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  • Jackson tears up as Sen. Booker says she earned her historic Supreme Court nomination

    Jackson tears up as Sen. Booker says she earned her historic Supreme Court nomination

    Sen. Cory Booker cut through a tense third day of hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Wednesday with a speech on racial progress that drew tears from the nominee and held the rapt attention of colleagues.

    Booker, a Black Democrat from New Jersey, said he could no longer hold back his emotion over how Jackson has conducted herself in the face of combative questioning about her handling of child pornography cases, her representation of accused terrorists and her views on anti-racism teaching in schools.

    “You faced insults here that were shocking to me,” Booker said, speaking directly to Jackson, who is nominated to become the first Black woman on the high court.

    “Nobody’s taking this away from me,” Booker continued, choking up as he spoke. Republicans are “gonna accuse you of this and that. But don’t worry, my sister. Don’t worry. God has got you. And how do I know that? Because you’re here, and I know what it’s taken for you to sit in that seat.”

    Jackson, who was sitting silently with her hands clasped, unlocked her fingers to grab a tissue and wiped tears streaming down her cheeks. It was the first time in nearly two dozen hours of questioning from senators that she had showed that much emotion.

    Since the beginning of Jackson’s hearings Monday, Democratic and Republican senators have saluted the nominee’s history-making appointment, praised her pedigree, and noted her pleasant temperament and empathetic approach to the law.

    But Booker used his remarks to ground Jackson’s elevation to the Supreme Court in a significance beyond simple diversity. In order for Jackson to sit before the panel, he said, she had to overcome systemic barriers and overachieve at every level. Only then could she have the chance to break through one of the last remaining racial ceilings in American democracy.

    “I want to tell you, when I look at you, this is why I get emotional,” Booker said. “I’m sorry, you’re a person that is so much more than your race and gender. You’re a Christian. You’re a mom. It’s hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom. I see my ancestors and yours.”

    He added: “You have earned this spot. You are worthy. You are a great American.”

    After a day of charged partisanship, every Republican in the room gave Booker their full attention. Save for some sniffles, the room was completely quiet for the duration of his remarks.

    Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., recessed immediately after Booker’s remarks for a short break. Jackson left the room quickly, accompanied by her husband.

    During the recess, a line of people, including Jackson’s father, approached Booker and hugged him, several wiping away tears.

    When the hearing resumed, a question from Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., about her being an inspiration to young Americans elicited more emotion from Jackson. She said his remarks and question were “very moving.”

    Jackson choked up as she told the story of walking around at Harvard University, feeling as if she didn’t belong, when another Black woman who she did not know passed and seemed to understand what she was feeling. “Persevere,” she said the woman told her.

    “I hope to inspire people to try to follow this path, because I love this country, because I love the law, because I think it is important that we all invest in our future,” Jackson said. “And the young people are the future.”

    This content was originally published here.

  • Hawaii bill to add LGBTQ information to sex education advances | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

    Hawaii bill to add LGBTQ information to sex education advances | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

    A bill is advancing at the state Legislature to require Hawaii public schools to include “positive and accurate representations” of LGBTQ+ people, people of color and disabled people in sex education curriculum, but some people are protesting that it will legitimize explicit information they feel is inappropriate for schools.

    House Bill 1697 would require the state Department of Education “to provide comprehensive training for teachers and educational officers on sexual health topics that include positive and accurate representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, other sexual orientations and gender identities, persons of color, and disability communities to destigmatize and promote sexual health.”

    The bill also “requires sexual health education programs to include similar sexual health topics to destigmatize and promote sexual health.”

    The measure passed its third reading in the state House on Friday. Of the 51 state representatives, there were only four “no” votes, three “ayes” with reservations, and three excused absences. It has been sent to the Senate Education Committee for consideration.

    State Rep. Amy Perruso (D, Wahiawa-Whitmore-­Poamoho), who introduced the bill, said the concept was the top priority of the young people at the 2021 Hawaii Children and Youth Summit in October. At the annual event for residents age 24 and younger, organized by the Hawai‘i Keiki Caucus and the Hawai‘i Youth Services Network, scores of young people from around the state debated and voted on recommendations for the state Legislature.

    “The young people who talked to us expressed … about their feeling unsafe (in school) because of their sexual orientation,” Perruso said Monday in a Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser interview. Studies have indicated that young people in the LGBTQ population suffer a higher incidence of anxiety and depression “because of this particular kind of discrimination at school,” she said.

