RandySF
RandySF's JournalVoting Local: Justan Fields for Allentown (PA) City Council
Hi everyone! My name is Justan Parker Fields (he,him,his). Thanks for stopping by the JPF section of our page!
I was born in Scranton, PA and relocated to Allentown with my mother, a postal worker, and my two sisters, Charisse and Maria, at the age of 5. I attended Ritter, Central, and McKinley elementary, Raub middle, and William Allen high schools. I love my city and I made the decision to stay and raise my children, hoping they would get a glimpse of the awesome childhood I had growing up here.
I had great memories growing up in Allentown such as attending the Alliance Hall Program in the Summer, watching the Allentown A’s football games in the Fall, eating with my friends at the double-decker Wendy’s on Hamilton, and getting to watch the Nutcracker at the Masonic Temple.
Now as an adult, I know that real leadership with real representation needs to happen to ensure that the next generation of kids and youth, many being kin to friends I grew up with, have a chance to flourish in this great city. We have never had a black mayor and I can count on my fingers how many black and brown city council members came before me. There has always been a struggle with bringing people that look like me to the table (keeping them there), and not merely in the role of a token or placeholder minority.
I envision real change right now in Allentown. I plan on being a progressive innovator, understanding the need to work with and through not only my future co-workers on City Council but my constituents as well. I didn’t get to where I am alone and I don’t plan on reaching the next level without your support and blessing.
I am super thankful for my awesome extended family and friend support system. I want to give a big shoutout to my family: My partner, Kevin, my bonus daughter, Shyllee, and my son, Shamaer. I love you tremendously!
On May 18th, I need your vote! Allentown needs your vote! I plan on working my butt off for you in these next 4 years. Let’s get to work!
https://www.justan4allentown.com/
The girl in the Kent State photo: She was only 14. Here's how her life turned out
Last May, when Mary Ann Vecchio watched the video of George Floyd’s dying moments, she felt herself plummet through time and space — to a day almost exactly 50 years earlier. On that May 4 afternoon in 1970, the world was just as riveted by an image that showed the life draining out of a young man on the ground, this one a black-and-white still photo.
Mary Ann was at the center of that photo, her arms raised in anguish, begging for help.
That photo, of her kneeling over the body of Kent State University student Jeffrey Miller, is one of the most important images of the 20th century. Taken by student photographer John Filo, it captures Mary Ann’s raw grief and disbelief at the realization that the nation’s soldiers had just fired at its own children.
The Kent State Pietà, as it’s sometimes called, is one of those rare photos that fundamentally changed the way we see ourselves and the world around us. Like the image of the solitary protester standing in front of a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square. Or the photo of Kim Phuc, the naked Vietnamese girl fleeing the napalm that has just incinerated her home. Or the image of Aylan Kurdi’s tiny, 3-year-old body facedown in the sand, he and his mother and brother having drowned while fleeing Syria.
These images shocked our collective conscience — and insisted that we look. But eventually we look away, unaware, or perhaps unwilling, to think about the suffering that went on long after the shutter has snapped — or of the cost to the human beings trapped inside those photos. “That picture hijacked my life,” says Mary Ann, now 65. “And 50 years later, I still haven’t really moved on.”
https://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article250930469.html#storylink=cpy
Progressive San Antonio mayor wins third term.
Update 8:11 p.m. - Mayoral candidate Greg Brockhouse, who trailed to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg by a large margin on Saturday after early votes were tallied, conceded in a statement on Saturday.
Nirenberg is poised to serve his third term as mayor.
According to the early vote returns, Brockhouse had 31% of the vote, while Nirenberg had 63% of the vote.
Brockhouse, who narrowly lost to Nirenberg in a 2019 runoff, congratulated the mayor and his wife Erika Prosper “as they continue their service to San Antonio.”
“I have always said you don’t need to be mayor to make a change in your community,” Brockhouse wrote in a statement. “You only have to care. We have cared and gave it our best shot.”
Nirenberg was pleased with the results so far, noting the high turnout in this citywide election.
“It’s very clear (civic engagement) is moving in the right direction in our city,” Nirenberg said.
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/04/29/mayor-ron-nirenberg-looking-to-avoid-runoff-against-challenger-greg-brockhouse-in-may-1-election/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=ksat12
Democrat Deborah Peoples finishes first in race for Ft. Worth (TX) Mayor. Will go to runoff.
https://twitter.com/PeoplesForMayor/status/1388728586367078402?s=20@PeoplesForMayor
THREAD: Fort Worth just had an historic election for mayor. I’m finally home and processing everything:
We received the most votes. We haven’t won yet—there’s a runoff election June 5th. Help us win below (and read more):
https://secure.deborahpeoplesformayor.com/June5Runoff (1/x)
Voting Local: Educator/Activist Crystal Devila elected to Pasadena (TX) School Board
https://twitter.com/runforsomething/status/1388881194922782728?s=20@runforsomething
·
3h
Congratulations to RFS-endorsed alum Crystal Dávila!!!
Educator and activist, Crystal is the newest member of the Pasadena ISD School Board in Texas!!!
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Detroit Area, MI
Home country: USA
Current location: San Francisco, CA
Member since: Wed Oct 29, 2008, 02:53 PM
Number of posts: 58,763
