‘Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ San Diego Downtown News – San Diego Downtown News

By Toni G. Atkins

This July, as we build on the momentum of recent weeks and work to make real progress in dismantling 400 years of systemic racism, it is clear that these goals our nation first outlined in declaring independence remain aspirational and out of reach for many Americans. Since people all across the country started taking to the streets following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and too many other people of color, there have been changes in use-of-force policies, a growing emphasis on community-based law enforcement, the accelerated removal of racist flags and statues, and movement to eliminate racist roadblocks to equality and opportunity that have seeped into our lawbooks. As anger and grief have joined with power and purpose, there is now real resolve and real hope that the stain that started in 1619, and which was preserved even in our great founding documents, may finally be removed from the fabric of our society.

In the Legislature, one of the biggest tools we have to help Californians enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the state budget, which helps shape our economy and create jobs, fund education and improve schools, and maintain vital services like fire prevention, affordable housing, and parks and recreation. The annual state budget, which took effect July 1, looks a little different this year. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its drag on the economy, several of the important investments we hoped to make this year will have to wait. The good news is that after ten years of responsible budgeting by the Legislature and the Governor, California was in the best shape possible to respond to this fiscal emergency and our approach to the 2020-2021 budget has been to follow that responsible path.

Finally, as I write this, the U.S. Supreme Court is releasing its last round of decisions for the 2019-2020 term. Some of these decisions bring badly-needed good news. It was important to see the Court recognize the rights of LGBTQ workers so they cant be fired just for being who they are, protect Dreamers and other immigrants from being targeted for deportation by the Trump Administration, and protect abortion rights from further encroachment and erosion by red-state legislatures. These decisions also serve to remind us that we still have far to go and provide even more motivation for all of us to do everything we can to bring about the changes needed in our country. There has to come a time when the rights of women, people of color and the LGBT+ community arent dependent upon the kindness of strangers or the votes of justices. Like all Americans, our rights are inalienable and have to be respected that way. All we are asking is our chance to have what America celebrates this month: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Toni G. Atkins represents District 39 in the California Senate. Follow her on Twitter @SenToniAtkins.

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Lebanon-Hanover natural gas project no longer in the pipeline – Valley News

LEBANON Plans to build a natural gas pipeline in Lebanon and Hanover appear to be dead after Liberty Utilities did not request an extension of franchise rights that expired in March.

New Hampshire regulators in 2018 gave Liberty two years to complete construction of a pipeline slated to start near the Lebanon Landfill and end in downtown Hanover.

If the pipeline was not flowing gas by March 5, 2020, Liberty was to file an update and ask for more time, the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission ordered.

But the company didnt ask for an extension or seek the approval of Lebanons Planning Board, an important step required to start construction.

The order clearly states that Libertys franchise authority will expire if its not exercised within two years, said Amanda Noonan, director of consumer services and external affairs at the PUC.

She called Libertys lack of action unusual and said its unclear whether the company would have to start regulatory proceedings from scratch if it sought to revive the project.

Weve never had this happen before, Noonan said in a phone interview. Typically when you grant a franchise, service commences.

Emails requesting comment from Liberty spokesman John Shore were not returned by deadline Friday.

Opponents of the project celebrated the news, declaring, That pipeline is dead! in an email blast Thursday morning.

Liberty had won approval for a turn-key supply operation near the Lebanon landfill on Route 12A, in which gas would be trucked there and then sent north by pipeline into downtown Hanover.

It was a bad business proposition, and we helped save Liberty and their ratepayers from getting into what would have been a fiasco, Jonathan Chaffee, a West Lebanon resident and intervenor in the proceedings, said Friday.

Chaffee and other Upper Valley residents spent years campaigning against the proposed pipeline, arguing natural gas contributes to climate change and that the fracking process used to extract the fuel is harmful to the environment.

The opposition effort, which included hundreds of letters to the PUC, showed that theres little residential support for natural gas, Chaffee said, adding that officials representing Lebanon and Hanover also testified against the pipeline.

A page has been turned. Theres a new reality, and people are contentious of the need to decrease fossil fuel use, he said.

Dartmouth Colleges 2019 announcement that it planned to spend $200 million on a green energy initiative to upgrade its heating and electricity system with a focus on renewable fuels may have played a role in the pipelines delay.

The college was once considered an anchor customer for the project, and Liberty hasnt publicly announced what large institution could take its place. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center hasnt had talks about signing on to the pipeline, spokesman Rick Adams said in an email.

Liberty estimated construction would cost $9.7 million in the first five years, with about 50% of those costs met by securing a single, large customer.

But in its ruling, the PUC called the notion of relying so heavily on a single customer an unacceptable risk, and the three-member body imposed additional restrictions that would force shareholders to foot shortfalls.

Chaffee, who had access to additional information about the pipeline as an intervenor, also said that Libertys option to use land on Route 12A for the pipeline expired.

Calls left for Upper Valley Sand and Gravel, which owns the property south of the Lebanon landfill, were not returned Friday.

Liberty still has an option to use land owned by Hanover developer Jay Campion, he said Friday.

Campion had sought approval for a natural gas depot of his own off Route 120 but withdrew from proceedings after striking a deal with Liberty. Campion wouldnt say when the option expires but said hes still in touch with the utility company.

Ive got plans of my own for that property that might actually involve them, he said via phone.

Liberty would still need to win approval from the PUC and the city of Lebanon for any such project there.

Campion, who declined to further discuss plans for the property, last year pitched plans for a 250-unit condominium project, which would be supported by its own heating, power and wastewater treatment plants.

The so-called Signal Park proposal went before the Planning Board for a conceptual review, but Campion hasnt yet submitted formal plans to the city.

Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.

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Lebanon-Hanover natural gas project no longer in the pipeline - Valley News

Letter to the editor: I don’t believe we have liberty and justice for all – Summit Daily News

Garnett Payne writes that the Black Lives Mater movement has been hijacked; that it is inspired by Hitler, Stalin and Lenin; and that we have lost sight of what it means to be a republic, to be one nation under God, and to be indivisible with liberty and justice for all. She believes crime and dependency in the Black community are inherent traits, not the result of centuries of systemic racism.

I disagree with her. I dont believe America is only one nation. We are many, and to believe otherwise is to neglect the Indigenous, immigrant and interlocking ideas of nationhood that dont fit easily into the colonial, settler-imperialist narrative. I dont believe we have liberty and justice for all. I believe we have an outdated justice system that works to preserve racist institutions that allow our economy to flourish on the backs of poor Black and brown people. Can we call ourselves a free nation when children are in cages, Black people are murdered in the streets and in their own homes by the people who are supposed to protect us, and our president is attempting to launch a culture war in the midst of a pandemic? And I certainly dont believe we are indivisible. How can we be, when some Americans are at higher risks to be murdered, get COVID-19 and experience more harshly the rising tides of climate change? This is the direct result of systemic racism.

Payne, and many white Americans like her (and myself) are being forced to reckon with their role in systemic racism in America. We have an opportunity to stand in solidarity with our Black, Indigenous and people of color brothers and sisters as they advocate for justice. For me, a white-passing woman, that means listening and learning, not criticizing and dividing.

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Liberty Tennis looking to return to the courts in Philadelphia – Outsports

The Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association has been bringing LGBTQ tennis players together in the Philadelphia area for a dozen years. And while COVID-19 has put a damper on some of 2020, they are preparing for a return to the courts soon.

The organization boasts about 70 participants each year from across the TriState/Delaware Valley area. Their partnership with RiverWinds Golf & Tennis Club, a facility in New Jersey, allows them access to tennis courts in an area most central to their main membership area.

They host drill sessions, monthly social gatherings (when social gatherings are allowed) and ladder styled league play. They also participate in events involving LGBTQ tennis groups from other states and regions, including the annual four-city Atlantic Cup. The association even hosts an annual tournament of their own, the Philadelphia Open, but this year its been canceled due to the pandemic.

Its through the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance that their reach goes beyond the City of Brotherly Love.

A major benefit of being apart of the G.L.T.A. is its acceptance of every lifestyle, openly welcoming members of the LGBTQIA+ society, P.L.T.A president Matthew Wong said. Being under their umbrella and being active within the communities expands the range of potential participants for P.L.T.A.

P.L.T.A. has also made helping youth a priority for the organization, raising donations to The Attic Youth Center, which aims to support LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia.

The Attic Youth Centers goal has been to reduce the feeling of isolation by providing a sense of community and developing programs and services to counteract the prejudice and oppression that many LGBTQ youth often face, Wong said.

The group also works with Legacy Youth Tennis and Education, which uses tennis to build educational and character-building programs to prepare youth for success through an inclusive community.

Now members are looking forward to a time when they can return to the courts with no concerns about their health, other than making sure they do some good stretching and warm-up drills.

With everything that has transpired over the past few months, tennis remains an outlet for so many, Wong said. We understand that when the season resumes, that it will be necessary for people to resume their daily activities and be there for them to release all excess stress from their lives.

To find out more about the Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association, visit their website, or find them on Instagram or Facebook.

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National View: A holiday for the dream of liberty and justice for all – MetroWest Daily News

The important consideration is a holiday each year that would perpetually serve as a means for Americans of every race to remember, learn about and celebrate the nation's enduring, but unfinished, aspiration of liberty and justice for all.