    “What the students asked us to do is address it through teacher training. They felt like teachers were unprepared to really adequately and positively respond to their needs.”

    The training would be not only for teachers who instruct in sexual health, Perruso said, “but all teachers, so that they (students) are not dismissed as evil or unnatural or dangerous or sinful.”

    The “persons of color” language is included in the measure, Perruso said, because sexual health education currently does not adequately address cultural and ethnic issues such as the concept of a third gender, which is known as mahu to Native Hawaiians and common in some other Polynesian cultures.

    The Keiki Caucus, which is made up of state legislators, community leaders and youth-centered organizations, has made the measure one of its top five priorities this session.

    State schools interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi testified to the Legislature that the state Department of Education supports the intent of HB 1697. The department is requesting $2.2 million to cover the training and provide substitute teachers.

    If the measure passes, it would be up to the state Board of Education and DOE to work out precisely what the curriculum and training would cover, Perruso said.

    However, state Rep. Bob McDermott (R, Ewa Beach), who is running for the U.S. Senate, held a news conference Monday to argue that the measure is an attempt by liberals at “social engineering.”

    LGBTQ sexual health issues are “still not mainstream, and it’s not considered normal,” McDermott said in a subsequent Star-­Advertiser interview. He voted against the measure in committee but was one of the excused absences during the third-reading vote Friday, due to illness, he said.

    In a House Finance Committee meeting March 1, the measure drew 121 pages of divided written testimony. Several parents said they feel the measure erodes parents’ rights to control what their children learn about such sensitive topics.

    When asked where LGBTQ youth ought to obtain accurate sexual-health information, McDermott said they should talk to their doctor or go to organizations such as Planned Parenthood. Schools aren’t the proper venue, he said.

    “Bizarro stuff that fringe people do doesn’t have to be presented to 10-year-olds,” McDermott said. “Don’t put that crap in front of my grandchildren.”

    The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities is among the multiple community organizations that have testified in support of the bill.

    “Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have been historically a stigmatized group regarding sexuality and sex education,” Daintry Bartoldus, the group’s executive administrator, said in testimony to the House Finance Committee. “While individuals with I/DD are becoming more integrated into our communities, there are still many misunderstandings and stigmatizations left around I/DD,” leaving them vulnerable to sexual violence and sexual exploitation.

    This content was originally published here.

  • Giving families resources and choices would stop the endless controversy and bring peace to public education

    Giving families resources and choices would stop the endless controversy and bring peace to public education

    As we all know, public schools in Washington state tend to foster controversy.  Instead of sticking to delivering a high-quality public education to every child, school officials and the powerful teachers union promote one politicized issue after another.  The results are high drop- out rates, falling academic standards and more families leaving the system.  November 2021 test scores show 70 percent of Washington’s students failed in math and 52 percent failed in English, and in the last two years over 40,000 families have pulled their children out of public schools.

    Specifically, here are examples of what parents are concerned about:

    ●  Long-term learning delays created by 13 months of closed schools, at a time when most private and charter schools were open and operating;

    ●  Low-quality online courses forced on students at home;

    ●  Mandated instruction in Critical Race Training (CRT) and other racialist ideas that pull kids away from the study of core subjects;

    ●  Instructing children to separate themselves into “oppressors” and “victims” based on their outward appearance;

    ●  Months-long mask mandates that hinder the cognitive and social development of children;

    ●  Falling test scores at a time when schools are receiving $17,000 per student, and average teacher pay and benefits of over $100,000 for a nine-month school year.

    Education scholar Andrew Coulson found that forcing diverse students into a one-size-fits-all government education program, one that dates from the 19th century, virtually guarantees endless controversy.   The current education system is based on coercion, not choice, and does not account for the varying needs of children.   

    As a result, school officials create one controversy after another.  The solution is to give parents education options. Giving parents choices would meet the learning needs of students, while reducing social conflict. 

    Four innovative bills introduced this session, HB 1633, SB 5205, HB 1215 and HB 1555, would give families $6,000 to $10,000 a year in public funds to pay for education, including tuition at a private school.  These bills would have put families in charge of the education destinies of their own children.

    These bills were blocked in committee and apparently will not move forward this session, but their practicality in reducing conflict remains valid.  Providing resources and respecting the choices of parents is the best way to bring peace to public schools and, most importantly, provide the children in our state access to a great education.

