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Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Hartford Foundation awards $780,000 in grants to support summer youth programming
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has announced nearly $800,000 in grants to support summer programs for youth in the Greater Hartford area. The Foundation is awarding just over $782,000 to support 32 summer programs throughout Greater Hartford, officials said. The grants will support more than 6,250 Hartford youth, including more than 350 youth and adults with disabilities, who reside throughout the foundation's 29-town region. Among the 30 grant recipients includes Hartford's Proud, Drill, Drum, and Dance Corp, which has been awarded a $10,000 grant to allow the organization to engage 30 Hartford youth ages 3 to 18 to participate in activities that seek to foster empowerment through the arts by creating a safe environment for students to express themselves and develop a sense of belonging. The grant will also fund costumes and supplies, studio rental fees, workshops, travel expenses, and more, providing some financial relief to program participants. 'In 10 years, I envision Hartford's Proud as a thriving, influential force both within our community and in the broader performing arts world,' said Hartford's Proud founder Terry Starks. 'Our goal is for every participant to leave Hartford's Proud not only with artistic skills but also with values that shape them into engaged, compassionate adults.' Other grant recipients include the American School for the Deaf, Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, Camp Courant, Community First School, Connecticut Science Center, Hartford Stage, Hartford Public Library, Real Art Ways, and YMCA of Metropolitan Hartford among several others. Grants ranged from $10,000 up to $50,000. This year's summer program grants will support free or reduced-cost opportunities for nearly 3,400 Hartford youth and Greater Hartford youth and adults with disabilities to attend summer camp and provide nearly 2,900 youth with access to summer enrichment programs, according to officials. In underserved communities like Hartford, there is a significant gap in paid opportunities for young people with supervised career leadership. The Foundation's 2025 summer program grants include support for 131 counselor-in-training opportunities, providing Black and Latine youth with career exposure, employment opportunities and training, and the chance to develop essential life skills, the foundation said. 'This year's summer program grants showcase and highlight the vast number of programs that are supporting our Hartford youth, and youth and adults with disabilities,' said Alexis Safo-Agyeman, a community impact officer at the Hartford Foundation. 'From grassroots programs making waves in their neighborhoods, to camps that support individuals from our 29 towns, we know that with each program comes support for working families, work experience for students, and opportunities for kids to engage in learning and fun all summer long.' A full list of the 2025 grant recipients can be found here and more information on the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving can be found at Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Hartford Foundation awards $780,000 in grants to support summer youth programming
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has announced nearly $800,000 in grants to support summer programs for youth in the Greater Hartford area. The Foundation is awarding just over $782,000 to support 32 summer programs throughout Greater Hartford, officials said. The grants will support more than 6,250 Hartford youth, including more than 350 youth and adults with disabilities, who reside throughout the foundation's 29-town region. Among the 30 grant recipients includes Hartford's Proud, Drill, Drum, and Dance Corp, which has been awarded a $10,000 grant to allow the organization to engage 30 Hartford youth ages 3 to 18 to participate in activities that seek to foster empowerment through the arts by creating a safe environment for students to express themselves and develop a sense of belonging. The grant will also fund costumes and supplies, studio rental fees, workshops, travel expenses, and more, providing some financial relief to program participants. 'In 10 years, I envision Hartford's Proud as a thriving, influential force both within our community and in the broader performing arts world,' said Hartford's Proud founder Terry Starks. 'Our goal is for every participant to leave Hartford's Proud not only with artistic skills but also with values that shape them into engaged, compassionate adults.' Other grant recipients include the American School for the Deaf, Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, Camp Courant, Community First School, Connecticut Science Center, Hartford Stage, Hartford Public Library, Real Art Ways, and YMCA of Metropolitan Hartford among several others. Grants ranged from $10,000 up to $50,000. This year's summer program grants will support free or reduced-cost opportunities for nearly 3,400 Hartford youth and Greater Hartford youth and adults with disabilities to attend summer camp and provide nearly 2,900 youth with access to summer enrichment programs, according to officials. In underserved communities like Hartford, there is a significant gap in paid opportunities for young people with supervised career leadership. The Foundation's 2025 summer program grants include support for 131 counselor-in-training opportunities, providing Black and Latine youth with career exposure, employment opportunities and training, and the chance to develop essential life skills, the foundation said. 