National View editorials are fact-based conclusions and opinions written by the editorial board of a newspaper or wire service that the Daily News publishes content from. News reporters are not involved or consulted.

Juneteenth, a linguistic blend of June and nineteenth, commemorates June 19, 1865, the day a Union general told enslaved people there they were free, after the last of Confederate forces surrendered in that state. It memorializes if not precisely, because the 13th Amendment ending slavery would not be ratified for six more months the end of Americans owning other Americans, the original sin of the United States.

If Independence Day marks white America's freedom from the tyranny of British rule, Juneteenth marks a major milestone in Black America's freedom from the tyranny of bondage. At long last, the nation was taking its first tentative step toward completing the circle Thomas Jefferson (himself a slaveholder) articulated as the core principle of the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal."

It's why Juneteenth cries out to be a federal holiday.

From almost the moment slavery's demise was declared in Texas, freed African Americans and their descendants celebrated Juneteenth first in Texas, then across the South and northward as families migrated during the 20th century.

The day has been a warmly embraced occasion filled with reunions, parades and feasting, with an emphasis on customarily red treats such as strawberry soda, red beans and rice, and red velvet cake foods of a color symbolically emblematic of ingenuity and resilience in bondage.

Texas first recognized it as a paid holiday, in 1980. Today, 47 states and Washington, D.C., mark Juneteenth as either a holiday or an observance.

The momentum to seize upon the day as something for all of America to celebrate is expanding in harmony with the mounting national demand for racial justice following the police killing slowly in the street, with a knee pinned on the neck of unarmed George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

An estimated 15 million to 25 million people in 2,500 towns and cities took to the streets after Floyd's death, half to two-thirds of them white. The Black Lives Matter movement at the center of the demonstrations is now believed to be largest social protest effort in the nation's history. And books about racism are best-sellers.

The shared national exhaustion with inequality has reached a fever pitch, and a growing embrace of Juneteenth reflects that. Major corporations such as J.C. Penney, Nike, Spotify, Target, Twitter and Uber have recently declared it a company holiday. New York and Virginia just joined the states reserving it as a paid holiday for their workers.

In Congress, a bipartisan duo from Texas, Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Republican Sen. John Cornyn, are coordinating efforts to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Two-thirds of Americans would like to see that happen.

It won't necessarily be easy. The last federal holiday, to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was proposed in 1968 and didn't become a reality for nearly 20 years. Others are suggesting alternatives to Juneteenth, including the dates marking the ratification of the 13th Amendment (Dec. 6, 1865) or the Emancipation Proclamation (effective Jan. 1, 1863).

The important consideration is a holiday each year that would perpetually serve as a means for Americans of every race to remember, learn about and celebrate the nation's enduring, but unfinished, aspiration of liberty and justice for all.

USA TODAY

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Liberty Hall to host virtual concert to celebrate 90th anniversary – Tyler Morning Telegraph

To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Liberty Hall will host a virtual concert event Saturday.

The theater, located in downtown Tyler, will hold its next Liberty Live: Concerts from the Couch on its Facebook page from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. during Hit the Bricks to celebrate the anniversary, which was June 20, all summer long.

Featured artists include Cody Norman from 11 to 11:30 a.m., Covenant Olatunde (11:30 a.m. to noon), Lucas Kelm (noon to 12:30 p.m.) and 2nd Childhood (12:30 to 1 p.m.)

Due to COVID-19, the theater is closed through Aug. 31 and patrons are asked to support the arts by attending virtual events this summer, buying Liberty Hall merchandise and donating money to help the theater reopen safely, according to the city of Tyler.

The theater opened in 1930 by Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Shieldes, who owned or operated multiple theaters in the downtown Tyler area. Liberty Hall is the oldest theater in Tyler and has lasted longer than others like the Rose Theater and Arcadia Theater.

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Liberty Hall to host virtual concert to celebrate 90th anniversary - Tyler Morning Telegraph

The Penultimate Day of Overtime July: Religious Liberty Wednesday – Reason

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court decided two religious liberty cases. First, Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru expanded the so-called ministerial exception beyond the scope ofHosannah Tabor v. EEOC. Justice Alito did little to stifle retirement rumors with his citation in Footnote 16 toThe Benedict Option. Second, Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania narrowly upheld the Trump administration's efforts to rescind the Obama-era contraception mandate. The Justices did not consider the underlying RFRA issue that has been simmering for the last 7 years. But that case is far from over. (I have edited these cases for the Barnett/Blackman supplement; please let me know if you'd like a copy: josh-at-joshblackman-dot-com).

On the penultimate day of Overtime July, the Court gave us Religious Liberty Wednesday. I always wonder how the Court decides to pair cases. The fact that both cases today went to the right tells me that the remaining cases go against Trump tomorrow.

Tax Return Thursday is on deck!

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The Penultimate Day of Overtime July: Religious Liberty Wednesday - Reason

Liberty Shere named Northeast Tech Claremore Campus Director – Claremore Daily Progress

Northeast Tech Claremore is under new management as the former Director of Business and Industry Services Liberty Shere stepped into the role of assistant superintendent and Claremore campus director.

Shere is a life-long Rogers County resident, who attended Sequoyah Public Schools and Rogers State University.

During college, Shere began working as a software developer at Sequoyah Software and for a small business she ran with her husband for 15 years, Lonnie's Window Tint, Mufflers and Accessories.

From 2007 to 2012, Shere served as a business and information technology instructor at Chelsea and the Sequoyah Public Schools, an experience that pushed her to pursue a Masters Degree in educational leadership and administration from Oklahoma State University. While pursuing her degree, Shere was and audit analyst for Cherokee Nation Businesses.

Shere has worked for Northeast Technology Center for almost seven years, first as an instructor at the Afton campus, and then as an administrator in Pryor.

I feel very fortunate that my professional experience has had a really good blend of educational experience and experience in industry, Shere said, adding that it offers her a unique perspective and approach as an administrator.

It helps me operate in both worlds, because I understand the challenges from an educational perspective, but I also understand what businesses are facing, Shere said. Ive worked for small companies, large companies, and now in education. Not everybody gets afforded all of those opportunities, so I feel fortunate for that.

Both of Sheres daughters attended NTC, and Shere added that she was excited to take on the new role and position in Claremore, in part, because her 2-week-old grandbaby lives along her drive home from work.

As campus director, Sheres responsibilities include: ensuring instructors have the resources they need to be effective, ensuring procedures are in place to provide the best possible learning environment for students, maintaining the facilities, and meeting the education and transportation needs of students, and serving at the public face of Northeast Tech in Rogers County.

We want to make sure were serving the needs of our sending schools while also listening to what our community needs and what skills the business leaders in the community say our students need, Shere said. You have to constantly being having that communication with your industry partners. At a career tech, it is even more critical that we are giving them skills that will get them the jobs that are out there.

In June, Claremore Campus Director Rick Reimer retired after 33 years of service to Northeast Tech. Reimer helped to build the Claremore campus from the literal ground up in 2006.

I want to give him credit for handing over a really awesome facility, Shere said. He built a really good staff that Ive been able to inherit, a lot of really good people. So I thank him for setting me on a firm foundation, and I want to take that and continue the good work that is being done with the good staff and faculty I have here.

Reimers administration had organized visioning committees to help elaborate a future direction for the school and looking for opportunities to expand.

Currently each NTC instructor has an advisory board they meet with once a year, made up of industry leaders from the field they teach.

Something I want to push as a new campus director is getting those instructors out in industry more, Shere said, explaining that NTC would, provide them support so they can take some time out of the classroom to be out in the industry.

Over the next decade, Shere said, she foresees NTC doubling its course offerings and expanding the physical campus.

Technical schools across the board, Shere said, will only increase in demand and opportunities, as they continue to be a fast-paced and flexible option for continuing education.

Our community is growing, their needs are growing, and we need to grow, too, Shere said. Along with maintaining what we have now, in the next five years I hope to be able to seek out where the needs are, find new programs we can add, and expand our campus so we can serve those needs.

What we do is important, it benefits individuals, and it benefits our community as a whole, so the more of that we can do, the better, Shere said. Our roots are here. Rogers County is our home, and we want to see it continue to grow.

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PHOTOS: Socially-Distanced Dining at the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Newly-Reopened Magic Kingdom – wdwnt.com

Lunch at Magic Kingdoms Liberty Tree Tavern is always a good choice, so we were not surprised that the dining experience was just as amazing during cast member preview reopenings with social distancing guidelines in place.

Cast members wearing face masks are ready to greet you in front of the entrance.

Cast members wearing masks and standing behind a plexiglass window will confirm your reservation and check your party in.

Hand sanitizer is available when you enter, and a sticker on the floor designates where to sit or stand if you are waiting to be helped.

More floor markers designate where to sit or stand while waiting for service. Each spot is 6 feet apart in both directions.

Some tables have signs to designate that they will not be used in order to maintain social distancing between parties.

Crowd levels during lunch were low.

Clean dishes and silverware are waiting for you at your table.

To replace physical menus, Liberty Tree Tavern offers a virtual menu that can be accessed by scanning a QR code, like the one above, from your smart phone.

