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nj.com •

These N.J. theaters survived the pandemic. Can they survive post-COVID audiences?

Hoboken’s Mile Square Theater was just three weeks away from putting on a student play of “The Addams Family” when Gov. Phil Murphy issued a “stay-at-home order” on March 21, 2020. The night before, the kids decided to put on the play for whoever could attend. “They’re said, ‘Alright, this could be the last night we’re in the theater for a while. Let’s just put on the show,’” general manager David Zimmerman told NJ Advance Media. “And they’re half-rehearsed, half-costumed, half-set.“That was the...
nj.com •

A tiny N.J. school is battling to keep its music program alive. They have a plan.

At the center of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School‘s transformative music class is Jarrod Scott, better known as “Mr. J.”The veteran musician instructs more 180 students at the Asbury Park school, grades K-8, teaching them how to play ukulele, percussion and piano, while also exposing them to global music styles like bachata, merengue, and Jamaican music.But due to funding cuts, his vital service is at risk of being eliminated — a microcosm of arts programs being slashed across the country. U.S. sch...
nj.com •

‘Can I tell my story?’ Previously incarcerated people find their voice on stage in new program

“Archomen!”The small audience shouted the word, Greek for “we begin,” in unison as they sat around tables inside Newark’s Black Box Theater earlier this month.The 100 or so attendees were there to support their friends or family members, for whom a new beginning is a profound gift: seven previously incarcerated men, who stood on the stage and channeled their stories of struggle and re-assimilation into an art form that moved the room.The performers were enrolled in Ritual4Return, a Newark-based...
The Root •

Run for Something Political Director Quentin Savwoir Wants Us To Fight To Preserve Our Democratic Process

A week and a half before the 2022 midterm elections, there has been a lot of anxiety and uncertainty around the electoral process. Not only have there been a rash of voter intimidation tactics that early voters have experienced in states like Arizona, but t here has also been extreme misinformation around the voter process, lessening people’s confidence in the voting process around election results.

This is why Run For Something political director Quentin Savwoir has been adamant about his orga
The Root •

DHS Director Marcus T. Coleman on How Critical Faith-Based Partnerships Are to Disaster Relief for People of Color

Marcus T. Coleman, director of the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, has worked for over 15 years to bridge the gap between disaster preparedness, relief, and underserved communities. As we enter a time when climate change and ecological disasters are upending the ways that neighborhoods of color live and interact, it’s essential for government entities to partner with relief efforts on the ground. Some people may have a negative outlook on FEM
The Root •

Republicans Love Handouts Until Black People Benefit From Them

Like many of Black Americans, I had to take out loans to pay for college. More than 57% of Black people have received a pell grant (and more than 75% of students attending HBCUs). It’s America’s catch-22, where you need education to find employment to live comfortably. However, if you don’t have the wealth to pay for it, you’ll end up working to pay that off for the rest of your working career. For Black people, that means paying off a mortgage worth of debt while not even having a house.

This
The Root •

Trump’s Charlottesville Comment Still Enables White Supremacy Five Years Later

Former president Donald Trump’s comments saying there were “very fine people, on both sides” after the 2017 Charlottesville protest didn’t surprise me at all. Nor was I shocked when he doubled down on that comment and placed blame on the “Alt-Left” two years later. He was giving the green light to the ideology poised to elect him into office in the first place.


My only fear still resonates within the world five years later – where racist rhetoric has been engrained in everyday politics. See,
The Root •

Respectfully Madam Speaker, The U.S. Needs A Strong Democratic Party

In all my years of being a basketball fan, I never heard Michael Jordan say that he needs a strong Utah Jazz team to win the NBA Finals. He relished beating the best of the best, but it didn’t matter who was in front of him. All that mattered to Jordan was winning that championship.

I continue to be perplexed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) inferences for a “strong, Republican party”– even more so after her comments at the opening session of the Aspen Ideas Climate Conference in Miami. W
The Root •

A Eulogy For the One Million Lost To COVID-19

Death is an inevitable part of life.

Even I felt a little weary typing that sentence because the very essence of death is a double-edged sword. The thought of no longer being here will push you to make the most of your days, but then you realize you don’t have a say in how many days you have–a powerful and scary dynamic. It’s something that the world has constantly had to confront during the COVID-19 pandemic .

It’s one thing to see a death toll on a screen during a constantly moving news cycl
The Root •

The Republican Midterm Strategy: Don't Even Mention Abortion At All

In January, the Republican party stated they had no plans to present a legislative agenda for the upcoming midterm elections. I wouldn’t either if my plan was based on total obstruction regarding issues concerning women’s reproductive issues, voting rights, whitewashing education in schools, and blocking things like the enhanced child tax credit. However, the leaked draft opinion of the Supreme Court’s intention to overturn Roe vs. Wade changed that. Now, Republicans would certainly have to answ
The Root •

We Can't Just Vote Our Way Out of This

When news hit of the leaked opinion signaling the Supreme Court’s overture to overturn Roe v. Wade, much talk bubbled up about voting: “Make sure you register to vote!” “The midterms are coming up, so make sure you get involved now.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) echoed these same sentiments in speaking about the leaked opinion–that the responsibility falls upon voters come November.

“To the American people, I say this: the elections this November will have consequences because t
The Root •

Republicans Are the "Free Speech" Party Until It's Time To Talk About American History

When the news of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter came through, Republicans treated the announcement like it was Christmas Day. Finally, someone was willing to take a stand to elevate the chorus of their repressed voices – even though they have multiple platforms to voice them unchecked, like Fox News, Parlor, and Truth Social.

