Local
Please take action to demand the release of Springfield Haitian pastors recently imprisoned by ICE.
Suggested message: “My name is (insert your name and any affiliation). I urge you to intervene immediately in the detention of Rev. Adrien and Rev. Dumanom, two Haitian pastors from Springfield, Ohio, and to do all you can, both privately and publicly, to facilitate their release. These two pastors are significant peacemakers and provide critical support for the Haitian community in this time of trauma and uncertainty. These pastors have been removed from the community and we demand that they be returned and provided due process.” Calling is most effective, but you can also email.
• Gov. Dewine 614-644-4357 https://governor.ohio.gov/contact (You can thank the Governor for his support of the Haitian community and then tell him it’s not enough)
• Senator Jon Husted : 202-224-3353 https://www.husted.senate.gov/
• Senator Moreno : 202 -224-2315 https://www.moreno.senate.gov/
Haga clic aquí para español - Click here for Spanish
Masked ICE agents are conducting aggressive enforcement operations throughout Springfield, stopping vehicles mid-street, going door-to-door, and using city property as a staging area. At this week’s City Commission meeting, residents testified about the terror gripping their community.
What was Mayor Rue's response? A moment of silence and a prayer. Meanwhile, Governor DeWine has seemingly abandoned the issue.
We must be crystal clear about the political realities shaping our elections. In 2024, former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential race driven in key part by strategic campaign commercials and national ad buys highlighting her California prosecutorial record. These campaigns explicitly targeted Black communities by focusing on tough-on-crime messaging, aggressive prosecutions, and systemic wrongful convictions—contributing to over 21% of Black men voting for Donald Trump. Voters refuse to offer unearned loyalty when concerns surrounding prosecutorial histories, mass incarceration, and systemic injustice are ignored.
Statements made by Democratic gubernational candidate Amy Acton regarding qualified immunity and ICE have riled progressives and leftist activists throughout Ohio.
Acton told reporters on Tuesday she supports keeping qualified immunity in place for government workers – even though she signed the petition to end qualified immunity, say activists. Acton also said she backs local police cooperating with ICE agents to apprehend immigrants.
Columbus resident Cynthia Brown has led the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity (OCTEQI) for nearly a decade. After years of underhanded rejection from duplicitous state officials, the Ohio Attorney General in 2024 finally allowed the OCTEQI to begin collecting the 400,000-plus signatures needed for the “Protecting Ohioans’ Constitutional Rights Amendment” to be put on a future ballot.
Brown’s inspiration to end qualified immunity in Ohio began after her 30-year-old nephew Kareem Ali Nadir Jones in 2017 was shot in the back and killed by Columbus police who should never have approached Jones in the first place because he was simply walking down a back alley.
Thurs., Aug. 27, 6 p.m. ET
Register here
Join the ACLU of Ohio's Policy & Advocacy Team for an introduction and examination of our latest toolkit, Eyes on You: The Rise of Mass Surveillance in Ohio. In recent decades, the list of surveillance technologies utilized by our government has not just expanded; it’s grown exponentially.
Learn how to fight back against Big Tech and protect privacy rights in your community.
Wednesday, August 26, 6:30 – 8pm
First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd.
Meet the candidates running for office in Franklin County, Delaware County, and Statewide, then sign up to volunteer for those who inspire you most!
We need boots on the ground to get good candidates elected. This is an opportunity for you to help in whatever way you can. Consider this a match-making party where you get to choose your match!
Here's the list of candidates who will attend:
Statewide Candidates: John Kulewicz - Attorney General
Congressional Candidates: Don Leonard (OH15); Jerrad Christian (OH12); Joshua Kolasinski (OH4).
Candidates for Ohio Statehouse: Bill Demora - Senate; Scott Charland - Senate; Stacie Baker - House; Munira Abdullahi - House; Ukeme Jeter - House; Vince McGrail - House.
Other Candidates: Chris Brown - Common Pleas Judge; Andy Miller - Common Pleas Judge; Carl Aveni - Common Pleas Judge; Ryan Grissinger - Delaware County Commissioner.
This story was originally published on an Arabic website called Stories from History, and I found it both unique and compelling. What especially caught my attention was that the story involved a white school principal and a Black student whose lives became unexpectedly connected. Two of my recent articles have focused on human-interest stories from Egypt. This story, however, took place much closer to home—in my home state of Ohio.
Here is how the story began.
In 2024, 16-year-old American student Landerius “DeDe” Hayes found himself facing an extraordinarily difficult situation through no fault of his own. He was experiencing homelessness after his family’s housing situation changed, and the school district determined that he no longer had an address within its boundaries. As a result, Hayes was ordered to withdraw from Lakota East High School.
For a teenager already struggling with instability, losing his school could have meant losing one of the few sources of structure and support in his life.
This article first appeared on the Buckeye Flame
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has confirmed that individuals now must submit an amended birth certificate issued by the Ohio Department of Health in order to change the sex marker on their driver’s license, identification card or driving record.
Previously, Ohioans were able to complete a “Declaration of Gender” form that allowed an individual “under the guidance and direction of a qualified and licensed professional, to change their gender designation.”
This new BMV policy does not affect name changes.
LGBTQ+ advocates noticed this week that the gender-change form was abruptly removed from the BMV’s website without an announcement of policy change.
As a musician it took me decades to learn the difference between hearing and listening.
Sure, you can hear that another musician might be rushing or dragging a phrase, but are you adjusting to that? Are you also making a change to help?
That’s what listening is all about and it’s a huge difference.
- You hear what is going on around you and adjust to make it better.
- You choose to make a change musically not because you have to, but because it helps someone else and creates a more beautiful piece of music.
Great musicians automatically listen and it’s wonderful to experience. Average musicians hear the same music, but do nothing. They don’t change what they are doing. They just play the notes on the page. Then there’s Columbus City Council.
They hear what you’re saying, but do nothing. Hearing is easy. Listening demands effort and empathy; two things missing from the halls of City Hall.
Why Don’t they Listen?
Easy. They don’t have to.
There are no repercussions to not listening.
Diabetes is just one of the diseases that the men of Eta Nu Nu have committed themselves to addressing. Yesterday’s Walk with Me Sugar 5k run/walk was a resounding success and a lot of fun. Nearly 400 people showed up for a morning of exercise and fellowship. DJ Reesee kept the atmosphere loose and upbeat meanwhile the diverse crowd was treated to a show-stopping performance by members of the Linden McKinley High School Marching Band. Buckeye Brutus was also on hand to soak in the festivities as was City Attorney Zach Klein. Participants had the option to run or walk the 5k course or the 1k route. It seemed that many chose the former.