For lunch, Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom offers the All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Bill of Fare for $39. It includes bread for the table, the Declaration Salad, the Patriots Platter and the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake, all pictured below. Plant-based alternatives are also available upon request.

Not to our surprise, Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom was just as delicious as ever. If anything, our dining experience was enhanced with the significantly lower crowd levels and virtual menus. We definitely recommend making a reservation for lunch if you can!

Stay tuned for more in-park dining and restaurant updates during cast member previews and official public reopenings of the parks later this week.

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Police say Liberty business owner stabbed theft suspect, who still managed to get away – WKBN.com

Police are asking anyone who recognizes this man or has information to contact them

LIBERTY TWP., Ohio (WKBN) A would-be thief had quite the surprise Tuesday morning. As he tried to steal car parts from an auto salvage lot, he was met by the armed business owner.

Emad Ali was keeping an eye on his auto salvage business Monday night.

I heard somebody jump the fence, he said.

His business, located at what was once Cleveland Auto Wrecking in the 2700 block of Youngstown Hubbard Rd., hasnt even opened yet but Ali said a few weeks ago, someone broke in. It happened again overnight.

I heard the sawzall. He cut three I count three to four catalytic converters. I found three.

Ali said he went up to the man and the two got into a fight.

He tried to attack me and I had the flashlight in his eyes, and I went down to my knees and I stabbed him between his legs to his cheek.

Ali snapped a picture and tied him up with a rope, but the man somehow managed to get away.

We have reached out to area hospitals, no one has showed up there, said Liberty Township Police Capt. Ray Buhala.

Liberty police are now working to figure out who the man is as detectives continue to investigate.

The message is, you see anyone on property even if its yours attempting to steal anything, simply, first call the police so we can get the police on their way, Buhala said. Dont take matters into your own hands.

No charges have been filed against Ali. The investigation is ongoing.

Liberty Police released a photo of the suspect and are asking anyone with information to come forward. If you recognize him, you can send a message on Facebook or contact the tipline at 330-539-9830. All information will be considered confidential.

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Police say Liberty business owner stabbed theft suspect, who still managed to get away - WKBN.com

More new cases of COVID-19 reported in Liberty County – Bluebonnet News

Liberty County now has 381 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the Liberty County Office of Emergency Management.

Of the cases, 23 are newly diagnosed nine from the north end of the county and 14 from the south end. The ages of the victims range from their 20s to 80s. Twelve of the victims are male and 11 are female.

Currently Liberty County has 287 active cases and 91 recovered cases. The death total stands at three. The last death in the county was reported in May.

Liberty County remains under a mask order for residents aged 10 and older through July 15 unless it is extended, terminated or modified.

From the effective date of this order, all commercial entities in the County of Liberty that provide goods and services directly to the public must develop and implement a health and safety policy. The policy must require, at a minimum, that all employees, customers, vendors and visitors, 10 years or older, wear face coverings when accessing areas of the commercial entitys premises that involve close contact or proximity to other employees or members of the public, where six feet of separation is not feasible. Face coverings required by this order may include but are not limited to surgical masks, industrial masks, homemade masks, scarfs (sic), bandanas (sic) or handkerchiefs, the order reads.

Failure of a commercial entity to develop, post and implement a policy required by this order by noon on July 6 may result in a fine not to exceed $500 for each violation. No civil or criminal penalty will be imposed on individuals for failure to wear a face covering.

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Online learning hiccups lead to civil liberty threats | TheHill – The Hill

In April, Berkeley High School students were shocked when in the middle of their video conference, a man joined the meeting, exposing himself and shouting obscenities. The infiltration was just one of the numerous examples of so-called "Zoom bombing", which occurs when an unwanted or uninvited guest causes a disruption. However, unlike other high profile instances of Zoom bombing, Berkeley High School's example stands out as the organizers of the video conference followed best practices aimed at preventing such an invasion.

The response was an immediate suspension of video conferencing services. Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Brent Stevens wrote in a districtwide email, "... I've received from many of you that the real-time online interaction between students and teachers has been a valuable relief from the sense of isolation during this Shelter-in-Place order...It is simply unacceptable to ignore the risk of this significance."

Yet, therein lies an underlying problem, due to shelter-in-place orders, schools and students have been thrust into unfamiliar territory. These disruptions are not merely the latest in school pranks. Students coordinating efforts to Zoom bomb each other's lessons over on the platform discord might be likened to a high-tech version of typical foolery. But class clowns were not previously able to broadcast pornographic material to kindergarteners as they are now.

Concerns do not stop with the actions of outsiders alone. Instead, the increased reliance on remote learning services leaves students in a potentially vulnerable position due to the practices of their educational institutions. In the name of repressing the hijinks, there seems to be an unfortunate tendency among administrators to increase their remote monitoring capabilities. Douglas Levin of EdTech Strategies in an SC Magazine article said, "In many cases, school districts are circumventing what privacy and cybersecurity controls they may have implemented in a rush to offer online learning to students who won't be returning to school for weeks or months,"

At the same time, schools are making efforts to monitor students remotely, and these efforts raise serious concerns about loss of privacy. Many schools have issued devices that are pre-installed with spyware -- spyware that can conduct scans of student emails, instant messages, and internet browser history. Roughly one-third of American students use school-issued devices. What is at stake here is not benign supervision by teachers whom parents know, but instead monitoring, tracking, and recording by invisible strangers whose intentions are unknown. Also at stake is possible future harassment of students after they leave the K-12 system, based on stored information.

Spyware, which would be considered malicious if someone loaded it onto your personal computer, is frequently marketed to educational institutions. Amelia Vance, director of Youth & Education Privacy at the Future of Privacy Forum, points out, "These products are not privacy-protective by default, and many likely violate FERPA [the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act]." The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) imposes rules on schools and libraries that receive internet service discounts through the federal e-rate program. While the purported intention was to target pornography, in an effort to comply with CIPA requirements, schools have invested in radically invasive web filters.

Not only are filters poor when it comes to preventing illicit content, but they also over block content with educational value, including websites that cover important issues such as religious and 2nd Amendment topics. Accompanying monitoring software can track student browsing habits and generate detailed reports for administrators.

Unfortunately, this issue has come up before. In 2009 the Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania had installed spyware on school-issued laptops, which also gave the ability to activate webcams. School personnel spied on their students while the students were in the comforts of their homes the school district ended up paying out a settlement of $610,000.

Many schools have no specific privacy policies like data retention limits to protect their students. Notably, the Vermont Superintendent Association publication took the prudent step of recommending that parents be able to decide if their student was recorded. But others have been slow to adopt.

With schools and universities holding exams online, test proctoring software has been a popular tool for instructors trying to dissuade would-be cheaters. At the University of California, Santa Barbara, the faculty association in a letter, went to bat for students and expressed professors' concerns over the remote monitoring software ProctorU.

The UC Santa Barbara Faculty Association wrote:

"...this service also mines the data of our students, making them available to unspecified third parties, and therefore violates our students' rights to privacy, and potentially implicates the university into becoming a surveillance tool. [We fear this] may incur not only in very significant and unbudgeted expenses but also in serious violations of constitutional rights by partnering with private enterprises like ProctorU."

With the mass use of online learning services, now is the opportune time to reconsider the government requirement for the "Orwellian" monitoring of school-issued devices such as Chromebooks.

Williamson M. Evers is a senior fellow at the Oakland-based Independent Institute and Director of the Institute's Center on Educational Excellence. Jonathan Hofer is a research associate at the Independent Institute.

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Online learning hiccups lead to civil liberty threats | TheHill - The Hill

Ranking the top 50 Liberty football players of all time: 50-41 – A Sea of Red

Rashad Jennings or Eric Green? Mike Brown or Antonio Gandy-Golden? Old school or new school?

Debates over who is the greatest Liberty football player can vary, and we have done our best to identify the best of the best, ranking the greatest players in school history.

With thousands of football players to suit up for the Flames over the years, just making this list is a huge honor, but who will be in the coveted top spot? Our list begins with Nos. 50 through 41.

Check back Tuesday for 40-31 as we unveil the entire top 50 this week.

Johnson was a 4-year starter at quarterback, seeing the program from a 1-9 record his freshman season as the program recovered from the Treasure Island flood under head coach Morgan Hout. His final two seasons, Johnson helped lead the Flames to 15 wins as Sam Rutigliano took over his senior season.

He is currently 4th on the programs career list with 7,397 passing yards, only trailing Buckshot Calvert, Josh Woodrum, and Robby Justino. Hes also 5th with 49 career touchdown passes.

McFadden excelled on the football field at Liberty, playing just two seasons while also running track for the Flames. In 1995, he turned two kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns and averaged a school record 37.8 yards per kick return. His 93-yard punt return against Delaware State that same season is still a school record. At seasons end, he was named a first-team All-American as a return specialist by both the Football Gazette and the Sports Network and also named to the VaSID all-state first team.

In 1996, he led the team in receiving with 452 yards while also continuing to be a big factor in the return game. His 1,446 all-purpose yards in 96 ranks 5th all-time for most all-purpose yardage in a single season.

