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COMMENTARY: Locals weigh-in on “Evil” description of Russian President Vladimir Putin

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Clinical psychologist Dr. Brenda Wall said having to see media reports of horrendous devastation in Ukraine dredges up thoughts about similar violence to various cultures in history – the Holocaust, enslavement of African people, crisis at the Southern border, indigenous native Americans, Haitian migrants.
The post COMMENTARY: Locals weigh-in on “Evil” description of Russian President Vladimir Putin first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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1 year ago

May 25, 2022

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I Was Just Thinking

By Norma Adams-Wade, Texas Metro News / iMessenger Media

When you hear and see Russian President Vladimir Putin’s name in media and on the Web these days, he is frequently described as evil. For instance:

Author Bill Browder during TV interview about Freezing Order, his true story book about Putin’s exploits: “This guy is just evil…It’s hard for us to understand …this is evil on a level that’s just incomprehensible.”
Antonio Guterres, U. N. Secretary General on a recent Ukraine tour: “(This is) “simply evil. There’s no way a war can be acceptable in the 21st Century.”
Dennis Prager, radio talk show host discussing Putin: “This is as clear an act of evil as anyone can imagine.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota): during a recent Senate hearing spoke of society’s current “war against evil.”

So, the word of the era right now is “evil.” But what is evil? Most people have their own definition, based on their own standards.

Media images and reports about Russian’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine allege evils that includes blocking about 900 Ukrainian adults and children who were hiding in a cave so that they will be forced to starve to death, bombing hospitals that housed injured and sick children and infants, bombing many apartment buildings where innocent Ukrainian civilians live, blocking humanitarian aid to Ukrainians to force starvation and prevent medical aid, soldiers raping Ukrainian women, murdering more than a dozen journalists and injuring or torturing others, executing some hand tied civilians and leaving their bodies in the streets.

Also, since the conflict started in February of this year, media reports that Ukraine deaths total more than 3,000 adults and 210 children, with more than 3,200 adults and 300 children injured.

Some Dallas locals have been watching the news as have you and have strong opinions. In general, their views are reactions cased on culture, faith and psychology.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Brenda Wall said having to see media reports of horrendous devastation in Ukraine dredges up thoughts about similar violence to various cultures in history – the Holocaust, enslavement of African people, crisis at the Southern border, indigenous native Americans, Haitian migrants.

“Yes. Putin IS an evil man and power has corrupted him,” Dr. Wall said. “So much so that people hurting and dying has no meaning to him.”

Historian, educator, faith leader, and community activist Clarence Glover Jr. had a similar opinion. He defined evil as “the indiscriminate destruction of life, without remorse.” Does the term fit Putin?

“Certainly,” Glover stressed. “It’s because he’s killing people, adults and children, who are not able to defend themselves.”

Like Dr. Wall concerning evil, Glover also listed historical realities that he said could be labeled as evil: Adolph Hitler’s persecution of Jews, the 400 years of African enslavement in America, the inequities of Jim Crow laws, the Native American “Trail of Tears” in the late 1830s. “All of these were evil, relative to the times when they happened,” Glover said.

And Dr. Sheron Patterson, the out-spoken senior pastor at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church, “The Park,” said this about evil:

“To me, evil comes straight from the pit of hell,’ she said, not flinching. “Its total focus is to annihilate — with no conscious. It is not satisfied until it has killed, mangled…destroyed everything in its path. Does this description apply to Putin? That’s exactly who I was describing.”

Some researchers say it’s key that Putin’s life experiences drive his actions. Here’s a summary: Putin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) Russia in 1952. He was his parent’s third child and only survivor after two earlier brothers died as small children in the 1940s, during Germany’s devastating invasion of Russia during World War II. He allegedly joined a street gang as a youth. One of his grandfather’s was a personal cook for both Soviet Union leaders Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin during World War I and German’s killed his maternal grandmother in 1941. Putin’s father was wounded as a Naval officer who battled the German Nazis, his mother a factory worker who almost starved during WWII.

Some researchers say Putin sees Ukraine as a threat because on some issues it favors the West which Putin views as no friend. He was an introverted child who became an icy, remote authoritarian adult. He earned a law degree in Leningrad, Russia, worked as a KGB spy — Soviet secret police intelligence officer – before the USSR dissolved. He moved to Moscow and joined Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s administration in security leadership positions, was appointed Prime Minister in 1999 under Yeltsin and when Yeltsin resigned at the end of the year, Putin — whose growing popularity indicated he was heir apparent — was appointed acting president, soon won the presidential election, and remained president for eight years.

After a four-year time-out, he was reelected in 2012 and remains as President today. One 2016 Hudson Institute report details a suspicious well-timed war between Russia and Chechnya that produced numerous well-cloaked, deadly and devious acts along Putin’s route to top billing in Russia including many deadly bombings of civilian homes. Researchers say a new 2021 constitutional amendment Putin signed could allow him to run twice more and extend his presidency to 2036.