    This content was originally published here.

  • Ron DeSantis Criticizes Disney’s ‘Woke’ Stance on Education Bill | National Review

    Ron DeSantis Criticizes Disney’s ‘Woke’ Stance on Education Bill | National Review

    Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued a sharp rebuke of Disney on Thursday, calling out the company’s “woke” stance on the state’s Parental Rights in Education bill and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

    A video obtained by Fox News shows DeSantis telling supporters in Boca Raton that Florida’s policies must be based on the “best interest of Florida citizens, not on the musings of woke corporations.” 

    In a video exclusively obtained by @FoxNews Digital. @GovRonDeSantis slams #Disney saying “In Florida, our policies got to be based on the best interest of Florida citizens, not on the musing of woke corporations.” pic.twitter.com/Op87xgsLzB

    — Kelly Laco (@kelly_laco) March 10, 2022

    DeSantis’s comments come one day after he fielded a concerned call from Disney CEO Bob Chapek and company executives over the bill, which prohibits gender-ideology and sexual-orientation curriculum for kindergartners through third-graders in the state. The bill passed the state legislature on Tuesday. DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law imminently. 

    Chapek said he called DeSantis on Wednesday morning to “express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary, and transgender kids and families,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. He said DeSantis agreed to a follow-up conversation and was “very open” to hearing him out.

    On Thursday, DeSantis said there is “zero” chance he will change his position on prohibiting the instruction of “transgenderism in kindergarten classrooms.”

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    “When you have companies that have made a fortune off being family friendly and catering to families and young kids, they should understand that parents of young kids do not want this injected into their kids’ kindergarten classroom,” he said.

    “You have companies, like at Disney, that are going to say and criticize parents’ rights, they’re going to criticize the fact that we don’t want transgenderism in kindergarten, in first-grade classrooms,” he added. “If that’s the hill they’re going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship from the Communist Party of China? Because that’s what they do, and they make a fortune, and they don’t say a word about the really brutal practices that you see over there at the hands of the CCP.”

    Chapek first came out against the bill during the company’s annual shareholder meeting when he announced Disney planned to donate $5 million to LGBTQ groups.

    “I understand that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill,” Chapek said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes, working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.”

    While opponents of the bill have claimed it will prevent elementary-school students from expressing their gender identities and sexual orientations, the legislation’s language explicitly concerns classroom instruction and teaching material.

    DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw confirmed that Disney contacted the governor’s office on Wednesday and said it was the first time the administration had heard from the company regarding the bill.

    “The governor did take the call from Mr. Chapek,” she said. “The governor’s position has not changed. No in-person meeting has been scheduled yet.”

    This content was originally published here.

  • Florida Straight Up Lied About AP African-American Studies Course, College Board Says

    Florida Straight Up Lied About AP African-American Studies Course, College Board Says

    The organization that sets Advanced Placement curricula came out swinging at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, saying in a statement published Saturday that the state’s Department of Education “slandered” its AP African-American Studies course, and accusing the DeSantis administration of lying about its communications with the College Board. 

    The College Board also disputed that it had diluted the course and made contemporary topics like Black Lives Matter and reparations optional only after the Florida governor said the class would be banned from being taught in Florida schools

    The DeSantis administration had rejected the course as part of a crusade against what it’s called “woke” education, then celebrated the College Board’s revised curriculum released earlier this month. But the College Board alleged in its statement that DeSantis—who is rumored to be considering a presidential bid in 2024—always intended to shut down the course for political reasons. 

    The College Board statement says that the conversation over the AP African-American Studies curriculum “has moved from healthy debate to misinformation,” and that the organization needed “to clear the air and set the record straight.”

    “We deeply regret not immediately denouncing the Florida Department of Education’s slander, magnified by the DeSantis administration’s subsequent comments, that African American Studies ‘lacks educational value,’” said the statement, which is only attributed to the College Board. “Our failure to raise our voice betrayed Black scholars everywhere and those who have long toiled to build this remarkable field.”

    The College Board’s statement came after the Florida Department of Education released a letter last week detailing communications with the College Board regarding the content of the course going back to January 2022. 

