Rhode Island
Here’s how Providence is spending its reparations money – The Boston Globe
![Here’s how Providence is spending its reparations money – The Boston Globe Here’s how Providence is spending its reparations money – The Boston Globe](https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/WP7M_qIxF7ZLzyH-KC7MO9S3xTo=/506x0/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bostonglobe/H4EFYQUJVQQHO3ONSAHEPTMOTI.jpg)
A chunk of the money is being distributed by the United Way of Rhode Island, which on Wednesday announced 15 nonprofits that will receive a combined $1.5 million from the funds. A whopping 122 organizations had applied for the grants, according to Larry Warner, the chief impact and equity officer at the United Way.
Hover over the interactive chart below to see where the city has directed reparations funds thus far.
While the reparations funds are targeted toward helping Providence residents of African and Indigenous heritage, former Mayor Jorge Elorza’s administration determined they would face legal challenges if they limited the money to any particular race or ethnicity.
Instead, the qualifications to receive funding include those two ethnic groups plus any Providence resident living in poverty, and anyone of any income living in a specific list of neighborhoods and qualified census tracts.
Mayor Brett Smiley, who took office before the money had been spent, opted to continue with the Elorza-era program rather than seek to reallocate the money elsewhere.
![A detail shot of a plaque on the left side of the front door of the Market House in Market Square in Providence, R.I.](https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/24Z3XJI3XVGD52EOVWVRP56O54.jpg?auth=f8d71a33f59f2b6c113a10e582fbd0faa8d477635fd58c5033afcf6b9511d549&width=1440)
“We know that this is but a scratch in the surface of multiple generations of harm,” Smiley said Wednesday. “But nevertheless, you have to start somewhere.”
So far, the city has spent more than $4.5 million out of the $10 million, according to a breakdown provided by Smiley’s office. “Spent” means the money has been sent by the city to a vendor or organization, not necessarily that the vendor has expended all the funds in the community.
The nearly $5.5 million in unspent funds have to be at least obligated by the end of this year, under federal rules for the American Rescue Plan dollars. They must be fully spent by the end of 2026. A spokesperson for the city said solicitations will be going out soon to get contracts in place before the deadline in December.
Smiley said “everyone has acknowledged” that $10 million is not enough, but he hopes it will be a “source of inspiration” for private philanthropy, state and federal leaders to find ways to make up for generations of racial harm. He said there are not current efforts by the city to raise more money for reparations.
“We hope that others will feel both an obligation or the pressure to step up and do their part,” he said.
Some of the money spent so far has gone to home-based daycare providers, neighborhood providers such as barbershops, and an “earn & learn” program aimed at training Providence residents for jobs while paying them a stipend.
The largest tranche, $3.35 million, has gone to the United Way, which is administering the COVID-19 Equities Fund aimed at communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. That was the focus of Wednesday’s announcement at Building Futures, an organization that trains workers in the construction trades and is receiving some of the money. (City Council President Rachel Miller works at Building Futures as her day job.)
The 15 nonprofits that received grants Wednesday will receive $50,000 per year for two years, other than the Center for Indigenous Rights, which requested $29,300. The recipients and their planned use for the money is listed below:
- Building Futures: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap/Workforce Development
- Center for Indigenous Peoples Rights: Advancing Culturally Congruent Education/Advocacy
- Center for Women & Enterprise: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap/Economic Empowerment
- College Unbound: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap/Education
- DARE: Addressing the Negative Effects of Urban Renewal/Advocacy
- Justice Assistance: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap/Economic Empowerment
- Manton Avenue Project: Advancing Culturally Congruent Education/Arts
- Mini Entrepreneurs of Rhode Island: Advancing Culturally Congruent Education/Education
- Olneyville Neighborhood Association: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap/Workforce Development
- Providence Promise: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap/Economic Empowerment
- Providence Revolving Fund: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap/Economic Empowerment
- Rhode Island Black Business Association: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap/Economic Empowerment
- Rhode Island Black Heritage Society: Advancing Culturally Congruent Education/Education
- Sojourner House: Addressing the Negative Effects of Urban Renewal/Housing
- Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council: Addressing the Negative Effects of Urban Renewal/Advocacy
Warner said the United Way has spent $815,602 of its $3.35 million thus far, mainly on the first year of the grants announced Wednesday. (Roughly $74,000 has been spent on administering the program, and about $8,000 on marketing and promotion.)
Rodney Davis, who chaired the Municipal Reparations Commission that wrapped up its work in 2022, said the group wanted to ensure the relatively small amount of reparations money reached the widest number of people. He supported the plan to allow people outside of the Black and Indigenous communities to access the funds.
