Angeles police officer; Lerone A. Martin, assistant professor of Religion and Politics, John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, Washington University, St. Louis; Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, pastor, theologian, author, and community organizer; Stephanie Wolfe, dissertation fellow, John C. Danforth Center.

6:30pm – 8:30pm, panel #3, “#Words Matter: Making Revolution Irresistible.” This panel features the response of the creative community to excessive police violence, racism and communal demands for equality. Moderated by Jared Ball, associate professor of Communications, Morgan State University. The panel includes: Mark Bolden, psychologist and co-moderator; Jasiri X, Spoken Word artist; Jamilah Lemieux, senior digital editor, Ebony magazine; Jef Tate: DJ, Words, Beats and Life.

Other Presentations during the Symposium

12:30pm – 1:30pm, “Citizen” works by award-winning poet Claudia Rankine, interpreted on film by director John Lucas. The film shorts, titled Situation #1through 5, are based on Rankine’s book Citizen: An American Lyric.

5:00pm – 6 pm, view a slide presentation of social justice related objects from the museum’s collection and select artists, accompanied by a mix from DJ Jef Tate of “Words, Beats and Life.”

For questions about the symposium, email NMAAHCpubpgms@si.edu.

View the daylong symposium at Ustream. A dialogue on social media will be held throughout the symposium. The public may follow the museum on Twitter @NMAAHC to participate in the discussion using #HRRlive or #WordsMatter.

For more information, visit www.nmaahc.si.edu or call (202) 633-1000(202) 633-1000.