    The Florida Department of Education said in the letter that it was in frequent contact with the College Board regarding the course. But the College Board contradicted that on Saturday, saying that phone calls attempting to engage with Florida on its concerns “were absent of substance” and rather focused on “vague, uninformed questions” such as: “Does the course promote Black Panther thinking?” 

    “While it has been claimed that the College Board was in frequent dialogue with Florida about the content of AP African American Studies, this is a false and politically motivated charge,” the College Board said. “We had no negotiations about the content of this course with Florida or any other state, nor did we receive any requests, suggestions, or feedback.”

    DeSantis announced earlier this year, before the changes, that Florida would reject the AP African-American Studies class, because it was allegedly furthering a “political agenda.” 

    “We believe in teaching kids facts and how to think, but we don’t believe they should have an agenda imposed on them when you try to use Black history to shoehorn in queer theory, you are clearly trying to use that for political purposes,” DeSantis said in January. 

    The dispute over the AP African-American History course is just the latest in DeSantis’s attempt to restore what he’s described as a more traditional K-12 and higher education, and which critics have described as more like an attempt at conservative indoctrination. Under DeSantis, Florida has passed laws banning public schools from teaching what it’s branded “critical race theory,” as well as the discussion of sex and gender in elementary schools

    DeSantis also appointed six right-wing activists to the board of New College of Florida, a public liberal arts school, in an attempt to make the college into what his chief of staff has called the “Hillsdale of the South,” a reference to the arch-conservative private college in Michigan. The trustees fired the college’s president and named as its interim president former DeSantis education chief Richard Corcoran, a Republican former state House speaker who once described education as “100 percent ideological” and a “sword” to wage war for conservative values. 

    The College Board claimed that it repeatedly pushed the state Department of Education to detail specific feedback and concerns with the course, to no avail. “We have made the mistake of treating FDOE with the courtesy we always accord to an education agency, but they have instead exploited this courtesy for their political agenda,” the group wrote. “After each written or verbal exchange with them, as a matter of professional protocol, we politely thanked them for their feedback and contributions, although they had given none.”

    The College Board also said that the agency leaked the letter to the media—it was first reported by the Tucker Carlson-founded conservative news site The Daily Caller—to “claim credit” for changes to the course and the removal of terms such as “systemic marginalization” and “intersectionality,” as part of an effort to “engineer a political win” for DeSantis.

    “This is not true,” the College Board said. “The notion that we needed Florida to enlighten us that these terms are politicized in several states is ridiculous.”

    The Florida Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment from VICE News.

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    This content was originally published here.

  • NY Dept. of Education promotes book with drawings of teens in sex acts

    NY Dept. of Education promotes book with drawings of teens in sex acts

    The following contains  herein editorial content which is the opinion of the writer. 

    NEW YORK- In yet another disturbing example of indoctrination of children by the radical LGBT movement, Breitbart News reports that the New York State Department of Education is promoting a cartoonist named Maia Kobabe, who has authored a book called, “Gender Queer: A Memoir.”

    What could possibly go wrong?

    According to Breitbart, the book features explicit drawings of teens performing sex acts such as oral sex, along with a number of others.

    According to the Department of Education, they claim they were “not aware of the graphic nature of the contents of the book, which is not apparent from its title.”

    This is of course yet another incident where those responsible for educating our children plead ignorance when their motives are uncovered. Law Enforcement Today recently reported on another such incident from Connecticut, which we will address below.

    Breitbart writes that the book was promoted by librarian Lauren Moore after the far left National Education Association, through its Read Across America program, encouraged New York’s Department of Education to solicit librarians across the state to share their favorite books, as reported in The Post Millennial.

    Kobabe, who uses “e/em/eir” pronouns…whatever the hell that means…saw Moore write that she is “grateful for books that let my kid know they are not alone.” Alrighty then.

    As one might expect, the images contained in Kobabe’s book have slammed the decision to push the book, with many expressing disgust about the graphic depictions of sex acts, while also encouraging (of course) children to question their gender identity.

    The official NY State Education Dept Twitter account is promoting a book containing pornographic content for children. pic.twitter.com/r0mQlNIZB9

    — Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) March 2, 2022

    In one case, a twitter user shared explicit images from the book, along with an email exchange she’d  had with administrators from the North Kingstown, Rhode Island School Department in order to bring the perverted content to the school’s attention.

    Gender Queer is available in our library, is intended for a teenage and young adult audience, and in my opinion would be considered a valuable resource for someone who is working through issues of sexual identity and/or identifying as transgender,” a school administrator wrote.