McFadden participated in the Indianapolis Colts 1998 preseason training camp, but was released just before the teams last cut. He then spent the 1999 season with the Portland Forest Dragons of the Arena Football League.

He is currently Libertys Associate Head Track & Field Coach.

Following Rashad Jennings 3 year reign as Libertys running back from 2006-08, Allen immediately came in and stepped into his role. Allen led the team in rushing in 3 out of 4 years while scoring 21 touchdowns in 2011 and 2012.

He was named first-team all-Big South in 2012.

Hogans was one of Libertys first standout offensive linemen as he ruled the trenches as Liberty moved to the NCAAs Division II level. He was named a first-team All-American following his senior season.

Its hard for a long snapper to make any lists like these, but Wright is an exception. He was twice named a first-team All-American and named first-team All-Big South three consecutive seasons.

Banks was inducted into the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 after a standout for 3 seasons on the gridiron for the Flames. In 1984, he was named an honorable mention All-American and first-team all-state as he finished with 77 receptions for 1,029 yards. His 77 receptions that season still rank 4th most in school history for a single year.

The 1984 season was the only year that Kelvin Edwards didnt lead the team in receiving during his 4 year career as Banks was the teams top target.

He finished his career by ranking No. 2 nationally among all NCAA Division II players in receiving yards in 1984. He became Libertys first ever NFL Draft pick, being selected in the 8th round of the 1985 draft. He played eight years in the NFL with the Browns, Chicago Bears, and Miami Dolphins and amassed 105 receptions for 1,636 yards and 10 touchdowns in his 80 game NFL career.

Playing under the microscope of two of the best to every put on the Liberty red, white, and blue in Buckshot Calvert and Antonio Gandy-Golden, Hickson never got the attention or fanfare he deserved.

He began his career as the Flames top kick returner, running one back for a touchdown against Kennesaw State in 2016 as a redshirt-freshman. The 99 yard kick return for score is the longest in school history. For his exploits as a returner, Hickson was named 2nd team all-Big South in both 2016 and 2017 while also being named VaSID all-state 2nd team as a return specialist in 2016.

After injuries allowed him to move up the running back depth chart in 2018, Hickson proved his worth there, as well. He rushed for 1,000 yards in each of Libertys first two years as an FBS member, and he finished his career 4th on the programs career rushing list while also claiming first in career all-purpose yardage.

Chiles was one of the top high school prospects in the country in 1991 as a linebacker, but he wanted to play quarterback. The high school All-American ended up with Florida to begin his career, choosing the Gators over the likes of Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami, and Tennessee.

After redshirting as a true freshman and spending one season as the backup, Chiles decided to transfer and ended up in Lynchburg. After winning the starting quarterback job, Chiles became Libertys starter for all three seasons. He had five 300 yard passing games and 10 where he threw for over 250, the 5th most in school history.

As a senior, Chiles led Liberty to an 8-3 season including a win over No. 19 UCF in Orlando.

Smith was a 2010 inductee in the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame and was one of the schools first all-star athletes. He was the football programs first scholarship student-athlete and score the teams first ever touchdown in 1973. If he had played his entire career against varsity programs, he would rank in the top 4 of Libertys annals in career rushing yards, career rushing attempts, career rushing touchdowns, career 100-yard games, career scoring, and consecutive 100-yard games.

He finished his career with 3,342 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns while having 15 career 100-yard games, including 4 200 yard games.

Many of you were outraged (and understandably so) when Nobles was not included on our list of Libertys 5 best running backs of all-time, and your voice has been heard as hes made his way onto this countdown.

Nobles ranks 2nd all-time on Libertys career rushing list with 3,711 yards. He led the team in rushing from 1997-99, going over 1,000 yards in 1998 and 1999. Nobles scored 25 touchdowns in his final two seasons, leading the team in scoring both years, and he ranks 3rd all-time among scoring leaders excluding kickers.

Nobles is also the schools all-time leader in rushing attempts and ranks 2nd in rushing touchdowns and 3rd in all-purpose yards. He was named an honorable mention All-American three consecutive seasons and made the NCAA I-AA All-Independent first team in 1998.

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Ranking the top 50 Liberty football players of all time: 50-41 - A Sea of Red

We Can Find Common Ground on Gay Rights and Religious Liberty – The New York Times

Why the high enthusiasm for gay rights in conservative, heavily Mormon Utah? No mystery. In 2015, L.G.B.T. -rights advocates, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the states Republican leaders agreed on a new law combining L.G.B.T. protections with carefully tailored religious exemptions. The process of negotiating the deal and building trust forged a durable consensus. In fact, just a few months ago, Utah enacted a rule barring harmful gay conversion therapy for minors, with the support not only of L.G.B.T. advocates but also of the Mormon hierarchy.

In todays Trumpified world, Americans tend to think that politics is a brutal Punch and Judy show, and that compromise is a surrender of principles. But when the politics of compromise is in good working order, it builds new alliances, develops new solutions, and turns conflict into cooperation. Utah provided one example. The Fairness for All Act holds out a similar opportunity at the federal level, with at least three substantial payoffs.

First, the bill shows how seeking compromise makes seemingly nonnegotiable moral differences tractable to political bargaining. Unlike the Equality Act, which expands protections for the L.G.B.T. side while narrowing existing protections for the religious side, the Fairness for All bill gives each side a win compared to where it is now. L.G.B.T. people get those important civil-rights protections, more swiftly and surely than the courts could deliver them. More than that, as in Utah, they get the buy-in and active support of an influential swath of the conservative religious community, something that has never been on offer before and that has the potential to change the L.G.B.T. -religious conversation in all kinds of constructive ways. For L.G.B.T. Americans, locking in religious groups support for nondiscrimination protections would be a political game-changer one that might lead to breakthroughs on other fronts.

Religious interests get assurances that religious-affiliated organizations like schools and charities can hire and teach according to their beliefs and, importantly, that faith-based groups can keep their nonprofit status while maintaining their beliefs and practices concerning marriage, family and sexuality. It is significant that the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, an influential higher education association of more than 180 Christian institutions, has endorsed Fairness for All.

Second, the bill demonstrates that compromise is not necessarily just about splitting differences. Often, compromise is a creative, generative force, expanding the political frame and inventing new policy approaches to break old deadlocks. In their search for traction on the particularly thorny issue of faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies, the Fairness for All negotiators devised an innovative approach that lets individuals, rather than governments, pay placement agencies. In their quest to sweeten the pot for both sides, they agreed to bar companies from firing employees based on what they say about marriage and sexuality outside the workplace a type of free-speech protection that currently does not exist for either side under federal law.

Most important of all is the lesson Utah teaches. Politics can paralyze and polarize, yes. But politics can also conciliate and heal, with effects that radiate farther and last longer than the terms of any one piece of legislation. By creating new constituencies for both sides of a bargain, political accommodation can change hearts and minds, not just law a stronger foundation for civil rights and religious liberties than any statute or judicial decision alone can provide. As the L.D.S. Church leadership said in endorsing the Utah compromise, security lies in reciprocity: In a game of total victory, we all lose.

There is one other thing that dialogue, negotiations and accommodation can provide that the culture-war mentality doesnt offer: the chance to widen the aperture of understanding between people of different life experiences and perspectives, and to learn from others. That has certainly been the experience in our own friendship, between a gay atheist and a straight Christian.

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We Can Find Common Ground on Gay Rights and Religious Liberty - The New York Times

Two Liberty football players cite racial insensitivity in decision to transfer – ESPN

Two Liberty football players announced on social media Monday that they are transferring, citing "racial insensitivity" and "cultural incompetence."

Cornerbacks Kei'Trel Clark and Tayvion Land made separate statements on their Twitter accounts. Clark said he appreciates his relationship with his coaches and teammates, but the decision is "bigger than football."

"Due to the cultural incompetent within multiple levels of leadership, it does not line up with my code of ethics."

Land said the "racial insensitivity displayed by leadership at Liberty" led him to his decision and added he hopes to get an opportunity at a school that "respects my culture and provides a comfortable environment."

Less than two weeks ago, women's basketball player Asia Todd announced she was transferring, also citing "racial insensitivities" at the school.

Earlier this month, Liberty president Jerry Falwell Jr. apologized and deleted a Tweet he sent criticizing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's policy to wear masks in public because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the Tweet, Falwell said he would wear a mask only if it included images of Northam, whom he referred to as "Governor Blackface."

Falwell included photographs from the governor's medical school yearbook that showed a person in blackface and another person in Ku Klux Klan attire. The photos, from 1984, came to light in 2019, and Northam apologized for them.

After the tweet went out, several Black staffers resigned and outraged Black Christian leaders and alumni sent Falwell an open letter in which they wrote, "While your Tweet may have been in jest about Virginia's governor, it made light of our nation's painful history of slavery and racism."

Clark had 38 tackles and six pass breakups last season, while Land had 23 tackles.

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Two Liberty football players cite racial insensitivity in decision to transfer - ESPN

Police: Man scratched an expletive on the replica of Liberty Bell at the Idaho Statehouse – KTVB.com

Officials announced on Monday morning that state workers were able to fix much of the damage.

BOISE, Idaho Idaho State Police are investigating reported damage to the replica of the Liberty Bell that sits outside of the Idaho State Capitol Building.

