PROVIDENCE – A plea to state lawmakers to look at every piece of legislation through an "equity lens" began with a song that became this lament:
"I am Black. I am a voter. I am a taxpayer with talent and thoughts and unique perspectives ... Yet somehow a few voices decide for all ... Entire races, the poor, queer and trans folk, veterans without homes, so many are silenced, ignored."
"We are all human, not contraband to be seized and appeased with hollow [slogans] at your campaign speeches, like 'I stand for equity' or 'I don't see color'."
"Do you see ... the Black, Brown and Red history being whited-out in classrooms and libraries or the blue beating the black over and over and over again?"
The singer/speaker was Alisha Pina, a former Providence Journal reporter-turned-activist/consultant who led off the Zoom news conference held Tuesday by backers of bills introduced in the House and Senate to require that every state agency produce a "racial impact assessment" on request, on every bill, including the state budget.
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The bills differ in some respects. But their aim is reflected in the preambles to H 5736 and S 636.
The "Equity Impact Statement Act" introduced by Rep. Rebecca Kislak, D-Providence, and others begins: "Persistent, widespread and unacceptable disparities exist in Rhode Island for individuals and families as a result of structural inequities...
The Dangote Group has become aware of a publication titled “Aliko Dangote Speaks Out on Why He Distanced Himself from Tony Elumelu,” which is false, malicious, and baseless. At no time did the Pre...