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L.A. County Adopts ‘Socially Conscious’ Animal Shelter Practices
LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — Animal rights activists praised Los Angeles County’s decision to adopt “socially conscious” operating practices for its animal shelter, warning that alternative “no-kill” policies often result in unsafe, overcrowded facilities and dangerous dogs on the street.
By Sentinel News Wire
Animal rights activists praised Los Angeles County’s decision to adopt “socially conscious” operating practices for its animal shelter, warning that alternative “no-kill” policies often result in unsafe, overcrowded facilities and dangerous dogs on the street.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger asked for an update on the new practices at the Department of Animal Care and Control. A report back is expected in 90 days.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals representative Lisa Lange said the DACC has emphasized spay and neuter policies to help reduce the population of stray and homeless animals, rather than emulating no-kill shelters that turn sick and dangerous animals away to maintain favorable statistics.
“We all want to see an end to the homeless animal crisis, but the way to get there is not by closing our shelter doors and turning animals away for a meaningless save rate,” Lange told the board. “This policy will help animals on a huge level.”
PETA representative Diana Mendoza called the newly adopted practices “a smart, compassionate, level-headed model that has the power to bring the community together. Instead of reducing animals to statistics the way the no-kill movement does, socially conscious sheltering puts the animals’ interests firmly in focus along with what is best for the community.”
The DACC said many no-kill practices require agencies to refuse admission to animals that aren’t adoptable and also overcrowd shelters, increasing the risk of disease.
Some release dangerous dogs for adoption to meet live release goals, according to the DACC and PETA.
The PETA website details dozens of instances of hoarding animals or sickly or dangerous dogs approved for adoption.
“It’s time for the truth that not all animals, just like not all people, are loving, trainable and safe,” said Phyllis Daugherty of the Animal Issues Movement.
Socially conscious sheltering originated in Colorado. Its goals are to ensure every unwanted or homeless pet has a safe place to go for shelter and care and to make every healthy and safe animal available for adoption.
In line with those practices, the DACC will not offer animals for adoption that are dangerous or “irremediably suffering.” And it will compassionately euthanize animals in severe, unremitting pain or suffering from other serious health challenges.
The DACC transferred 7,763 animals to low-intake animal shelters around the country last year in an effort to maximize adoption rates for healthy, safe pets. Here at home, it assesses potential adopters to make suitable matches and provides post-adoption support to ensure good outcomes.
The Long Beach City Council is deciding whether to adopt a no-kill policy for its shelter and in April heard from advocates on both sides of the issue who claimed to share the same goal of saving treatable animals and “putting down” animals when necessary due to injury or illness.
No kill advocates say they save more lives, while those against no kill policies say Long Beach would have to end its open admissions policy, ABC7 reported. The matter is expected to come back before the council this month.
A PETA shelter in Norfolk, Virginia came under scrutiny in 2015 for the 80 percent rate of euthanization in its shelter there, leading state lawmakers to pass a bill changing the definition of an animal shelter. But PETA staffers said they end up caring for animals turned away by other shelters. Many owners of elderly or suffering pets also turn to PETA when they cannot afford to pay the veterinarian’s fee for euthanasia, the animal rights organization told the Washington Post.
A blog post from PETA President Ingrid Newkirk states, “It’s easy to point the finger at those who are forced to do the ‘dirty work’ caused by a throwaway society’s casual acquisition and breeding of dogs and cats who end up homeless and unwanted, but at PETA, we will never turn our backs on neglected, unloved and homeless animals — even if the best we can offer them is a painless release from a world that doesn’t have enough heart or homes with room for them.”
The DACC’s live release rate for dogs is 88 percent and it finds homes for roughly half of the cats that come into its shelters, nearly double the rate for felines five years ago.
“Through collaboration with strategic partners, especially the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), DACC has been abcle to greatly improve outcomes for animals in its care,” DACC Director Marcia Mayeda said. “We are committed to continuing our efforts through socially conscious animal sheltering to save animals’ lives and protect our communities.”
This article originally appeared in The Los Angeles Sentinel.
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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.
Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.
Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”
Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.
“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”
The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.
Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.
President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.
Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.
Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.
Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.
Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.
Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.
The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.
In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.
The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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