Police say the damage reportedly happened on Saturday evening, according to witnesses. They told detectives that about 8:40 p.m. a man in a sedan parked on West Jefferson Street and left his car with a sharp object. The man then allegedly took the sharp object and scratched an expletive on the replica.

Officials announced on Monday morning that state workers were able to fix much of the damage.

Idaho State Police say they are continuing to investigate the vandalism and appreciate all of the witnesses who have come forward with information about what happened.

The replica is at the steps leading up to the statehouse entrance on West Jefferson Street.

This is a developing story and this article will be updated when new information is released.

See the latest Treasure Valley crime news in ourYouTube playlist:

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Police: Man scratched an expletive on the replica of Liberty Bell at the Idaho Statehouse - KTVB.com

The True Extent of Religious Liberty in America, Explained – The Dispatch

I have seen a remarkable amount of commentary in the aftermath of the Supreme Courts decision in Bostock v. Clayton County arguing that the Supreme Court dealt religious liberty in America a serious, dangerous blow. Bostock, for those who dont follow SCOTUS case names closely, is the case that interpreted Title VIIs prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sex to necessarily include sexual orientation and gender identity.

As I read piece after piece, I realized that many of the people writing about the impact on religious freedom simply didnt understand the law. A generation of Americans raised on breathless activist warnings about freedoms demise genuinely believe that religious organizations teeter on a dangerous precipice. They genuinely believe that free speech hangs in the balance. While liberty is under pressure (it always isevery single material liberty recognized and secured by the Bill of Rights faces constant, sustained pressure from an expanding state), its reach is still vast.

Warningwhat follows is a detailed legal discussion that just might bore you. But if youre interested, power through. And feel free to share this newsletter with your concerned friends, your concerned pastor, or your worried school principal.

Im going to outline the key federal statutory and constitutional protections for religious liberty and religious Americans that exist now, today, after Bostock and why I believe that, if anything, many of these protections are more likely to be extended, not restricted, in the coming days and weeks. So, here goes:

Religious employers have a right to impose religious litmus tests on their employees. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964the same statute at issue in Bostockcontains a provision specifically designed to protect the autonomy of religious organizations. It states, This subchapter shall not apply ... to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, educational institution, or society of its activities.

Its true that this carveout does not allow the religious organization to discriminate on other grounds (such as race or sex), but it does allow them to filter out all applicants who do not share the groups faith. This has a profound impact on the relevant applicant pool and (along with the First Amendment) permits employers to require that applicants agree to the organizations statement of faith.

Religious employers are completely exempt from nondiscrimination statutes when hiring and firing ministerial employees. The ministerial exception may well be the key firewall protecting church from state. Put simply, and as defined by a unanimous Supreme Court in 2012, both the Free Exercise and Establishment clauses of the First Amendment work together to remove the stateincluding all nondiscrimination lawsfrom the ministerial selection process.

The precise definition of a ministerial employee is presently before the Supreme Court. The key question is the extent to which the employee performs important religious functions and whether an employees title and training must also reflect those functions.

Its clear the exemption applies to called and trained clergy. By the end of the courts term, its likely also to apply to a broader range of religious employees who are engaged in religious instruction.

Religious educational institutions enjoy a right to exempt themselves from Title IX. If theres a single question Ive received more than any other, its this: Does Bostock mean that religious schools will now have to alter policies regarding dorm rooms or sexual conduct to comply with federal prohibitions against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination?

The short answer is no. The longer answer is nope, not unless they choose to be subject to Title IX, the federal statute that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs and activities.

To be clear, Bostock is an employment case (and thus the sections above apply to employment at religious schools), but one would expect that the definition of sex applied in Title VII would also extend to Title IX, thus preventing sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in, for example, codes of conduct, dorm placements, and athletic programs. .

But Title IX contains a special carveout:

[T]his section shall not apply to an educational institution which is controlled by a religious organization if the application of this subsection would not be consistent with the religious tenets of such organization.

The exemption is not automatic. Schools have to choose to opt out (either proactively or in response to a Title IX complaint), and a number of religious schools have taken advantage of this provision. Many have not, but it is their choice, and that choice is plainly and clearly embedded in federal law.

Religious organizations (including religious schools) increasingly have a right of equal access to public funds. Few areas of constitutional litigation have been more relentlessly successful than the attempt to claw away at illegitimate and discriminatory attempts to relegate faith-based organizations to second-class status. For years, the argument that there had to be a high wall of separation between church and statewords that appear nowhere in the Constitutionmeant that religious organizations could not participate in otherwise-neutral state-funded programs simply because they were religious.

The Supreme Court has taken a jackhammer to that idea. Key cases include:

Rosenberger v. Rectors and Visitors of the University of Virginia (1995). SCOTUS held that a Christian publication on campus had a right of viewpoint-neutral access to student fee funding. (During my legal practice, I used that precedent to help secure millions of dollars in funding for Catholic and Evangelical student groupsincluding funding that directly applied to efforts to evangelize the campus.)

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002). The Supreme Court held that a Cleveland, Ohio, school voucher program did not violate the Establishment Clause by permitting religious schools to be voucher recipients. This cleared the way for the state to fund (through vouchers distributed to parents) faith-based education as part of a larger program designed to increase school choice.

Trinity Lutheran v. Comer (2017). In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court held that the state of Missouri violated the Free Exercise Clause when it excluded a church from receiving a grant as part of a secular and neutral state program designed to make childrens playgrounds safer.

Critically, the court will soon decide yet another case involving state aid to religious schools, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. In Espinoza, the court will decide whether its lawful to invalidate a generally available and religiously neutral student-aid program simply because the program affords students the choice of attending religious schools.

In plain English, if SCOTUS rules for the plaintiff in the case, then it will place one of the final nails in the coffin of anti-Catholic Blaine Amendmentsstate constitutional provisions that blocked aid to sectarian institutions as part of a transparent effort to preserve a Protestant monopoly on public funds.

Religious organizations enjoy a right of equal access to public facilities. I dont need to spend much time on this category, but many younger Americans might be shocked to find out that it was once an open question whether Christian groups had a right to meet in empty classrooms or gymnasiums on the same basis and with the same access as secular groups.

A series of cases, from Widmar v. Vincent (1981) to Lambs Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District (1993) to Good News Club v. Milford Central School (2001) blasted open access at every level of education, from elementary schools to colleges and universities. And now tens of thousands of student groups and even churches meet (often for free or for nominal fees) and preach the Gospel from public lands.

Religious Americans are protected from discrimination in the workplace. You might look at all the paragraphs above, and say, Thats all well and good, but Im not worried about the government. Im worried about my employer. Well then, youre in luck. The same civil rights act that now protects LGBT Americans also explicitly protects people of faith. Remember, Title VII protects against discrimination on the basis of race, sex, and religion. Heres the scope of that protection, as outlined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:

With respect to religion, Title VII prohibits:

treating applicants or employees differently based on their religious beliefs or practicesor lack thereofin any aspect of employment, including recruitment, hiring, assignments, discipline, promotion, and benefits (disparate treatment);

subjecting employees to harassment because of their religious beliefs or practicesor lack thereofor because of the religious practices or beliefs of people with whom they associate (e.g., relatives, friends, etc.);

denying a requested reasonable accommodation of an applicants or employees sincerely held religious beliefs or practicesor lack thereofif an accommodation will not impose more than ade minimiscost or burden on business operations;and,

retaliating against an applicant or employee who has engaged in protected activity, including participation (e.g., filing an EEO charge or testifying as a witness in someone elses EEO matter), or opposition to religious discrimination (e.g., complaining to human resources department about alleged religious discrimination).

It is quite true that the case law interpreting and applying Title VII religious discrimination claims to private employers is not nearly as extensive as the case law applicable to race or sex. Theres a simple reason for thatemployers have not engaged in large-scale religious discrimination the in same way that theyve engaged in race and sex discrimination. People of faith have largely been left alone in the workplace.

That can change, of course, and there is anecdotal evidence (anecdata) that it is changing, but if discrimination does occur, people of faith have a potent legal weapon in their back pocket.

Religious Americans enjoy the protection of a federal super statute. Im using Justice Neil Gorsuchs words to describe the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a law that hovers over and above all other federal laws, providing extraordinary protection to people of faith.

Thats the law that in 2014 permitted Hobby Lobby to opt out of part of the Obamacare contraception mandate.

Thats the law that this year protected progressive immigration activists from criminal prosecution for trespassing on federal lands to leave food and supplies for illegal immigrants crossing a desolate portion of Arizonas border with Mexico.

And speaking of super statutes, I havent even touched the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, a federal law passed in the last year of the Clinton administration that has granted countless local congregations special protection from hostile zoning boards and planning commissions.

Finally, keep a close eye on the next term of the Supreme Court. SCOTUS has accepted for review Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The petitioners in Fulton seek protection from a Philadelphia rule that required a Catholic foster care agency to provide written endorsements for same-sex couples (in violation of church teaching) as a condition of participating in the citys foster care system.

In addition, the petitioners are asking the court to revisit Employment Division v. Smith, a 1990 Supreme Court opinion that substantially restricted the strength and scope of the Free Exercise Clause. If the petitioners prevail, it could well represent the most significant advance for religious liberty in decades.