    The administrator went on in the email to make the absurd claim that the content was not in fact pornographic, but was somewhere along the same lines as the work of Italian sculptor Michelangelo.

    The Superintendent of North Kingstown High School argues that the child pornography in the book, Gender Queer, supports “sexual health.”

    Public school gives your kids porn because it’s good for them. pic.twitter.com/7PC9XYaVEF

    — Nicole Solas Domestic Terrorist! (@Nicoletta0602) October 17, 2021

    “[I]mages in a Playboy magazine would be considered pornographic, but a statue from Michelangelo, sexual images in an anatomy textbook or sexual references in health class discussion or in many works of literature are not,” the administrator wrote.

    “In this case, the intent of the author is to be concerned for the sexual health of those who are transgender, clearly not to be phonograpic [sic],” the administrator continued.

    Not pornography? Someone might want to let Instagram know. According to author and mathematician Dr. James Lindsay, when images from Gender Queer: A Memoir are uploaded to the platform, they are removed by the site, which advises that the photos violate Instagram’s Community Guidelines on “nudity or sexual activity.”

    “Instagram agrees that the groomer book in our kids’ schools is pornographic,” Lindsay claims.

    Meanwhile, Emily DeSantis of the New York State Department of Education told The Post Millennial that, “SED was not aware of the graphic nature of the contents of the book, which is not apparent from its title.”

    “Once we became aware, we immediately removed the post,” she added. “SED is investigating the circumstances under which this title was selected and posted.”

    The Post Millennial noted that the book is still being promoted by the Manhattan Public Library, as well as the New York Public Library, along with dozens of others.

    For more indoctrination, this time from Enfield, Connecticut, we invite you to:

    DIG DEEPER

    This article contains content which is editorial in nature and is the opinion of the writer. 

    ENFIELD, CT- Hey, it’s only indoctrination.

    Yet another school system, this time in Connecticut is under fire after a teacher handed out an assignment called “Pizza and Consent,” where apparently eighth grade students were given a class handout which advised that pizza could be used as a “metaphor for sex,” whereby students were to list their favorite and least favorite pizza toppings “in relation to sex,” Fox News reports.

    The assignment was distributed to students at the John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield, CT late last month, however, reports only surfaced recently.

    Examples in the assignment included: “Likes: Cheese = Kissing,” “Dislikes: Olives = Giving Oral,” the assignment read.

    Law Enforcement Today obtained a copy of the assignment, shown below.

    “Now that you know this metaphor for sex, let’s explore your preferences! Draw and color your favorite type of pizza. What’s your favorite style of pizza? Your favorite toppings? What are your pizza no-no’s? Now mirror these preferences in relation to sex!” the assignment continued.

    The assignment then included a section for “likes” and “dislikes” where students were to “mirror” their preferences for pizza toppings in relation to sex.”

    “Obviously, you might not be able to list all your wants, desires, and boundaries, but hopefully you’ll start feeling more comfortable about discussing them,” the instructions read.

    “For those of y’all who don’t like pizza or sex at all, feel free to draw out another food or include non-sexual activities,” it read.

    The New York Post reported the assignment continued:

    “We can use pizza as a metaphor for sex. When you order pizza with your friends, everyone checks in about each other’s preferences, right?

    Some people might be vegan, some might be gluten-free. Others might love pineapple while others prefer pepperoni,” the assignment said, according to Parents Defending Education.

    “Some might not like pizza at all. If you’re a vegetarian, your friend is a meat lover, sharing a pizza is going to bring up a lot of issues. You don’t know who you can share a pizza with unless you ask!’ it continued.

    “The same goes with sex! You have to check in with your partner(s) and ask for their preferences. Your partner(s) might be comfortable with one sexual activity but not the other,” the assignment instructed. “So start a conversation! It’s the only way sex (and pizza) can be comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.”

    Parents clearly were not happy. Beside parents in the Enfield School system, Parents Defending Education slammed the assignment and exposed it.

    This week, Enfield Public Schools Superintendent Christopher Drezek addressed the issue during a school board meeting, saying that the assignment was distributed “inadvertently” to eighth graders, while calling it a “mistake.”

    Drezek agreed that the content in the assignment was “inappropriate,” and assured parents that there was no “hidden agenda.”

