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Advocates Intensify Focus on Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure

SACRAMENTO OBSERVER — In an appeal to District leaders, NAACP Washington, D.C. Branch President Akosua Ali, along with nearly two dozen advocates, cited DC Water’s capital improvement plan that left 80% of lead replacement efforts in the hands of District residents who would be required to enroll in a government program. The status quo, Ali said, places the administrative burden on lower-income and less-informed residents.
The post Advocates Intensify Focus on Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
The post Advocates Intensify Focus on Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 years ago

July 7, 2022

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By Sam P.K. Collins | Word In Black | Sacramento Observer

Earlier this year, the District branch of the NAACP launched a campaign urging D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and the D.C. Council to reduce children’s exposure to lead, whether they’re at home or in school.

Since the turn of the century, based upon the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority’s initial efforts to replace lead pipes in the District, lead exposure has been a hot-button issue – especially in connection with school-aged children and expectant mothers. Both populations, when exposed to lead, remain at a high risk of developing health problems.

In an appeal to District leaders, NAACP Washington, D.C. Branch President Akosua Ali, along with nearly two dozen advocates, cited DC Water’s capital improvement plan that left 80% of lead replacement efforts in the hands of District residents who would be required to enroll in a government program.

The status quo, Ali said, places the administrative burden on lower-income and less-informed residents.

Ali has since championed legislation introduced by D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) and six of her council colleagues. If passed, the Green New Deal for a Lead-Free DC Amendment Act ramps up the removal of hazardous lead service lines on private and public land while expanding the District’s lead remediation workforce via the D.C. Infrastructure Academy.

In the interim, Ali continues to urge the District government to bring lead removal programs to residents and increase access to water filters.

“It would be a safe analysis to state that [some of the] lead service lines go into our schools,” Ali said. “The government would have to look into clusters, blocks and communities. Infrastructure aside, the government has to bring the programs to the people.”

Looking into District Schools and Daycares

Legislation approved by the D.C. Council in 2017 designates 5 parts per billion (ppb) as the threshold for filter replacement and lead remediation in District schools but many advocates cite any kind of lead exposure as dangerous.

Lead exposure can damage a child’s brain and nervous system, which slows growth and development and increases the likelihood of learning and behavior issues. Adults exposed to lead often experience high blood pressure and problems with their brain, kidneys and reproductive organs. In recent years, advocates have deemed partial lead service line replacement projects conducted by DC Water as insufficient in stopping lead exposure.

The District’s estimated to have more than 28,000 lead or galvanized-iron pipes, all of which DC Water intends to replace by 2030.

Projects initiated by DC Water involve main water replacement, emergency repairs and D.C. Department of Transportation-related projects. In areas where DC Water doesn’t plan to do construction, property owners can enter two programs through D.C. Department of Energy and Environment to receive lead replacement services at a discount.

Since the passage of the Childhood Lead Exposure Prevention Amendment Act, some District schools have undergone lead pipe replacement as part of capital improvement plans. A DC Department of General Services (DGS) representative said given the sporadic nature of high lead readings, the D.C. government has opted to collectively perform remediation across all District public school facilities.

Over the last five years, DGS has recorded 65 instances when drinking water in District schools had lead readings of more than 5 ppb. During the 2021-2022 academic year, only 10 devices in DCPS facilities tested higher than 5 ppb before the execution of lead remediation. After that procedure, none of the pipes tested beforehand had levels surpassing 5 ppb. DGS said that 70% of the devices with high lead level readings were based in Wards 7 and 8.

In situations when DGS detects high levels of lead in school drinking water, contractors shut off the water source, replace the filter and conduct another test. The process, most of which involves laboratory testing, takes two weeks. However, some advocates, like those representing Black Millennials 4 Flint, have questioned whether school officials erect signs near the contaminated water source informing students and community members about the lead reading.

Other issues of concern for Black Millennials 4 Flint member Michelle Mabson involve whether children are being tested for lead exposure and the degree to which officials have conducted lead readings in daycare and child development facilities located in single-family homes.

“If we know that lead is being ingested at schools, recreation centers, childcare facilities and homes, and we know the effects of lead and the neurocognitive harms, the question is if we’re testing children as often as we need,” Mabson said.

“The other question is what are we seeing in these schools with elevated levels where students are struggling?” Mabson added. “What’s the connection to lead? It does have a bearing on the educational outcomes in students. We can see that in some ways across the city where elevated lead levels can be detected.”

Lewis George said we can ill-afford to ignore the long-term effect of lead poisoning on children.

“Young people absorb four to five times as much lead as adults,” she said. “They are vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer the impacts on the development of their brain and nervous system. It comes in various ways with children who are left with behavioral and intellectual disabilities.”

The post Advocates Intensify Focus on Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

The post Advocates Intensify Focus on Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

The post Advocates Intensify Focus on Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

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Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

6 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

6 days ago

February 27, 2026

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Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,