This Week @ NewComm: WE DON'T NEED PERMISSION

Dear NewComm Community,

Today's?#SCOTUS?decision has left me with a heavy heart, but it has also reignited the passion that led me to start NewComm, even with a full time job.?The reality of systematic denial of access to opportunity and freedom for those who grew up in neighborhoods like mine is something I simply cannot ignore.

In the face of this disheartening moment, I am more determined than ever to continue developing summer and out-of-school programming that bridges the opportunity gap in our country. My mission is to equip students from under-resourced communities with the necessary tools to understand the complexities of our world and strategically dismantle the barriers that hinder our collective thriving.

If you're wondering how you can support our work, I invite you to consider contributing to our FUTURES Fund. This fund will ensure that students from under-resourced communities have the chance to travel abroad to Kigali, Rwanda where they can learn how groundbreaking innovation can start person to person, neighbor to neighbor. We don't need permission from the government to build infrastructures that support and uplift us.

Let's stand together and make a difference. Join me in supporting NewComm and the FUTURES Fund, and let's create a future where everyone has equal access to opportunities and the freedom to succeed. Together, we can break down barriers and empower communities.?

Warm regards,

Chidi

Founder and CEO, NewComm PROJECT

RESOURCES THAT HAVE INFORMED OUR WORK THIS WEEK:

Afro-Futurism: Putting Joy At The Center In The Pursuit of Justice For Black Liberation

• "Part of our promise to [...] ourselves, is to always keep it real: [...] that’s why we have to be honest: we have conflicting feelings about Juneteenth. Our mission includes centering race and joy in the pursuit of justice, so we are fully on board with the spirit of the day. But like too many things, the talk and the walk don’t match up. [...] And the truth is, the rapid commodification of Juneteenth has taken us away from what the day is supposed to be about: Black liberation. To get there we have to move beyond empty celebrations and platitudes, tackle anti-blackness head on and create new systems and institutions that embrace Black people’s humanity. We must recognize that the marathon of eradicating anti-blackness is still in its first steps. So how do we get to where we’re going faster? Projects like?Black Future Newsstand?shows us by centering Blackness and tapping into afrofuturism. Black Future Newsstand?explores the question: What does a media that loves Black people look, feel, sound, and taste like in a future where reparations are real? The Maven Collaborative Centering Blackness Fellow, and Collette Watson from Media 2070 sum up the work necessary today in?TIME magazine: “If we are to successfully achieve racial justice, we need to create something that’s never existed before: A media system grounded in?care?as an antidote for?harm. It’s not enough to celebrate Juneteenth and the emancipation from slavery as an abstract call to unity. We are facing the prospect of an entire generation being misled as to the true history of slavery and discrimination, and being doomed to repeat it.” This Juneteenth, we are drawing upon Black imagination, creativity and joy to spark hope and actualize our potential to become an equitable society." / Maven Collaborative

Breaking Barriers Through A Truly Inclusive Education

• “[…]?In the realm of fostering healthy social skills, one that challenges traditional notions of age-based grouping and homogeneous environments emerges instead as inclusive education begins to come, however slowly, to the fore. It recognises that the development of these skills is not solely dependent on chronological age, and abilities, even, but on a complex interplay of various factors.?This requires the pivotal role of facilitators and the power of smart grouping based on chemistry and cognitive age–for example, how we look?beyond?the child and their labels.?Smart grouping, the strategic alignment of individuals based on shared cognitive age and compatible personalities, recognises that intellectual and emotional development can transcend chronological markers, allowing children and teens with similar cognitive capabilities to engage with and learn from one another. Breaking free from the confines of traditional age-based structures, this approach empowers learners to forge connections based on commonalities, shared experiences, and mutual understanding to lay the foundation for experiences they may not share but can learn from. The facilitator, acting as a guide, should possess a profound understanding of individual needs, strengths, and areas for growth; orchestrating an environment focusing on the unique cognitive abilities and emotional landscape of each individual. This creates a space where meaningful, vibrant connections can flourish, unearthing the true potential of social interaction that’s expansive and exploratory. […]”?/ Imagine If Education