Musk said the following at a TED conference a day after submitting his bid to buy the social platform, “If in doubt, let the speech exist,” he said.
The Root •

America Has A Homelessness Compassion Problem

In a time when inflation is high, and rents are rising to unaffordable levels for most working-class people around the country, I wonder why cities are showing such callousness to the homeless. Over half of a million Americans identify as homeless, and 59% live paycheck-to-paycheck. Why is there an eagerness to destroy encampments and push homeless people out of sight in temporary solutions that will only worsen their situations? We haven’t learned any lessons of compassion for those less fortun
The Root •

The Pandemic Isn't Over Yet, No Matter How Much We Want To Believe It

Scrolling through my Twitter timeline yesterday, after a Florida judge struck down the mask mandate for public transportation, reminded me of the time former President George Bush spoke in front of the “mission accomplished” sign in 2003. Airline pilots made announcements, passengers cheered, and promptly took off their masks, as if wearing them had been some overly oppressive measure. All this as the country is dealing with a more transmissible COVID variant, and nearing a million COVID deaths
The Root •

Let's Look At Athletes As People Outside Their Profession

I’m a long-time Washington (thankfully known as the Commanders now) fan–a lot of that comes with caveats. From a wins and losses perspective, you can point to the team’s current streak of being a mediocre franchise and the endless amount of scandal and cultural deficiencies from the top. But, I also know tragedy when star safety Sean Taylor was tragically killed in 2007. I wondered about the greatness that was still ahead of him on the field, but I also thought about the family he left behind–hi
The Root •

Black History Can Never Be Erased, Nor Forgotten

By the grace of a million prayers, it is done. Ketanji Brown Jackson is officially the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. (Thank you, Georgia.) Black parents around the country will tell their Black boys and girls of this moment–providing another example of how even the wildest dreams can be realized even in a place that may be hostile to who they are.

I think about the confirmation hearings where there were mischaracterizations of Brown’s record, and how she handled it with grace a
The Root •

Mayor Eric Adams' Call For Diverse Newsrooms Doesn't Entitle Him To Good Press

New York Mayor Eric Adams has had an eventful first couple of months on the job–the latest thing being announcing a “crackdown” on homelessness in a new “Subway Safety Plan” while reportedly cutting $615 million from homeless programs in a proposed budget.

When these things happen, journalists report on them, ask questions if they are able, and then send that information out to the people. Adversarial relationships with politicians and the newsroom is not a new concept. Even before our recent f
The Root •

If You're A Republican Lawmaker Planning To Post An MLK Quote On Monday, Just Don't.

When I was a kid, I remember the first time I learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr–you know, the Disneyland version. There were slight mentions of protests and arrests–however, my teachers gave the most significant amount of time to King’s “I Have A Dream, ” the speech he gave in 1963 at Washington D.C. and his principles of non-violence. We constantly emphasized one quote:

Then, we jumped right to his assassination in 1968—the end. But we knew everything about the American Revolution, the B
The Root •

Jan. 6th Has Been Happening For Years. If We're Not Careful, We'll See It In Its Final Form

Anytime I remember or see images of the Jan. 6th Capitol riot, I recognize that I have felt these feelings before. Because being Black in America is a constant loop of traumatic deja vu. The violence, the chants, the outright entitlement. Words spoken at the end of the rally by former President Trump were things that I’ve heard after social progress is made.

God forbid anybody of color has an opportunity to bask in hope. The Capitol Riots wasn’t just one event. It’s America’s dirty laundry that
The Root •

Surprising No One, Senate Republicans Have No Midterm Agenda. Democratic Party, Let's Talk.

January 2022 is the two-minute drill heading to the midterm elections. The Republican party has the ball and has every intention to run out the clock–a strategy that may get them house and senate control. If you think nothing gets done now, wait until you have House Majority Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Sen. Ted Cruz already said the quiet part out loud, laying out intentions to impeach President Biden. Picture a scenario where a Democratic presidential cand
The Root •

Sen. Mitch McConnell Has Convenient Short-Term Memory About the Filibuster

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris went to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, to urge Congress to amend the filibuster and pass voting rights protections. There was one part of the speech which caught the ears and ire of some of his Congressional contemporaries:

“At consequential moments in history, they present a choice,” said Biden in his speech. “Do you want to be the side of Dr. King or George Wallace? Do you want to be on the side of John Lewis or Bull Con
The Root •

The 'Win With An Anti-CRT Agenda' Playbook Is Manifesting Right Now In Virginia

While the Republican Party rolls on with its obstructionist mentality and still believes that losing the presidency in 2020 was a figment of our imagination, I ask that we take a closer look at Virginia. Former Carlyle Group Inc. executive and now newly elected governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, presented himself as a typical Republican. He marked himself as a purveyor of low taxes, regulation cuts, and immensely pro-business. Youngkin didn’t appear with former President Donald Trump or tie h
The Root •

Kids Across the Country Are Protesting COVID Conditions In Schools. Are You Listening To Them?

When it comes to COVID and schools, the loudest voices are always adults. Lawmakers, governors, and congressional representatives agree that kids need to learn in person–even in the storm of another surge of COVID cases due to the omicron variant. But the prominent voices that get drowned out are the young people. Along with teachers, they are the ones who have to sit in school, five days a week, without high-quality masks and proper ventilation.

It’s a two-pronged issue; a leader-driven unwill

The Voiceless Are the People Who Are No Longer Here To Speak

Less than a week before the NBA opens the season, the question of Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status is a hot topic of discussion. Irving took to Instagram Live to further clarify his position. He stated that being unvaccinated is him being true to himself, and he’s aware of the consequences of his actions. Irving also indicated that he is neither pro nor anti-vaccine, and he respects doctors who continue to try to keep people safe and those who are vaccinated while also respe
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