“The Civil Rights movement didn’t just affect Black people, it affected the community surrounding it,” Davis said. “If we’re going to raise the river, other things are going to be raised up with it. And I’m not upset about that.”
The commission issued a report in August 2022 that served as the basis for the $10 million program.
“It wasn’t a lot of money,” Davis said, adding that other major institutions such as Brown University should join the reparations effort. He was pleased that Smiley said this money just scratches the surface.
“Without their support, this is just going to be something that we’re going to look back and say: ‘this was nice.’”
Steph Machado can be reached at steph.machado@globe.com. Follow her @StephMachado.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Rhode Island
Providence city councilor sues McKee for firing him over pro-Palestine stance • Rhode Island Current
![Providence city councilor sues McKee for firing him over pro-Palestine stance • Rhode Island Current Providence city councilor sues McKee for firing him over pro-Palestine stance • Rhode Island Current](https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MiguelSanchez.jpg)
Providence City Councilor Miguel Sanchez maintained he had no regrets for the pro-Palestine activism that led to his firing from Gov. Dan McKee’s office in October.
Now, he wants his job back, along with back pay and damages for the “mental anguish” and free speech violations from his firing, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court on Monday.
The 15-page complaint against McKee and two of his top advisors, Joseph Almond and Antonio Afonso, alleges the state administrators violated free speech protections under the First and 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by firing Sanchez over his social media posts and participation in a pro-Palestine rally in October.
“The First Amendment does not allow government employers to ‘silence discourse, not because it hampers public functions but simply because superiors disagree with the content of employees’ speech,” the complaint states, referring to a 1987 U.S. Supreme Court ruling protecting a Texas county constable’s clerical employee who was fired over a private comment she made about then-President Ronald Regan.
The complaint also describes Sanchez’ firing as “viewpoint discrimination.”
Sanchez was hired by the governor’s office in 2021 to work in the governor’s Constituent Services Office, earning $50,000 a year for an administrative position answering phone calls that was likened to “tech support” in the complaint. The position was not political, and the governor’s office had never taken issue with Sanchez’ personal politics previously, even after he was elected to the Providence City Council in 2022.
After the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, Sanchez made a series of social media posts condemning violence and called for a cease-fire. He also shared a video from a pro-Palestine rally held outside the Rhode Island State House on Oct. 21. While the rally was reported to have included antisemitic chants, Sanchez “did not engage or advocate for any violence, intimidation, harassment, or anything other than peaceful marching,” the complaint stated.
Two days after the rally, McKee’s legislative director, Rico Vota, brought in Sanchez for questioning. Rota told Sanchez it was “inappropriate” to publicly state an opinion at odds with McKee, and to refrain from additional social media posts. Vota also told Sanchez his behavior could “complicate” Sanchez’s pending application to transfer to a job with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
Sanchez complied, refraining from social media posts and forwarding press inquiries to McKee’s advisors, according to the complaint. After a story highlighting his previous, social media posts, including from the rally, was published in the Providence Journal, Sanchez was again called in by McKee’s advisors, and fired.
During that final meeting, Sanchez alleges he was denied the opportunity to speak to human resources or a legal advisor. The complaint also states he was asked if he took down his prior social media posts, even though he was never asked to previously.
His firing, with a week of severance, was confirmed by McKee’s administration on Nov. 1.
The complaint asks the court to award back pay and compensation for Sanchez’s subsequent job search and force McKee’s office to reinstate Sanchez.
Sanchez now works as a case manager for Better Lives Rhode Island, a Providence social services agency. He declined to comment on the lawsuit on Wednesday.
McKee’s office did not immediately return inquiries for comment. The defendants had not filed a response in court as of Wednesday morning.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Rhode Island
Washington County Fair is back in Richmond for 58th year | ABC6
![Washington County Fair is back in Richmond for 58th year | ABC6 Washington County Fair is back in Richmond for 58th year | ABC6](https://www.abc6.com/content/uploads/2023/08/k/s/b8e761575223c1859fea978a1ceeaf391415882a.jpg)
RICHMOND, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island’s largest agricultural event is back for its 58th year.
The Washington County Fair begins today at 8 a.m. and will run until 10 p.m. on Sunday, August 18.
The event, located at 78 Richmond Townhouse Road, includes access to all day events.
The fair includes concerts, special acts and events, the giant midway and kiddy land area, agricultural events, tractor and horse pulls, a farm museum, and much more.
Richmond is in the process of constructing a roundabout at the intersection of Routes 138 and 112, (also known as known as Kingstown Road and Carolina Nooseneck Road-Richmond Townhouse Road).