YES! Summit: Connecting Africa’s Youth with Opportunities

• “Youth Energy Summit, YES! Was launched last year in Brussels. The inspiration behind it was the desire to help boost the skills, connections and the business readiness of future energy leaders in the continent. […] This year, thanks to a growing list of key partnerships across corporates, foundations, NGOs, universities and sector initiatives, YES! Has a chance to showcase its credentials on home soil between 20-23 June in Nairobi. […] Through YES! We want to defvelop Africa’s most valuable asset: its youth. To build tomorrow’s world, the youth need to be at the same table as the decision-makes in energy. This way, stakeholders are able to learn from each other and go in hand to build a better future.” / The Energy Intelligence?

Looking Back on Three Years of Performative Diversity Efforts

• "[...] Layoffs are?disproportionately affecting minority workers. Meanwhile, return-to-office mandates?land differently among women and people of color, who might see working from home as the only way to juggle caregiving and community obligations, or as a safe haven from racism and isolation (being the “only”) on their team. Case in point: As conferences return to in-person setups, we’re once again seeing speaker lineups with no?women or people of color on stage. [...] Why? Because the diversity efforts of the last three years have been largely cosmetic, performative, and perfunctory.??We have barely begun to change the systems contributing to inequity. Nor have we fundamentally examined and overhauled the missions of our organizations that historically excluded people of color. We will be even further hampered if, as expected, the Supreme Court?bans the consideration of race?in school admissions. And now, faced with these limits and the economic uncertainty of 2023, the response to the little progress made since that historic summer of three years ago—when America roiled amid the Covid pandemic, racial justice protests, and a polarizing presidential campaign—is to … undo it? [...]" / TIME

FEATURED CONTENT:

From Youtube: We approach everything at Airbnb through a design lens. For us, design is not just about how things look but also how they work. We have redesigned almost every element of the guest, Host and employee experience over the last three years, and it has transformed our culture, our products, and our community. I’ll share how we did it, some of the difficult moments along the way, and how we kept design and creativity at the center of everything.

INSIDE NEWCOMM:

FELLOWS starts in two weeks, and we have added more incredible people to our team to ensure we have the best summer!

I am thrilled to introduce Mayra Velasquez as our new Senior Programs Manager. With nearly two decades of experience in diverse sectors, including insurance, law, and education, Mayra brings a wealth of expertise to our team.?

Mayra holds an M.B.A. from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a B.S. from Boston University. She has also earned a certificate in Business Communication from Cornell University. Currently, Mayra teaches at Pace University, teaching courses such as Communication in the Global Workplace and Business Ethics at Pace University.?

As Senior Program Manager, she will manage the operations and processes of our day-to-day work. Welcome Mayra!

I am also excited to introduce Medrick Ansong as our new Operations Manager. Medrick has been a member of the?Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE)?team since September 2022, where he has been serving as a College Advisor. His commitment to empowering young adults and his years of experience make him a valuable addition to our organization.

Raised in The Bronx, Medrick obtained his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Binghamton University, where he actively participated in various youth mentorship programs within the campus community. Following his graduation, Medrick pursued a career in the mental health field, gaining valuable insights and expertise. He has also made contributions to the New York State Foster Care System, providing essential support to vulnerable youth.?

As our new Operations Manager, Medrick will serve as a valuable resource and a supportive pillar for our team. We are also excited to brainstorm ways we can expand our pipeline of students in Yonkers.?Welcome Medrick!

HOW TO JOIN IN

Donate!

Email Us

Meet with our Founder, Chidi!

Thank you for reading! Feel free to reach out to us?HERE?if you have any questions. We would love to hear from you. We’ll see you again next week!