    “There was no secret cabal to indoctrinate kids on something. They sent the wrong document,” Drezek. “And I’m not going to perpetuate this story any longer on their behalf. So that’s what happened. And none of us are happy that it happened. No one feels worse that it happened than the person that did it.”

    Parents Defending Education said the school district’s Health and Physical Education coordinator, Brie Quartin, sent an email to parents and apologized for the error.

    “The incorrect version, as opposed to the revised version of this assignment was mistakenly posted on our grade 8 curriculum page, and was inadvertently used for instruction to grade 8 Health classes. I caught the error after our curriculum revision in June, but failed to post the intended version. I own that, and apologize for the error,” the coordinator reportedly said.

    She explained the correct version was intended for “students to work in small groups to craft a pizza with toppings (no behaviors associated with said toppings) that would make everyone happy/comfortable using non-verbal communication only.”

    “Students are then asked to reflect and discuss how thoughts or feelings can be confusing or miscontrued [sic], if we rely on non-verbal cues/communication alone. The parallel to be taught here is that when discussing pizza topping it is important that your preferences are clearly communicated to avoid any misunderstanding,” she added.

    Some parents weren’t buying it. Tracey Jarvis, pastor of Enfield’s New Day Church told NBC Connecticut:

    “This assignment is prompting kids to become sexually active before their time. Youth don’t even know how to navigate platonic relationships, so why introduce sexual relationships?

    “We should not be encouraging youth to explore each other’s bodies with multiple partners in an open environment for any reason,” she continued. If somebody is doing that or asking them to do what they should tell a responsible adult, who then reports it?”

    Jarvis also claimed that such assignments “are giving them [children] way more information than they are psychologically ready to handle at this age. By doing this you open up doors for them to have partners that are older than them, increasing statutory situations,” she said.

    Earlier when the assignment was released, a number of residents showed up at a Board of Education meeting to complain about it, however board chair Tina Lapponese Leblanc promptly canceled the meeting after a number of parents showed up without wearing masks.

    According to the Daily Mail, one parent then took to YouTube to express disgust. Identified only as “Amanda,” she said what she had planned on saying until the school board meeting was abruptly canceled.

    “Since when has it become acceptable for a teacher to ask a student what their sexual wants, desires and boundaries are?” she asked.

    Other parents spoke up at the Tuesday meeting, including parent Jonathan Grande, who said:

    “The assignment was crude, it lacked good taste.”

    Another parent, Sophia Arel read the assignment aloud during the public communications portion of the meeting, according to the Enfield Patch.

    “Does that make you feel uncomfortable? Does that make you cringe? Would you like to share your sexual preferences with a roomful of people? Imagine how a 13-year-old kid would feel. It’s inappropriate. Keep this garbage out of our schools and let kids be kids.”

    Arel then turned to the superintendent Drezek and said:

    “And you made an apology to the teacher who ‘made a mistake.’ But what about an apology to the students who received the assignment? What about that? What a cowardly and weak response.”

    Another woman, who was not identified made a point by walking up the speakers’ table carrying several pizza boxes. She was removed from the meeting.  

    One public school apologist, Marci Taliceo claimed the “particular assignment was obviously not appropriate but it was not intended to cause harm to any child,” the Post reported.

    Yet another public school apologist Liz Davis denounced so-called “conspiracy theories” being published on social media and accused several members of the school board of taking part.

    “We’ve got the best teachers in this state; we’ve got the best superintendent in this state,” Davis said. “I’m done with people disrespecting them, and I’m really done with elected officials that are behind this. Do what’s right by all the kids or step the hell down,” Davis barked.

    Davis offered no proof of which elected officials she was accusing of being “behind” the opponents to their children’s indoctrination.

    At the packed school board meeting on Tuesday, Drezek tried to assure Enfield parents that the issuance of the assignment was a “simple mistake.”

    “The truth was it was a simple mistake,” he said according to Fox News. “And I know that there are some who may not believe that. I know there are some who don’t necessarily maybe want that answer. In this particular case, I didn’t even get a chance,” Drezek said, “because the person who made the mistake jumped ahead of it before I was even notified that it had happened.”

    The superintendent also danced around the statement issued by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, who announced an end to mask mandates in Connecticut public schools on February 28. Drezek claimed that since Lamont’s executive powers end on February 15, he didn’t appear to have the authority to end the mask mandate after his executive authority expired.

