Local
Dear Columbus,
Consider this a love letter, even if it begins with a harsh reality.
A little over a week ago, a police officer stood in front of cameras and lied. He lied loudly into a microphone, attempting to plant evidence on my character by fabricating the cost of my suit and the brand of my shoes, all to set up a rehearsed line calling me a “poverty pimp.”
For those unfamiliar with the term, a “poverty pimp” is someone accused of profiting personally from the communities they claim to serve. It has clear historically racial undertones and that is without question. It is a slur designed to discredit the messenger before the message lands and before change can actually be achieved. It is a term and tool of distraction.
Over the past few months, Mount Vernon Avenue on the city’s Near East side, has welcomed a new house of worship in the form of the St. James Christian Center located where Unity Baptist Church once sat. Previously located off of 161 in a shopping center area, the St. James Christian Center now resides in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood. Once thriving thoroughfares, Mount Vernon Avenue and Long Street formed the basis of the Bronzeville community, a neighborhood that fashioned itself a city within a city that had its own mayor and city council.
This article first appeared here
Ohio’s Republican Statehouse supermajority plans to to give themselves a lengthy Summer break this year, so they’re trying to cram several months of evil into just a few weeks.
If you have some free time today (5/17/26) or tonight, there are many key bills that need public testimony!
Just go to TakeActionOhio.com, click on a bill that interests you, and take the actions listed.
For example, if you want to testify against the bill to ban diversity efforts in k-12 public schools(!!), click on “SB 113 and HB 155”:
In the current political climate, the Fourth Estate must act as more than a witness; we must serve as a digital powerhouse for transparency and a guardian of constitutional fidelity. As federal civil rights protections are systematically rolled back, the battle for institutional accountability has shifted decisively to the state level.
In Ohio, our only definitive call to action remains the power of the citizen-led ballot initiative.
The Gubernatorial Litmus Test
The 2026 race for the governor’s mansion is a critical juncture for our state. We must demand that any candidate seeking to lead Ohio publicly declares their stance on the five active citizen-led ballot measures. A true constitutionalist does not fear the people’s right to direct legislation; they embrace it as the ultimate check on government overreach. We are calling on all candidates to endorse these measures as a demonstration of their commitment to the "consent of the governed."
The Five Essential Pillars of Accountability
To restore the balance of power, we must support the following five measures:
Saturday, Mat 16, 2-4pm
Ohio Statehouse
Register here
Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais eviscerated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and opened the floodgates to racist gerrymandering across the country. This was the culmination of a decades-long Republican project to dismantle the VRA and erase minority representation across broad swaths of the country.
After winning the battle in the courts, Republicans are moving quickly to implement the ruling and carve up majority Black and brown districts. State legislatures have already redrawn or are in the process of redrawing legislative maps for Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Data centers are breaking Ohio's grid. The proof has been sitting in a public document since January
This article first appeared here
This is not the conclusion of an environmental group or a community activist. This is what the grid operator wrote in its own planning document.
PJM Interconnection publishes an independent load forecast every year. January 2026’s edition contains a table on page five that should be required reading for every Ohio lawmaker who voted for House Bill 15, every regulator who approved fracking on state park land, and every official who has stood at a podium and described data center growth as an unqualified win for Ohio.
May 15-21, various times
Gateway Film Center, 1550 N. High St., Columbus
Stea; This Story, Please! is a documentary about New York-based independent investigative journalist Amy Goodman who has been reporting from hotspots around the world for decades: from East Timor to Morocco, Nigeria, and Gaza, and closer to home during 9/11 and the Iraq War.
Goodman and a small group of colleagues present the daily online, TV, and radio news program Democracy Now!, which has been on the air since 1996 with no government funding, thanks to contributions from donors, foundations, and news consumers.
Thursday, May 14, 6pm
1004 Parsons Ave, Columbus
Recommended donation: $15
Art plays a critical role in building our movements against racism, war, and poverty. From the songs of freedom in the Civil Rights movement, to the posters of the late 60s, to the music of Tupac, art is essential in building our spirit to fight! Join us at the Columbus Liberation for our own art workshop: designing Cyanotypes for Socialism!
Bring your favorite blank material or use one of the provided tote bags and be ready to make art for the movement.
This article first appeared here.
While Amazon builds data centers next to elementary schools and American Electric Power (AEP) scrambles to keep the lights on, Ohio has spent a decade making it nearly impossible to build the one thing that could have solved the problem: clean energy.
That is the central finding of a new report released Monday by Save Ohio Parks, a statewide environmental advocacy group, at a press conference held just blocks from an Amazon facility that sits directly across a residential street from homes in Hilliard’s Carr Farms neighborhood.
Everyone's favorite festival will be here before you know it, and the volunteer schedule for our 54th annual festival is now live. ComFest only happens because community members like you show up and pitch in. Thank you!
We’d be honored if you would join us again this year. Signing up only takes a few minutes. Please take a look at the FAQ and role descriptions below.
FAQ:
What do I wear?
- The dress code is simple: comfortable shoes, breathable clothing- shorts, a dress, a kilt - whatever keeps you cool.
I have some physical limitations, can I still help?
- Absolutely. Most shifts can accommodate specific needs; let us know what you require and we'll work it out.
What is the time committment?
- Most shifts run just three to four hours.
What's in if for me?