Look again at all the elements above. Yes, it is true that in some respects religious liberty is under siege. There are activists and lawmakers who want to push back at multiple doctrines and some radicals even dream of revoking tax exemptions from religious organizations that maintain traditional teachings on sex and gender. But if the siege is real, then so is the citadel. People of faith in the United States of America enjoy more liberty and more real political power than any faith community in the developed world.

Look also at something else. Why did I include the dates of each court decision? Because they demonstrate that the effort to find, cultivate and confirm originalist and textualist jurists has borne legal fruit. There are those who decry the conservative legal movement as a failure after the Bostock decision. This is simply untrue. The conservative legal movement is one of the most successful legal movements in modern American history.

In the face of progressive control of the vast majority of the legal educational establishment, conservatives have created, sustained, and nurtured an intellectually vibrant and determined community of lawyers, scholars, and judges who have transformed American law to better match the meaning and text of the American Constitution. It has not accomplished all it could (what movement ever does?)and there have been bitter disappointmentsbut it has made an enormous impact by securing liberties that American Christians now take for granted.

Yes, in spite of legal successes many people of faith face profound cultural headwinds (not on all fronts, however, the pro-life movement has made immense strides, which weagaintotally take for granted). But those headwinds do not exist because the law failed us. The law has given every religious American, every religious organization, and every church or synagogue all of the liberty they need to speak words of truth and grace into our fallen culture..

The question for Americas religious community, then, is not whether we have libertyor will have liberty for the foreseeable futurebut rather what we do with that liberty. As John Adams declared, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Im afraid that while the church has been consistently religious, it has not been consistently moral. And in its political witness it seems to grow less moral by the day. We cannot expect the lawor any other arm of the stateto heal the churchs self-inflicted wounds.

Ive spent the vast bulk of my professional life standing guard on the citadel of free exercise and free speech, working to expand its walls and hardening its fortifications. But that citadel exists for a purpose beyond its mere continued existence. It is supposed to empower the church to fearlessly act as salt and light in a broken world. Im reminded, however, of Christs words in the Sermon on the Mount:

You are the salt of the earth,but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

In many quarters of American religion, a trampling is underway. It is not the laws fault that the church faces a reckoning, and even as we seek to preserve and strengthen our legal citadels, we must remember that it wont be the law that brings repentance and awakening. May God grant churches the grace and wisdom to use wisely and for his kingdom the abundant liberties they now possess.

One last thing ...

Every now and thenespecially in times of sorrow and certaintyits vital to remember the absolute sovereignty of Godto remember that in his will all is well. This song is by Robin Mark, and its been blessing me for more than a decade. Enjoy:

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.

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The True Extent of Religious Liberty in America, Explained - The Dispatch

Tolsma reflects on legacy, accomplishments in lengthy career at Liberty – Lynchburg News and Advance

Brant Tolsma envisioned how he was going to hand off the Liberty cross country and track & field programs to Lance Bingham he would continue his symbolic race at a running pace, then easily pass along the baton. In Tolsmas mind, his entry into retirement would be seamless, with one of his closest confidants taking over the reins of five wildly successful programs with top-notch facilities to boot.

That run, though, turned into a jog and eventually became a walk by the time Tolsma officially handed the programs over to Bingham in the middle of May. The coronavirus pandemic canceled the entire outdoor season. There would be no hoopla or chance to earn a couple more, final conference championships, no thrill of guiding athletes to appearances in the NCAA championships.

But the slow and steady finish to his coaching career gave Tolsma a chance to reflect on his 34-year journey at Liberty.

There were plenty of triumphs, and some tribulations, through the years.

The triumphs are well-documented in the numerous, nearly overflowing trophy cases in the $30-million Liberty Indoor Track Facility. The journey represented by those awards was fulfilling, Tolsma said, as he reflected on bringing to fruition his vision of the program's growth, the one he carried into his arrival to LU in 1986.

I think I definitely would want people to remember the fact that they were better people when they left the program than they were when they came, and some way or another I contributed to that," Tolsma said as he looked at several handwritten notes and cards from former athletes propped on a window sill in his old office. Those will eventually go into a notebook.

"Truthfully, the trophies, weve got trophies we dont know where to put. Theres a broken one in the closet over there and I have a hard time throwing it away because I remember at the time how much that meant to raise up that trophy.

The true trophies are the lives of the young people that you get to work with. Those things go on and reproduce."

Tolsma, who officially retired May 11, concluded his career as the most-decorated coach in Liberty athletics history.

His teams claimed 116 conference championships. He won 77 coach of the year awards and added two NCAA district coach of the year honors. Three more coaching distinctions came after his retirement: the inaugural Virginia Sports Information Directors mens indoor track & field coach of the year for the 2019-20 season, and the title of mens and womens indoor track & field coach of the decade (2010-19) from the Big South Conference.

I hold Coach Tolsma in very high regard. Hes somebody thats just a very wise person, loves Liberty and has just done a remarkable job with the program, athletic director Ian McCaw said. In my view, Brant Tolsma is a legend, and thats not a term that I use lightly."

The record books are going to say 116 conference championships and 77 coach of the year awards; those are accomplishments that wont be matched."

Tolsmas athletes have become All-Americans (25 of them have combined for 61 All-American honors) and national champions (four). Hes guided conference champions, four-year standouts, and the athletes who find smaller ways to contribute to winning conference titles on a yearly basis.

He invited you into his family while you were there, and thats the most vulnerable time of your entire life you move away from your family, your friends, everything you know," said Holly Deem, a 1998 graduate who competed in sprints. "To have someone like Coach step into your life and make that kind of positive impact was huge on my life, for sure.

I think one thing that I appreciated the most about Coach was that he of course wanted to win thats obvious from his record but at the same time he was more concerned on helping you to truly become a better person, Deem added. The thing that Liberty says a lot and its their slogan, their theme, is building champions, and Coach really did do that. He lived out his Christian walk in front of us every day. He was real. Hes an authentic person. I appreciated his honesty and his integrity."

Tolsma, who was hired by Jake Matthes to run the mens track & field program in 1986, had to sell a vision to get athletes to come to Liberty.

Matthes said he tried to pry Tolsma away from Campbell for three years Tolsma said he turned down Matthes offer in 1985 because the timing wasnt right and Matthes had to convince Tolsma it was a step in the right direction to leave a Division I program in Campbell and come to Liberty, which was still in Division II.

Tolsma was appealing to LU because of his reputation as a winner at Campbell. He helped Orville Peterson become Campbells first NCAA Division I All-American when he finished second in the decathlon at the 1983 NCAA outdoor championships.

I certainly had that in mind because I thought he was one of the best coaches you could get out there to hire, Matthes said. Hes a good Christian fellow, and thats what Liberty always needed, Christian coaches.

"He knew his events and I thought that he would be able to do basically everything that he has done and maybe more.

When Tolsma arrived on Libertys campus, the program did not have an outdoor track, and athletes trained either in nearby warehouses or at Heritage High Schools track.

When I went there, the place looked like a run-down high school compared to where I was from, Deem said.

Matthes, who taught mathematics in addition to his coaching responsibilities, admitted he didnt have time to recruit. Tolsma took it upon himself to recruit athletes who could help build a foundation for the program.

Coach Tolsma was always a visionary when it came to building the track program," Rustburg High track coach Gerald Mosley said. "Just watching him build it from the time that Igraduated from Rustburg High School in 1988 to where it came through in 1992 was just phenomenal. He built it from the ground up."

Tolsma eventually combined the mens and womens track & field programs in 1990 following the unexpected death of Ron Hopkins, the founder of the womens program.

The Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex was christened in 1991, in time for Mosleys senior season, which opened doors for Liberty to recruit at a higher level in Division I and Tolsma to identify the athletes who had the ability to compete at the national level.

I think it's that people have more in them than they realize they do, and they have to kind of catch the vision. That may have come originally all the way down from [the late Rev. Jerry] Falwell. After listening to him, I started believing were going to win a national championship, Tolsma said as he broke into a chuckle. I really started believing it. We never did. The best weve done is 12th. I kind of still believe it might happen. Anything can happen."

Three of Tolsmas All-Americans Heather Sagan, Josh McDougal and Sam Chelanga combined to win six national championships. Sagan won the 2002 indoor mile title, and McDougal was the cross country national champion in 2007.

He established the purpose and the vision. Dr. Falwell certainly did, but Coach embraced that and he cast the vision of, 'Why not be able to compete at the national level?' Bingham said.

Chelanga, who won four national titles, is arguably Tolsmas most distinguished athlete.

He finished as a runner-up in cross country as a sophomore in 2008 before breaking through with the cross country title as a junior in 2009. In the spring of 2010, he won the 10,000 outdoor national championship which, in turn, created added plenty of weight on Tolsma's shoulders.

He came back his senior year and I felt so much pressure because everybody was like, if he doesnt win, if he gets second, hes a loser, because hes the defending champion," Tolsma said. "Theres been many, many athletes that won one year and they dont win the next year."