    However one might argue that since Lamont no longer has executive emergency authority, any orders he issued when he had it would likewise expire. Drezek appears to be bowing to the pro-mask zealots and teacher’s unions who live in fear of COVID, the hell with what it does to the children. Stay tuned.

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  • Black-Owned Wine Company La Fte Adds NBA Star Chris Paul as Equity Stakeholder

    Black-Owned Wine Company La Fte Adds NBA Star Chris Paul as Equity Stakeholder

    Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul is now an equity stakeholder in La Fête Wine Company. The growing wine company emphasizes diversity and inclusion in the wine and spirits industry.

    Donae Burston, founder of La Fête du Wine Company (Photo from Instagram, @thurstonburstoniii)

    Paul’s other investments are media flow management software firm Greenfly and financial tech company Goalsetter. He also owns Koia, a 100 percent plant-based nutrition shakes company, and Misha, a plant-based dairy alternative company. And, he has the production company Ohh Dip!!!, which has produced the ESPN+ basketball series “Why Not Us,” focused on HBCU sports teams. 

    “I’m thrilled to partner with La Fête Wine Company and work with them to continue to grow the business and fulfill their brand vision,” Paul said in a press release. “I fully support their efforts in creating a better and more equitable society by helping underserved youth, advancing racial justice, and making wine more inclusive.” 

    The Black-owned wine company was founded in 2019, by Donae Burston. The company’s award-winning wine La Fête du Rosé is now sold in more than 40 markets across the U.S. and online.

    “Not only is Chris an incredible athlete and businessman, but he’s also a wine enthusiast who is vocal and passionate about representation and inclusivity in the wine industry,” said Burston. “He is a natural fit for our team, and we are thrilled to have him on board.”

    “In May 2021, La Fête became the first company to secure an investment from Constellation Brands Ventures as part of its initiative to invest $100 million in African American/Black and minority-owned businesses in beverage alcohol and adjacent categories by 2030,” Beverage Industry magazine reported.

    Burston wants to expose more Black people to the wine industry as a path to creating Black wealth.

    “There are nontraditional careers and paths to take,” Burston told The Beverage Industry. “This is a huge, multibillion-dollar industry, and ownership among Black people is minimal. We’re here to play with the big boys and spread the wealth.”

    Read full story on Finurah here.

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    This content was originally published here.

  • Media Mogul Byron Allen To Prepare A Bid To Purchase The NFL Denver Broncos

    Media Mogul Byron Allen To Prepare A Bid To Purchase The NFL Denver Broncos

    US-ECONOMY-MILKEN

    Source: PATRICK T. FALLON / Getty

    Media Mogul Bryon Allen reportedly is preparing a bid to purchase the National Football League’s Denver Broncos. If successful, Allen would become the first Black majority owner of an NFL franchise.

    In a statement, Allen spoke on the potential bid saying “NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft came to me in November of 2019 and asked me to take a good look at buying an NFL team. And after serious consideration, I strongly believe I can help effectuate positive changes throughout the league,” Allen said in a statement. “And for that reason, I will be making a bid for the Denver Broncos.”

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    Founded in 1960, the Broncos are currently owned by the Bowlen Family. Pat Bowlen passed away in 2019, leaving the team in the hands of his children. After litigation surrounding the inheritance and the Bowlen family was setting in January, the team was put up for sale. The Broncos is reportedly worth 3.75 Billion but the sale price could be way beyond that.

    To purchase “controlling interest” of 30%, a 1.125 Billion Dollar investment is required and a prospective buyer can’t have more than $1 billion in debt.

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    Allen, 60 is the chairman and chief executive officer at Allen Media Group. According to The Grio, (which he owns as well), Allen Media owns 36 ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX network affiliate stations in 21 U.S. markets and twelve 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 180 million subscribers. In 2021, Allen acquired more than a dozen local broadcast stations, including 10 local stations in seven markets divested from the Gray Television transaction with Quincy Media. Allen also owns The Weather Channel.

    The NFL has dealt with issues around diversity and inclusion over the past couple of years. The latest is surrounding the Racial Discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, and 3 teams including the Broncos, filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian FloresThe lack of African American’s in coaching and front-office positions and ownership is at the heart of Flores’ class-action lawsuit. The NFL currently has one minority owner, Shad Khan of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

    SOURCE | The Grio

    RELATED: Civil Rights Leaders Confront NFL Commissioner About ‘Deceptively’ Used Rooney Rule: ‘Good Intentions Are Not Enough’

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    This content was originally published here.