Some historians say Putin is obsessed with Russian history, including his own family roots there. They say his world view is sadly and bizarrely linked to Leningrad, Russia’s storybook, seemingly impossible victory over Germany at the end of WWII and how starving and freezing Soviet fighters doggedly refused to be defeated by Hitler’s invasion and in the end conquered Berlin. The impossible victory gave Soviet Russia hero status – an honor on which historians say Putin keeps an iron grip and clings to the fact that Russia and Ukraine both are former Soviet states.

Dr. Patterson and Dr. Wall both addressed the age-old questions about good and evil and why a loving God would allow a persistent evildoer to prevail.

“I don’t believe Putin will prevail,” stressed Dr. Wall. Evil never wins. Evil never prevails.

Patterson summed it up thus: “Here’s my answer about Putin prevailing. A loving God knows that He created strong, loving people. And they are the ones who ought to stand up and stop him.”

Norma Adams-Wade, is a proud Dallas native, University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate and retired Dallas Morning News senior staff writer. She is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and was its first southwest regional director. She became The News’ first Black full-time reporter in 1974. norma_adams_wade@yahoo.com

The post COMMENTARY: Locals weigh-in on “Evil” description of Russian President Vladimir Putin first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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WATCH LIVE! — NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Welcome to the NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception
The post WATCH LIVE! — NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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5 days ago

September 22, 2023

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The post WATCH LIVE! — NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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OP-ED: Delivering Climate Resilience Funding to Communities that Need it the Most

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Just last month, FEMA announced nearly $3 billion in climate mitigation project selections nationwide to help communities build resilience through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) national competition and Flood Mitigation Assistance program. In total, more than 50% of these projects will benefit disadvantaged communities, and in particular, 70% of BRIC projects will do the same.
The post OP-ED: Delivering Climate Resilience Funding to Communities that Need it the Most first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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6 days ago

September 22, 2023

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By Erik A. Hooks, FEMA Deputy Administrator

We know that disasters do not discriminate. Yet, recovery from the same event can be uneven from community to community, perpetuating pre-existing inequalities. Recognizing these disparities, FEMA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration have prioritized equity when it comes to accessing federal programs and resources.

The numbers tell the story.

Just last month, FEMA announced nearly $3 billion in climate mitigation project selections nationwide to help communities build resilience through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) national competition and Flood Mitigation Assistance program. In total, more than 50% of these projects will benefit disadvantaged communities, and in particular, 70% of BRIC projects will do the same.

These selections further underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to equity and reaffirm FEMA’s mission of helping people before, during and after disasters, delivering funding to the communities that need it most.

Building on this momentum and our people-first approach, FEMA recently announced the initial designation of nearly 500 census tracts, which will be eligible for increased federal support to become more resilient to natural hazards and extreme weather worsened by the climate crisis. FEMA will use “Community Disaster Resilience Zone” designations to direct and manage financial and technical assistance for resilience projects nationwide, targeting communities most at risk due to climate change. More Community Disaster Resilience Zone designations, including tribal lands and territories, are expected to be announced in the fall of 2023.

These types of investments have, and will yield a significant return on investment for communities nationwide.

For example, in my home state of North Carolina, the historic community of Princeville, founded by freed African American slaves, uses BRIC funding to move vulnerable homes and critical utilities out of flood-prone areas.

In East Harlem, BRIC dollars will provide nature-based flood control solutions to mitigate the impacts of extreme rainfall events in the Clinton low-income housing community.

While we are encouraged by these investments, we know more must be done.

Not every community has the personnel, the time or the resources to apply for these federal dollars. Fortunately, FEMA offers free, Direct Technical Assistance to help under-resourced communities navigate the grant application process and get connected with critical resources. Under the leadership of FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, this assistance has been a game-changer, reducing barriers and providing even more flexible, customer-focused, tailored support to communities interested in building and sustaining successful resilience programs.

In Eastwick, Philadelphia, FEMA’s dedicated support helped the city with outreach to multiple federal agencies. Together, we built a comprehensive community-led flood mitigation strategy. When applied and implemented, this will make this community more resilient to hazards like flooding, which was negatively affecting many neighborhood blocks.

In DePue, Illinois, we worked hand-in-hand with communities to improve their ability to submit high-quality funding applications for hazard mitigation projects. We are happy to share that DePue is the first Direct Technical Assistance community to be selected in the BRIC national competition. And, we know they will not be the last. Thanks to this assistance and their ambition, DePue was awarded more than $20 million to build a new wastewater treatment plant, which will reduce flooding and raw sewage back-up into the basements of homes.

In total, our agency is working with over 70 communities, including tribal nations, to increase access to funding for mitigation projects that will make communities more livable and resilient.