I was reading too much into it and hearing all the naysayers, and Ive got to stop doing this because you can let people inside your head, and thats dangerous. Youre much better working for an audience of one and just know if I do right and I do my best, thats all I got to do.

Chelanga delivered with a second straight cross country national title in 2010, then added his fourth crown in the 5,000 at the 2011 outdoor national championships.

Chelanga was consistently a threat at national events, finishing with five runner-up finishes in track & field events to go along with his second-place cross countryfinish as a sophomore.

Doing things excellent, doing it with a purpose, doing it and realizing regardless of your facilities, regardless of what your travel budget is or whatever you can go and train hard and compete hard and train with the best, Bingham said of Tolsmas message to his athletes. How many schools have had multiple national champions in cross country?

Tolsma, in addition to his coaching accolades, was one of the top decathletes for his age over a 10-year stretch soon after his arrival in Lynchburg. He won the 45-50 age group at the USA National Decathlon Championships in 1993, finished second in the same age group at the 1993 World Championships, then set a world record for the over 50 age group in the double-decathlon in 2002.

He was inducted into the Lynchburg Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

Tolsmas background as a decathlete prepared him to work with the men in the decathlon and the women in the heptathlon.

He brought a wealth of knowledge. He is one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life, and if you have a problem with something in an event whether it be technical or mental hes going to figure out a way to help you get over that hump, said Kylie (Polsgrove) Waldroop, who won the ASUN Conference heptathlon outdoor title as a senior in 2019.

With his background in doing the decathlon, and even the double decathlon, he understood each and every event. Not only the mental capacity and strength to do those events, but also how important the technical aspects of those things are. His experience really got to be displayed not only in coaching, but in how he would compete, too.

I would say his experience was really pivotal to how well his athletes do, because he knows so much and has so much knowledge and is so creative. He will literally stay up all night trying to figure out how to fix one little thingof what is wrong in an event for you. Hes definitely passionate about what he did, and he worked really hard for his athletes.

Tolsmas plans for retirement including spending time with his 16 grandchildren, tinkering with projects and writing. He is rewriting his first book, The Surrendered Christian Athlete, that came out in 2001, and is in the process of penning a second book, titled The Surrendered Christian Coach.

He said he will be Libertys biggest supporter during retirement and plans to attend the upcoming seasons ASUN cross country championship at Lipscomb University.

We never won one of those. We lost by a point this year, he said. The girls team definitely has a team [that] if theyre running well they should be able to take it. Id like to go out and see that. I think thatll keep me busy.

Bingham admitted hes not going to fill Tolsmas shoes in leading the program Im going to try to step along and see where the path leads, but he plans on continuing the vision Tolsma had for the program.

Bingham, like Tolsma before him, initially washesitant to take over at Liberty. Tolsma, who finished his three-year contract in May, reached out to Bingham to ask about whether he'd consider leaving Abilene Christian to return to Liberty during the 2018-19 season.

It took nearly a full year before Bingham got back to Tolsma; ACU, Bingham initially thought, would be his final coaching stop but Bingham decided to return to a program he helped build alongside Tolsma.

God was very gracious in that whole process, Bingham said.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Bingham arrived in Lynchburg much earlier than scheduled. Abilene Christian was scheduled to host the Southland Conference outdoor championship, which would have made the handoff between Tolsma and Bingham look more like a run than the stroll it turned into.

Instead, Bingham was at Liberty in time to work with Tolsma on getting the 2020-21 roster set, finding ways to ensure Tolsmas vision for the program continued.

I thought this handoff was going to be at a sprint pace, and I was looking to have a great handoff between Coach Bingham and I, Tolsma said. Instead, were just walking. Theres no chance of dropping the baton on this one, because its easy.

Im getting a taste of what retirement is like already, and I like it.

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Tolsma reflects on legacy, accomplishments in lengthy career at Liberty - Lynchburg News and Advance

I Suppressed So Much of My Humanity in Being Here – Slate

Photo illustration by Derreck Johnson. Photos by Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AFP via Getty Images and AaronAmat/iStock/Getty Images Plus.

LeeQuan McLaurin thought it would be the simplest of actions for his department at Liberty University, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, to post something on social media in response to the ongoing nationwide protests against police brutality. But in this case, Libertys director of diversity retention says he encountered nothing but delays and confusion from colleagues when he tried to get approval for a post. According to McLaurin, his bossthe offices director, Greg Dowell, who is also blacksaid a post was unnecessary. Then the topic came up at a larger meeting, still with no action. On June 1, McLaurin finally went ahead and posted something himself to the offices account: a simple image reading BLACK LIVES MATTER and a caption citing six Bible verses backing up the slogan. Within an hour, McLaurin said, an administrator had removed the post. (McLaurin shared a screengrab of the post with Slate, but the administrator did not respond to a request for comment.)

McLaurin, who had worked at Liberty since he graduated from the school in 2015, resigned in early June, an act he described as the culmination of accumulated years of frustration at a school he loved. For him, the current moment is a time for both optimism and regret. He recalled feeling sick sitting as a chaperone to a mostly white student group at a Blexit event that black conservative activist Candace Owens held in Richmond, Virginia, last yeara rally intended to convince black voters to leave the Democratic Party. Liberty had offered the outing as a cultural excursion. McLaurin said that someone outside his department sent out an all-campus email about it from McLaurins Liberty email account without his permission. Backstage after the event, watching Owens surrounded by adoring white people, it felt like I was in a horror movie. I cannot encourage students of color to go to that university the way that it is, McLaurin said. Our students deserve better. Our faculty deserve better. Our staff deserves better. (A Liberty spokesman declined my request for interviews with Dowell and Jerry Falwell Jr. and did not respond to a detailed list of questions.)

LeeQuan McLaurin, former director of diversity retention at Liberty University.

Courtesy of LeeQuan McLaurin

McLaurins resignation came just days after Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. ignited widespread outrage by tweeting an image of a face mask decorated with the infamous racist photo from the 1984 medical school yearbook of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. (The photo depicts one white student in blackface and another in a KKK robe at a costume party; Northam initially confessed he was one of the men in the photo, and later recanted.) Falwell Jr. has clashed frequently with Northam, a Democrat, over issues including a recent statewide mask mandate. If I am ordered to wear a mask, I will reluctantly comply, only if this picture of Governor Blackface himself is on it! Falwell Jr. wrote in his tweet.

Falwell Jr. deleted the post two weeks later and tweeted an apology for any hurt my effort caused, acknowledging that reproducing the racist image refreshed the trauma that image had caused and offended some by using the image to make a political point. In a video posted to Facebook by independent journalist Andre Whitehead, Falwell Jr. said he decided to apologize after meeting with black associates including Allen McFarland, a member of the board of directors, and former NFL running back Rashad Jennings, a Liberty alumnus who delivered the schools commencement address in 2016. An alternately jokey and defiant Falwell Jr. also said Dowell will report to him directly from now on, and that students will receive Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday for the first time in the schools history. (Falwells father preached against integration and lambasted King as a Communist in the 1960s, though he later expressed regret over his anti-integration stances.)

He recalled feeling sick sitting as a chaperone to a mostly white student group at a Blexit event with Candace Owens: It felt like I was in a horrormovie.

But Falwell Jr.s apology has not quieted the growing chorus of black employees and alumni calling for deeper changes at one of the countrys largest evangelical colleges. Thomas Starchia, who was an associate director in the Office of Spiritual Development, announced his resignation with a heavy, frustrated, yet peaceful heart on June 5. Starchias responsibilities included greeting guests at the Montview Mansion, a guesthouse on campus. He said he had an internal crisis after Falwell Jr.s mask tweet that came to a head when he was instructed to meet Falwell Jr. himself along with some visitors at the mansion. I couldnt go to the house, he told me by email. It was at that moment that I went to my office, and realized that it was time for me to step down. Starchia graduated from Liberty in 2010 and had worked there full time since 2012.

In Starchias resignation letter, which he quoted to Slate, he wrote, I cannot submit myself under [Falwell Jr.s] leadership at this current time as a black employee of the university. In response, he said, Falwell Jr. and multiple upper-level administrators called him directly to ask him to reconsider; Falwell Jr. encouraged and pushed him, in Starchias words, to read Falwell Jr.s apology tweets. Starchia said he would think it over but ultimately decided he had to leave. I suppressed so much of my humanity as a black and queer man in being here, he wrote to me. He remembered being called an Oreo to his face, being introduced as the black friend, and being asked during Black History Month why theres no White History Month. I want to be hopeful, but until the university recognizes their past history with racism, apologizes for it, and enacts significant policy implementation from the board level, he wrote to me, I do not foresee any changes for students or staff.

At least two other black employees at Liberty have resigned publicly since Falwell Jr. tweeted the racist image. Keyvon Scott, an online admissions counselor, resigned June 8. I cannot in good faith encourage people to attend a school with racially insensitive leadership and culture, he tweeted. It is a poor reflection of what Jesus Christ requires of us. Christopher House, an online instructor teaching a course on intercultural communications, resigned from Liberty the day after Falwell Jr.s tweet. A friend who is a Liberty graduate sent him the tweet in a text message, he said, and he decided immediately to leave his part-time teaching job at the school. In that moment it was as if my ancestors rose up within me and I knew I need to resign, he told me. It was an automatic deal breaker. House said he has not received any communication from anyone at the school since he stepped down. In the video posted by Whitehead, Falwell responded dismissively to a question about House, at first saying he had not heard about the resignation and then correctly noting that House teaches two courses.