  • NFL should add three new teams and mandate Black owners, Deion Sanders says

    NFL should add three new teams and mandate Black owners, Deion Sanders says

    Trying to force old white men from a certain era to hire Black head coaches is a flawed plan, said Sanders, and he suggests Black ownership to improve diversity

    The NFL should add three teams and require minority ownership for all of them, former league great and now HBCU head coach Deion Sanders said on his podcast Thursday.

    “If you want equality, you have to start from the top-down,” Sanders said on 21st and Prime. “You don’t have equality starting from the middle up. You start from the top down. When you’re shooting for the coach, you’re in the middle. You’ve got to go to the top if you want equality.”

    Currently, there are no Black owners in the NFL. On Tuesday, Allen Media Group CEO Byron Allen, who owns TheGrio, announced that he was preparing a bid to buy the Denver Broncos.

    Deion Sanders thegrio.com
    Jackson State University football coach Deion Sanders in Sept. 2021. (Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    The NFL has 32 teams and has discussed expanding to as many as 40, according to NFL insider Mike Florio. That would certainly open ample opportunities for prospective Black owners.

    Sanders’ suggestion comes as the NFL reels from a lawsuit by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores alleging discrimination in hiring; and a statement from Commissioner Roger Goodell slamming his own league’s middling progress in diversity and exclusion efforts. 

    The league also faces continued criticism for its lack of Black head coaches. While 70% of NFL players are Black, there are currently just two Black head coaches —- Houston’s Lovie Smith and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin. Newly minted Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel identifies as multiracial.

    But Sanders, on his podcast, goes further and argues the diversity debate over coaches misses the boat. Ownership results in the ultimate power in a league in which the average team has a valuation of $3.5 billion.

    Deion Sanders
    (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

    Get more Black owners and they can make real change by offering more high-level opportunities to African Americans throughout the NFL, Sanders believes. 

    In a nod to the Rooney Rule, which mandates interviewing minority candidates for head coaching jobs, Sanders said telling billionaires what to do doesn’t work.

    “You cannot tell a man that’s very, very successful who and when they’re going to hire,” Sanders said.

    Given that, his suggestion makes sense. 

    Sanders played most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He has since become, arguably, one of the most high-profile head coaches in college football in his position at Jackson State.

    TheGrio is now on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

    The post NFL should add three new teams and mandate Black owners, Deion Sanders says appeared first on TheGrio.

    This content was originally published here.

  • Public vs. private education in a woke world

    Public vs. private education in a woke world

    Is a public education better than a private education? Allie Beth Stuckey tackles this question in one of her latest episodes — and as a mother herself, it’s safe to say she’s quite passionate about the topic.

    It’s a topic on the tongues of most parents these days, amid growing concerns that children are being taught completely inappropriate material in the classroom.

    Twitter accounts like Libs o fTikTok have consistently exposed teachers who are blatantly calling for indoctrinating children into the LGBTQ+ community. However, not much work needs to be done in order to expose it. They’re literally exposing themselves by uploading the videos to TikTok and repeating deranged sentiments such as children needing to choose their own gender without their parents’ knowledge or consent.

    It’s not just that parents don’t want their children exposed to this inherently Marxist ideology, but that the material completely contradicts their own Christian faith.

    Stuckey landed on this topic after a recent heated debate between pro-public-school Jen Wilkin and pro-private-school Jonathan Pennington was hosted by the Gospel Coalition.

    Wilkin claims public schools are better for the community and that Philippians specifically tells us to put the needs of others over our own.

    Stuckey completely disagrees, saying, “There is nothing, your neighbors, your community, your city, your country, benefits more from than kind, wise, virtuous, loving children who grow up to be kind, wise, virtuous, brave, loving adults who know their Bibles.”

    She says there’s “no correlation” between loving thy neighbor and sending your children to public school.

    If anything, ignoring any woke red flags at the school your child attends would be worse for your community and the world. We already have enough blue-haired, terminally confused children clamoring to make sense of the world.

    Learning the Bible is grounding and serves a higher purpose. Woke ideology might serve some deluded higher purpose, and it’s certainly not a good one.

    Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

    To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

    This content was originally published here.

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