Chicago, IL

Montgomery, Alabama school board removes Confederate names from 2 schools

Published

2 years ago

November 12, 2022

Montgomery, Alabama school board removes Confederate names from 2 schools

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Two excessive faculties in Alabama’s capital, a hub of the civil rights motion, will now not bear the names of Accomplice leaders.

The Montgomery County Board of Schooling on Thursday voted for brand new names for Jefferson Davis Excessive Faculty and Robert E Lee Excessive Faculty, information retailers reported.

Lee will change into Dr. Percy Julian Excessive Faculty. Davis will change into JAG Excessive Faculty, representing three figures of the civil rights motion: Decide Frank Johnson, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy and the Rev. Robert Graetz.

The colleges opened within the Nineteen Fifties and Nineteen Sixties as all or principally white however now serve pupil populations which are greater than 85% African American.

“Our job is to make our areas snug for our youngsters. Backside line is we’ll make choices primarily based on what our youngsters wants could also be, not essentially on sentiment round no matter nostalgia could exist,” Superintendent Melvin Brown stated, as reported by WSFA-TV.

Julian was a chemist and trainer who was born in Montgomery. Johnson was a federal decide whose rulings helped finish segregation and implement voting rights. Abernathy was a pastor and chief within the civil rights motion. Graetz was the one white pastor who brazenly supported the Montgomery bus boycott and have become the goal of scorn and bombings for doing so.

The brand new college names got two years after training officers vowed to strip the Accomplice namesakes. A debate over the varsity names started amid protests over racial inequality following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Somebody ripped down a statue of Lee outdoors his namesake college in the course of the demonstrations.

Like many different Accomplice-named faculties, Lee – named for the Accomplice Military common – opened as an all-white college in 1955 because the South was actively preventing integration. Davis, named for the Accomplice president, opened in 1968. However white flight after integration orders and shifting demographics meant the faculties grew to become closely African American.

The Montgomery Metropolis Council final 12 months voted to rename Jeff Davis Avenue for lawyer Fred D. Grey. Grey grew up on the road in the course of the Jim Crow period and went on to characterize shoppers together with Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

After the road identify change, the Alabama lawyer common’s workplace advised metropolis officers to pay a $25,000 high-quality or face a lawsuit for violating a state regulation defending Accomplice monuments and different longstanding memorials. Town paid the high-quality so as to take away the Accomplice reference.

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Chicago, IL

2 women found dead in Englewood home after fire, Chicago fire officials say

Published

2 years ago

November 22, 2022

Press Room

2 women found dead in Englewood home after fire, Chicago fire officials say

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Crew by way of

Wednesday, November 23, 2022 3:26AM

FILE photograph: View of the Chicago Hearth Division, the third largest municipal hearth division in america of America, within the Chinatown neighborhood on Sept. 24, 2014.
Shutterstock

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago hearth officers mentioned two ladies have been discovered lifeless in an Englewood house after a home hearth.

The fireplace broke out Tuesday night at a home within the 7200-block of South Wolcott, Chicago hearth officers mentioned.

The fireplace was struck out at about 9:10 p.m., CFD mentioned.

After the fireplace was out, firefighters discovered two grownup feminine victims lifeless within the wreckage.

It was not instantly clear if the ladies died within the hearth or earlier than the fireplace. No additional particulars have been launched.

The Chicago Hearth Division has not but commented on any potential causes for the fireplace or mentioned in the event that they consider it was suspicious.

Chicago, IL

3 women united by Highland Park shooting now lobby for assault weapon ban

Published

2 years ago

November 22, 2022

Press Room

3 women united by Highland Park shooting now lobby for assault weapon ban

HIGHLAND PARK, Ailing. (WLS) — Three ladies and their households had been good strangers up till the second tragedy introduced them collectively within the aftermath of Highland Park’s July 4th parade.

As Thanksgiving approaches, they’re united in goal and in gratitude for probably the most primary of all issues: life.

“I believed I used to be going to die,” Highland Park capturing survivor Liz Turnipseed mentioned. “That I used to be going to put there and I used to be going to bleed out and I used to be going to die.”

WATCH | Highland Park capturing survivor tells her story

“I used to be on the parade with my three grownup kids, my son-in-law and my 2-year-old grand child,” mentioned Debra Baum, with the Highland Park Gun Violence Mission. “Our complete household may have been worn out.”

“July third I had 70 folks at my home and the following day our life bought flipped the other way up,” capturing survivor Lindsay Hartman mentioned. “So I simply know for me, I am attempting to take pleasure in it and never spend an excessive amount of time previously.”

SEE ALSO | Highland Park parade capturing short-term memorial opens subsequent to metropolis corridor

For Lindsay, not spending an excessive amount of time previously means internet hosting Thanksgiving for 30. Liz, who was one of many almost 50 folks injured that day, nonetheless wants a cane to get round, so she’ll be catering the meal and having her complete household fly in. Debra shall be coming along with the identical household she was with on July 4.

“There are numerous households in Highland Park that do not have folks with them this Thanksgiving due to what occurred,” Baum mentioned. “It is a very weighty realization.”

However there’s additionally gratitude for random issues and other people, like for the proper strangers who took in Liz’s 3-year-old daughter for a few hours after she was shot. And the neighbor she’d by no means met earlier than who lent her a step stool for her mattress.

Turning ache into goal is what unites these ladies now as they foyer for an assault weapons ban in Congress. As a result of whereas life for them won’t ever be the identical, it does transfer on.

Chicago, IL

Biden to extend student loan repayment freeze as relief program is tied up in courts

Published

2 years ago

November 22, 2022

Press Room

Biden to extend student loan repayment freeze as relief program is tied up in courts

Tuesday, November 22, 2022 8:52PM

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Biden administration is but once more extending the pause on federal scholar mortgage funds, a profit that started in March 2020 to assist individuals who have been struggling financially because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a supply conversant in the plan mentioned.

The Division of Training will announce it’s extending the freeze one other six months with the primary funds due two months after June 30, the supply mentioned, until a Supreme Courtroom resolution on the president’s scholar mortgage aid program comes first.

The administration had beforehand mentioned the latest extension could be the final, and funds have been scheduled to restart in January.

However the administration had additionally meant for its scholar mortgage forgiveness program to start canceling as much as $20,000 in debt for low- and middle-income debtors earlier than January. This system has but to be carried out because it faces a number of authorized challenges.

This story is breaking and can be up to date.