With extreme weather events becoming increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change, we must keep pressing forward and continue investing in ways to better protect ourselves and our neighbors. And we are encouraged that local officials are engaging with us to learn more about the benefits of the BRIC non-financial Direct Technical Assistance initiative—just last week, we saw hundreds of participants nationwide register for a recent webinar on this important topic.

We want to see even more communities take advantage of this initiative, and, ultimately, obtain grants for innovative and forward-looking resilience projects. To that end, FEMA recently published a blog with five steps to help local communities and tribal nations learn more about the benefits of this non-financial technical assistance to access federal funding. I hope your community will take action and submit a letter of interest for this exciting opportunity and increase meaningful mitigation work throughout the country.

With the pace of disasters accelerating, communities can utilize federal resources to reduce their risk and take action to save property and lives. FEMA stands ready to be a partner and collaborator with any community that is ready to implement creative mitigation strategies and help build our nation’s resilience.

The post OP-ED: Delivering Climate Resilience Funding to Communities that Need it the Most first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tale of Two Underground Railroad Communities

ARIZONA INFORMANT — Prior to the Civil War, many communities in the Ohio River Valley were a part of an elaborate system that provided resources and protection for enslaved persons from Southern states on their journey to freedom. Once someone crossed the Ohio River, they traveled along unknown terrain of trails to safe houses and hiding places that would become known as the Underground Railroad.
The post Tale of Two Underground Railroad Communities first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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1 week ago

September 20, 2023

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By Christopher J. Miller, Sr. Director of Education & Community Engagement, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Christopher J. Miller

September is International Underground Railroad Month.

This proclamation began in the State of Maryland in 2019, and now more than 11 States officially celebrate one of the most significant eras in U.S. history. With the signing of Ohio HB 340 in June 2022, Ohio became the 12^th state to designate September International Underground Railroad Month.

Many history enthusiasts and scholars hope the momentum of the proclamation spreads to other states so that all our forebears of freedom are remembered.

Examining this era, you find that the Ohio River Valley is instrumental in the many narratives of freedom seekers. These stories are critical to our understanding of race relations and civic responsibilities.

Before the Civil War, many communities in the Ohio River Valley were part of an elaborate system that provided resources and protection for enslaved persons from Southern states on their journey to freedom. Once someone crossed the Ohio River, they traveled along unknown terrain of trails to safe houses and hiding places that would become known as the Underground Railroad.

Gateway to Freedom sign

The Underground Railroad was comprised of courageous people who were held to a higher law that confronted the institution of slavery with acts of civil disobedience by helping freedom seekers elude enslavers and slave hunters and help them get to Canada.

Many communities were a force for freedom along the more than 900-mile stretch of the Ohio River Valley, but I would like to focus on two significant communities.

Southern Indiana was a major part of this history. It was originally believed that there were from Posey to South Bend, Corydon to Porter, and Madison to DeKalb County, with many stops in between.

In further examination, the Underground Railroad in Indiana was a web of trails through the forests, swamps, briars, and dirt roads. The city that is often overlooked in reflecting on the history of the Underground Railroad is New Albany, Indiana.

By 1850, New Albany was the largest city in Indiana, with a population of 8,632. Free Blacks accounted for 502 of that population. Across the river, Louisville was Kentucky’s largest city, with a population of 42,829. A quarter of the 6,687 Black population were free in Louisville.

Town Clock Church (aerial view)

Louisville and New Albany would grow to become a significant region for Underground Railroad activity. People like Henson McIntosh became a prominent community member and major Underground Railroad conductor. McIntosh was one of approximately ten Underground Railroad agents in New Albany who used their wealth and influence to impact the lives of freedom seekers crossing the Ohio River.

The Carnegie Center for Art & History is an outstanding resource that continues to preserve New Albany’s role during the Underground Railroad era. Approximately 104 miles east along the Ohio River is another institution that plays a critical role in elevating the profile of the Underground Railroad on a national scope.

Inside Town Clock Church New Albany Indiana safe house

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is located on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio.

By 1850, Cincinnati would grow to be the 6^th largest city in the Union, with a sizable Black population.

The Freedom Center is prominently located in the heart of a historic Black community called Little Africa. Although the community no longer exists, its legacy lives on through the Freedom Center.

As with New Albany, the community that resided along the banks of the river served an important role in the story of the Underground Railroad. Little Africa was the gateway to freedom for thousands of freedom seekers escaping slavery.

Although there were Underground Railroad networks throughout the country, Ohio had the most active network of any other state, with approximately 3,000 miles of routes used by an estimated 40,000 freedom seekers that crossed through Little Africa.

Despite the growth of enslavement leading up to the Civil War, communities such as Little Africa and New Albany reveal the realities regarding race relations and a model for the dignity of human life through their respective efforts to be kind and resilient friends for the freedom seekers.

For More Information:

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center – https://freedomcenter.org/

Cincinnati Tourism – https://www.visitcincy.com/

Carnegie Center for Art & History – https://carnegiecenter.org/

Southern Indiana Tourism – https://www.gosoin.com/

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