I cannot encourage students of color to go to that university the way that itis. LeeQuan McLaurin, former director of diversity retention at Liberty University

There are indications that the turmoil may affect Libertys ability to recruit and retain minority students, too. Star basketball player Asia Todd, a sophomore, announced on Thursday that she is planning to transfer out of the school. Due to the racial insensitivities shown within the leadership and culture, it simply does not align with my moral compass or personal convictions, she said in a video posted to Twitter. Therefore, I had to do what I felt was best within my heart and stand up for what is right. A source with connections to the Liberty athletic community told me that several high school football players in Georgia declined scholarships to Liberty in early June because of Falwells racial insensitivity.

A current employee on campus, who is black and spoke on condition of anonymity, described her experience as an undergraduate at the school as isolating. She lived in an apartment-style campus housing unit that was relatively expensive compared with other Liberty housing, and she frequently felt like white students were suspicious of her presence there. She interviewed for multiple student leadership positionsthe interviewers were all white, she saysand never received a call back. As an employee, she has become similarly aware of the whiteness of the schools leadership ranks. The power structure on campus is definitely not built in favor of minorities, so its hard for us to speak out, she said. Most of us are in lower-level positions, and we cant afford to risk our jobs.

Brown-skinned people abound in Libertys marketing materials, the employee noted. But the student body, not to mention the population of professors and senior leadership, is overwhelmingly white. Of the 29 people listed on Libertys website as executive or senior leaders, only Dowell is black. McLaurin said the schools internal count recorded a drop in the black residential student population from 10 percent in 2007 to just 4 percent in 2018. Falwell Jr. prefers to emphasize the demographics of the schools larger online program, where 27 percent of students are black.

There have been other signs of outspoken dissent in recent weeks. A group of 35 black alumni, including pastors and former student athletes, issued an open letter on June 1 calling for Falwell Jr. to resign. Annette Madlock Gatison, a professor of strategic and personal communication, who is black, wrote a public blog post the next day lamenting what she described as Liberty condoning racism, fear, and hate-mongering coming with biblical justification:

It was naive of me to think that my presence in an institution that historically contested my mere existence would ever change. Why did I take this job in the first place? Listening for and answering to a God of liberation and social justice sent me on a mission in a war zone. How can I continue to work at such an institution where the leader thinks it is OK to promote racism, hate, and fear? How can I continue to lend my expertise, credibility, and professional reputation to a university that will never see meI am invisible, I am a commodity, I am expendable.

For some black alumni, the events of the past few weeks have prompted them to reflect on their experiences on campus. Joshua McMillion, who graduated in 2018 and went on to work for the school until this spring, said he was struck by Libertys silence during the early waves of the Black Lives Matter movement. The leaders were either completely silent or would bring in speakers to gaslight students, he said. He recalled feeling that the school used speakers like Ben Carson to make it look like it was addressing issues important to black students. But when a predominantly black ministry McMillion belonged to wanted to host a panel discussion on Black Lives Matter, an administrator refused to allow the event to take place on campus. They held the event at a local anti-poverty nonprofit instead.

Open racial dissentor dissent of any kindhas been rare over the course of Libertys 49-year history. In the fall of 2018, some students protested what they described as a racist school culture, after twin students dressed up for Halloween as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer and a man in a sombrero. Another group demonstrated when Owens came to speak. But those protests attracted just a few dozen students on a campus of 15,000.

To McLaurin, something seems to be different this time. For a long time as a Liberty employee, he didnt feel he would be heard if he said what he really thought. Its hard to know what I know and not speak up, he said. My hope is Ill get so much out there that theyll have no choice but to change.

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I Suppressed So Much of My Humanity in Being Here - Slate

Liberty Kitchen’s virtual dinner brings questions of race, inclusion in New Orleans to the table – NOLA.com

When a special dinner from Libertys Kitchen gets started Thursday, chef Alfred Singleton, of Caf Sbisa, will be at the stove but far from the guests assembled for the evening.

The same goes for Tour Folkes, the cocktail pro behind the nights featured drink pairing, as well as Libertys Kitchen grad Gioia Barconey, the host for this edition of the nonprofits virtual guest chef dinner series. Even T-Ray the Violinist will provide the nights music from afar.

Yet for Libertys Kitchen, and for those cooking and following along from home, an event held at a distance is closely aligned with issues now ringing through the outcry against racism and calls for change.

People are more willing to talk about whats happening in our society now and thats in tandem with our mission, said Dennis Bagneris, CEO of Libertys Kitchen, the nonprofit cafe and youth development program.

Liberty's Kitchen CEO Dennis Bagneris high-fives a trainee during family meal, where trainees and staff gather to eat lunch at Liberty's Kitchen in New Orleans.

Virtual events have been a lifeline for many groups through the pandemic, with large gatherings off the table. For Libertys Kitchen, this ongoing guest chef series is vital because it takes the place of its biggest annual fundraiser, Come Grow With Us. The series will continue in July (people who sign up for the dinner get a box of ingredients delivered to prepare as they follow a live Zoom event, or can support just by logging into the Zoom video to follow along; see details below).

The Libertys Kitchen dinner arrives as the nonprofit is simultaneously compelled by the pandemic to find new ways to operate and energized by greater attention to the issues that have always propelled its work.

Were not a Black program, were a program for people in need, what does it say that 90% of the people we serve are people of color? Thats not a coincidence, said Bagneris. The problems lie with the racial profiling, the inherent bias or the in-your-face racism that young people have to encounter to get hired or stay hired.

Culinary Training manager Tori Nero and a trainee at Liberty's Kitchen.

Libertys Kitchen works in the same realm as Caf Reconcile in Central City and Caf Hope on the west bank, two culinary-based youth development nonprofits.

While the cafe and culinary training program are the vehicles, the mission goes beyond food. It's about investing in talent and talent development, Bagernis said.

Its an opportunity to learn, develop, grow, make mistakes, in an environment where youre free to fail, instead of having that experience be life-altering, because society has given a certain segment of the population less chance to make mistakes, Bagneris said.

Gioia Barconey, an alum of Liberty's Kitchen, chats with the crowd as chef Michael Gulotta starts preparations at the Ann Maloney Cooking Club.

When the pandemic hit, the Libertys Kitchen cafe had to close (it is now scheduled to reopen for takeout on July 6). The nonprofit's leaders worried that the crisis would also limit their work with youth.

In fact, the opposite happened, it redirected us to who we are, Bagneris said. Because at the core we are about being here for our young people, about wanting to make a change for the work environment and the society they live in as a whole, it has still resonated with people.

The group was able to sustain and in some cases expand partnerships with other organizations. Its food access programs continued and Libertys Kitchen case management staff found themselves working with their Youth Development Program participants more, not less, as the shutdowns sharpened needs and focused efforts.

The virtual chef dinner series is another way Libertys Kitchen is moving forward.

Dennis Bagneris, CEO of Libertys Kitchen, and Toure Folkes, bartender and cocktail consultant.

All of the people Libertys Kitchen recruited to lead Thursday's dinner are Black, and that was intentional.

Singleton built a career in big-name New Orleans restaurants before reopening the classic Caf Sbisa in 2016 as chef and partner, starting a new chapter in one the French Quarters oldest restaurants, now with Black ownership.

Folkes, a cocktail consultant, last year created Turning Tables, a program to increase inclusion for people of color in the bar and spirits business.

T-Ray The Violinist is a New Orleans-based musician who takes a multi-genre approach to violin.

T-Ray the Violinist uses his performances to break stereotypes about musical styles, and the musicians behind them.

And Barconey is a Libertys Kitchen success story on multiple levels, as a graduate of its program, president of its Youth Leadership Council and founder of her Greezy NOLA Catering business.

They tell a story about the fabric of our community, said Bagneris.

The overwhelming message from people of color is that getting to the next level shouldnt come down to the approval of a White audience, he said. It shouldnt be about people of color having their talents pushed forward and celebrated in spite of their color. That should never be a challenge or an issue. It should come from who they are and what they do.

Liberty's Kitchen Virtual Guest Chef Night

When: Thursday, June 25, 5-6:30 p.m.

What: Guest chef Alfred Singleton, of Cafe Sbisa, guides participants via Zoom as they prepare a meal in their own homes, with a cocktail pairing from Tour Folkes, music by T-Ray the Violinist and Gioia Barconey as host. Tickets are $60 and include a box of ingredients to prepare the meal and cocktail delivered to your door (delivery in New Orleans only); or contribute $25 for Zoom conference access to follow along. See details here. Get tickets here.

Change, realization, uplift, expression. Ideas now coursing through this moment of history as people protest racism are the same as those that

With so much attention now focused on Louisiana in crisis, maybe Louisiana people can also show what helps us power through dire adversity.

A good restaurant tip is gold in this town. New Orleans people covet them, cultivate them, exchange them.

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Liberty Kitchen's virtual dinner brings questions of race, inclusion in New Orleans to the table - NOLA.com