The construction may affect traffic patterns for people heading to the fair.
![](https://www.abc6.com/content/uploads/2024/08/q/e/342224119-975844193827969-8268751284635322409-n-300x213.jpg)
(Courtesy of Rhode Island Department of Transportation)
The fair sees over 130,000 visitors yearly.
More info on the event can be found here.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island FC 3 – Hartford Athletic 0: 3 Hartford Thoughts
![Rhode Island FC 3 – Hartford Athletic 0: 3 Hartford Thoughts Rhode Island FC 3 – Hartford Athletic 0: 3 Hartford Thoughts](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1200,h_600,c_fill,f_jpg,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8a68e83-ed38-4757-acea-e5eeea00cc07_3672x2579.jpeg)
Following a brief spell of more encouraging results, Hartford Athletic returned to form with a dispiriting 3-0 loss away at RIFC on Saturday. Wasted opportunities in a reasonably balanced first half gave way to a second period totally dominated by the hosts and the Latics return to Trinity Health Stadium with whatever good feeling had been generated in the last few weeks having totally evaporated.
Here are three thoughts on the performance and what it says about where the club is right now.
1 – Nobody Consistently On The Same Page
One major source of Hartford’s problems on Saturday night — and most nights — is that they don’t seem to have quite come together as a team in any phase of the game. It was visible defensively in Rhode Island both from open play — where it was far too easy for RIFC to work the ball into the box — and from set pieces where again it was simply too easy for the hosts to get a free header. Going the other way, the players seemed to be on different pages more often than the same one, leading several promising transitional opportunities to be squandered as the ball was played to nobody or a runner was missed.
Part of this is almost certainly due to the lack of a settled first eleven; without consistent competitive minutes together it’s difficult for any group of players to really settle in. The reasons for this unsettled-ness are varied.
Injuries have played a role, but the club has already dispensed with three players — Romario Williams, Jay Chapman, and Rece Buckmaster — who were presumptive starters at the beginning of the season, and the turnover has also contributed to the problem.
2 – Profligacy Continues To Be Problem
It’s no surprise that this side would waste valuable opportunities as that’s been another theme all season. On Saturday it was Deshane Beckford and Mamadou Dieng who spurned golden chances and the game might have looked very different if either had converted and the teams had been level at the half.
In this case, it’s tempting to say that it’s unsurprising: Beckford has never been a truly clinical finisher and it may very well be that Dieng will never develop that instinct. It’s not merely one or two players.
Nobody has seemed particularly confident or comfortable in front of goal all season, including the now-departed Romario Williams who had previously been one of the most consistent and efficient scorers in the history of the league. On some nights, Hartford struggles to generate meaningful chances but on others the chances are there and the players are simply unable to convert them. Even a league-average attack would put this club in a much better position and the inability to be even league-average — particularly given Brendan Burke’s track record — is deeply concerning.
3 – What Happens Now?
The season isn’t truly over — the hallmark of lower division football is that teams collapse or go on hot streaks from seemingly nowhere and with 12 games to play it’s too early to entirely turn out the lights — but it is a big mountain to climb. Absent a sudden run of results that mountain might become insurmountable over the next few weeks and it’s fair to ask what the Latics are going to do next. It seems likely — at this point — that Brendan Burke will return for 2025, in which case there’s a real need to finish this season with an eye toward the next. Significant changes will be needed to this roster (once again) but the players who are going to be back should gobble up the bulk of the minutes.
It’s perhaps also worth seeing if Dantouma Toure, Pele Ousmanou or Ian Shaul has anything to offer. The squad is rather light at the moment to talk about offloading any more players but if there are opportunities to move on from veterans who are not going to return in 2025 it would make sense to do so. It’s equally unlikely that there will be a chance to acquire anyone with a view to next year but if an opportunity presents itself, it would also make sense to seize it.
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Twisters movie review: no winds of change blowing here – FlickFilosopher.com
-
News1 week ago
The ‘Blue Walz’: How a low-key Midwestern governor shot to the top to be Harris’ VP pick | CNN Politics
-
News1 week ago
Kamala Harris holding rally in Pennsylvania to introduce running mate after securing Democratic nomination
-
Politics1 week ago
Mark Kelly posts cryptic message amid Kamala Harris veepstakes speculation
-
World1 week ago
Venezuela launches probe against opposition leaders Gonzalez, Machado
-
Politics1 week ago
Harris VP search comes down to the wire, with Dems divided over Shapiro, Walz, Kelly
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Minmini Movie Review: A soothing and understated film with characters to root for
-
World1 week ago
EU Commissioner and RAI top management: A sticky August for Meloni