ref·u·geeMore than half the refugees UNHCR serves now live in urban areas
An A-Z of refugee achievers around the world.
| synonyms: | émigré, fugitive, exile, displaced person, asylum seeker;
“collecting blankets for the refugees”
|
Thomas Jefferson purchased a 1,334 acre tract in Virginia as a testing ground for various agricultural methods and labor systems – experiments that presented alternatives to slavery. In this discussion, a panel reflects on Jefferson’s motivations, his relationship with his confidante William Short, and their exchange of ideas on how to best manage this land known first as “Indian Camp” and then later named Morven.
” O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath ~
America will be! “
From: Let America Be America Again
by Langston Hughes
![[banner]](https://i0.wp.com/americanhistory.si.edu/brown/images/history/banners/main.jpg)
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education marked a turning point in the history of race relations in the United States. On May 17, 1954, the Court stripped away constitutional sanctions for segregation by race, and made equal opportunity in education the law of the land.
Brown v. Board of Education reached the Supreme Court through the fearless efforts of lawyers, community activists, parents, and students. Their struggle to fulfill the American dream set in motion sweeping changes in American society, and redefined the nation’s ideals.
The end of the Civil War had promised racial equality, but by 1900 new laws and old customs created a segregated society that condemned Americans of color to second-class citizenship.
As African Americans and other minority groups began the struggle for civil rights, they strengthened their own schools and fought against segregated education.
Beginning in the 1930s, African American lawyers from Howard University law school and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People campaigned to dismantle constitutionally-sanctioned segregation.
In the early 1950s, African Americans from five different communities across the country bravely turned to the courts to demand better educational opportunities for their children.
In 1954, under the leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Supreme Court produced a unanimous decision to overturn Plessy vs. Ferguson and changed the course of American history.
Today, thanks in part to the victorious struggle in the Brown case, most Americans believe that a racially integrated, ethnically diverse society and educational system is a worthy goal, though they may disagree deeply about how to achieve it.
| — | |
 |
|
|
“Nobody should have to go through what I went through on the streets. When the shelters fill up and people are left outside, they become vulnerable. We all need to act together to end homelessness because we are all connected.” – Susan Russell, Real Change Vendor
Fact: The 2014 One Night Homeless Count found 3,123 people sleeping outside in King County after the shelters were filled. This was a 14% increase in the unsheltered count from the previous year.
Fact: The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Homeless Education counts at least 6,188 homeless students in King County, a more than 18% increase from 2011-2012.
Fact: According to the City of Seattle’s “Role of Shelter” report, more than 600 non-disabled single adults have languished in emergency shelter for six months or longer.
This is unacceptable. Strategic investments in the following areas will create the new housing and shelter capacity we need to get more people inside now:
Fund Additional Shelter: The more than 3,000 women, men and children that are living outside in King County on any given night deserve an emergency response. Invest immediately in additional shelter to bring at least 500 more people inside before January 2015.
Support Community Partnerships: Provide funding to expand partnerships between faith communities, civic groups and service providers to get more people off the street and ensure that no child or family sleeps outside.
Meet Immediate Basic Needs: Create a flexible discretionary fund for caseworkers to reunite families with bus tickets, get cars out of impound, or take other actions that quickly and inexpensively get people off the street.
Support Creative Housing Options: Provide financial incentives and support to private landlords and homeowners to match people experiencing homelessness with community members who have space to share.
We hereby call upon the Governing Board of the Committee to End Homelessness and our elected representatives in Seattle and King County to allocate the resources required to make 1,000 more unsheltered homeless people safe by 2015.
The President took action to p
rotect a place called Bristol Bay, Alaska. Here’s why that matters:
It places a national treasure — and one of the nation’s most productive fisheries — off limits for oil and gas leasing. Alaskans have been fighting to preserve Bristol Bay for decades. Today, we got it done.
Bristol Bay helps to produce 40 percent of America’s wild-caught seafood each year. It supports $2 billion every year in commercial fishing, and supports good jobs in sport-fishing and tourism.
These waters are beautiful and valuable, and today’s action will ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy their bounty.
Please click on link above for more amazing pictures and information
This is Bristol Bay, Alaska, a national treasure that President Obama is protecting for all of us.
A humpback whale with shear water birds in Bristol Bay.
The beautiful Bristol Bay helps to produce 40% of America’s wild-caught seafood every year.
Thanks,
Sally
Secretary Sally Jewell
Department of the Interior
@SecretaryJewell
Be a Seed for Change 
You must be logged in to post a comment.