'This year's summer program grants showcase and highlight the vast number of programs that are supporting our Hartford youth, and youth and adults with disabilities,' said Alexis Safo-Agyeman, a community impact officer at the Hartford Foundation. 'From grassroots programs making waves in their neighborhoods, to camps that support individuals from our 29 towns, we know that with each program comes support for working families, work experience for students, and opportunities for kids to engage in learning and fun all summer long.' A full list of the 2025 grant recipients can be found here and more information on the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving can be found at Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
19 Mixed-Race Celebrities Who You Might Not Have Realized Have AAPI Heritage
1. Hailee Steinfeld Hailee's maternal grandfather was half Filipino and half Black. 'I've since been to the Philippines a couple of times…It's so wonderful to be in a place where you share some of the same DNA with the people that you're surrounded by,' she told Kelly Clarkson in 2020 as she reflected on discovering more about her background. 2. Nicole Scherzinger As well as being part-Hawaiian, Nicole is of Filipino descent — something that came as a surprise to TikTok users last year when she posted a video about her Filipino heritage. She shared in 2017, 'Filipino pride! ... I'm just really proud to be able to represent my people in Hawaii and the Philippines. ... I feel like some of the best voices in the world are Filipino voices. I got my voice from my Hawaiian side, too — my grandmother.' 3. Vanessa Hudgens Vanessa is Filipino on her mother's side. She has previously talked about facing assumptions that she's Latine, particularly due to the fact that she has portrayed Latine characters on-screen, despite being of Filipino heritage. 4. Timothy Granaderos Timothy is of Filipino descent on his father's side. 'My dad is Chavacano, he's from Zamboanga,' he shared in 2022. 'I have a bunch of family back in the Philippines…It's a very proud part of who I am, being Hapa, for sure.' 5. Olivia Munn Olivia — who is partly of Chinese descent — has talked openly about rejecting stereotypical roles. She said in 2021: 'Typically, as an Asian American, as an Asian American woman, the rules are: to be the submissive wife, or to be the out of control wife, to just constantly, be supporting other people's storylines, but creating this and perpetuating the stereotype that we are either submissive or crazy. For me, it has meant that I don't work as much as I would want to, because, in order to work, I'd have to take a lot more of those offers. So it takes a long time of just saying no to a lot of stuff.' 6. Jessica Henwick Another celebrity who has turned down roles to avoid feeling 'defined' by her ethnicity is Jessica Henwick, who has Chinese, Singaporean, and Zambian heritage. She told Interview magazine in 2017, 'I want to continue to broaden expectations of what an Asian can be but also pursue ones that would have spoken to me as a young Asian.' 7. Olivia Rodrigo Related: "All We Did Was Look In His Direction": People Are Opening Up About The Worst Celebs They've Ever Encountered, And I Did NOT Expect To See Some Of These Names Olivia, who is half Filipino and half white, has been open about how grateful she is to be able to represent her Filipino heritage. She shared in a 2018 interview of her background, 'My great-grandfather immigrated here from the Philippines when he was just a teenager. He's my grandma's dad, and my grandpa is also Filipino as well. My dad grew up in a house where they were always making Filipino food, his grandpa always spoke Tagalog. All of those traditions have trickled down to our generation. Every Thanksgiving we have lumpia, and things like that.' 8. Jhené Aiko Jhené's paternal grandfather was of Japanese American descent. She has long talked about her mixed-race heritage, writing of her grandfather in 2021: "i can't help but think about the discrimination he faced daily having a black wife and 6 bi racial children (and 20+ mixed race grand and great grandchildren)...i owe it to him to continue to fight for justice and equality for my communities as well." 9. Dinah Jane Former Fifth Harmony singer Dinah, who is of Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, and Danish descent, told Teen Vogue in 2023: 'I feel like I've always been in this race trying to figure it out by myself as a Polynesian woman in the mainstream world...I'm not shying away from who I am anymore. And I want it to be known that I'm coming out strong. This is who I am. I'm a Polynesian girl, and I'm not afraid to hide it, and I'm not afraid to speak my voice.' 10. H.E.R. H.E.R. is of Filipino descent on her mom's side, and Black on her dad's side. She has talked openly about embracing both cultures, having been raised in a household that proudly championed each. Related: From Florence Pugh To Zoë Kravitz, Here's All The Celebrities Who Rocked Sheer Or Naked Dresses 11. Keanu Reeves Keanu, who has Chinese, English, Irish, Native Hawaiian, and Portuguese heritage, previously told NBC News: 'My relationship to my Asian identity, it's always been good and healthy. And I love it.' When asked about being labeled a person of color, he replied, 'I don't know if I agree with that statement. But I don't not agree.' 12. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Dwayne is of Samoan and Black heritage. Of his mixed-race identity, he once tweeted, 'I identify as exactly what I am - both. Equally proud. Black/Samoan.' 13. Chloe Bennet Chloe, who is half Chinese and half white, once revealed that she'd changed her name from Wang in order to book roles in Hollywood. 'Changing my last name doesn't change the fact that my BLOOD is half Chinese, that I lived in China, speak Mandarin or that I was culturally raised both American and Chinese. It means I had to pay my rent, and Hollywood is racist and wouldn't cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable,' she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram comment in 2017. 14. Jason Momoa Jason's Native Hawaiian background has not only been proudly discussed by the star in interviews, but it has also influenced some of his acting roles, like Aquaman. 15. Janel Parrish Janel is half Chinese and half Caucasian, and was born in Hawaii. She previously said, 'I remember growing up and wanting to be an actress and watching these movies and asking my mom if I had to look like all those other girls in order to be an actress. 'Cause there were no movies with strong Asian American leads that I could watch and say, 'Oh, I identify with this person. You know, I could relate to her. I wanna be her' … Now it's like, 'This is the family that we're looking for. We're looking for a multi-ethnic family.' And that's amazing.' 16. Karrueche Tran Karreuche, who is half Vietnamese and half Black, has been open about somewhat struggling with her mixed-race identity during her childhood. 'I was always somewhere in the middle. In elementary school, I identified more with my Asian side. I had a lot of Korean friends and then once middle school hit, it was a little more diverse. It was still a weird place to be, because around the Asians, I was brown-skinned. Around Black girls, I wasn't Black enough, you know?' she shared in a 2018 interview. 17. Saweetie Rapper Saweetie, who is of Filipino and Black descent, previously said of her upbringing: 'I definitely felt out of place at times because the cultures that I was raised around were completely night and day. But I feel like those types of internal struggles help me understand people better, and I now know that not one set of people is the same. Like, my mom is of Filipino descent and my dad is of Black descent, so it allows me to be sensitive to other people's cultures.' 18. Mitski Mitski, who is half Japanese and half Caucasian American, previously opened up about "discovering" that she was an Asian American when she moved to the US during childhood. 'I didn't identify as that before I came here. People started calling me that, and I started being treated in a specific way,' she said in 2017. 19. KJ Apa KJ, who is of Samoan and European descent, previously said of his mixed heritage: "I'm half Samoan, but nobody knows it because I'm white and I have [dyed] red hair. My dad is a chief in Samoa. I almost identify more as a Samoan than I do as a New Zealander, just because I grew up with so much Samoan family, and the Samoan culture is really close to me. I feel ashamed of myself for not pursuing it more." Check out more AAPI-centered content by exploring how BuzzFeed celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Of course, the content doesn't end after May. Follow BuzzFeed's A*Pop on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to keep up with our latest AAPI content year-round. More on this "I'll Be Thinking About This Book For A Long Time": 21 "Couldn't Put Down" Books By AAPI Authors That Bookworms 100% Recommend ReadingDannica Ramirez · June 1, 2024 35 Actors That Made People Say, "FINALLY, Someone Who Looks Like Me!"Morgan Murrell · June 3, 2019 Also in Celebrity: Can You Guess Who These Terrible Celebrity Wax Figures Are Supposed To Be? Also in Celebrity: 23 Celebrity Sex Secrets I Could've Gone My Entire Life Not Knowing, And Yet Here We Are Also in Celebrity: 28 Celeb Facts That Feel Like They're Made Up But Are Shockingly Real
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Black And Latine Shoppers Continue To Boycott Target — And It Might Be Working. Here's Why.
For Kryztal Peña, a Target run used to be her weekly ritual. Peña, a Chicago-based hospital researcher and mom of two young children, loved going to the store as her 'stress coping mechanism' to walk the aisles, buy diapers and get her family out of the house. But since February, she has not done her shopping there. After Donald Trump got re-elected, Target, one of the nation's largest retailers, said in January that it would end the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals it had made to hire and promote more women and people of color, as well as to recruit more diverse suppliers to stay 'in step with the evolving external landscape,' according to a company memo sent to employees. Peña saw social media posts about the 'Latino Freeze' to protest Target's actions and decided to follow suit by boycotting the store. The first two weeks were hard. 'I definitely did miss it, but it is what it is,' she said. But she has since created new habits. Now, when Peña is low on diapers, she shops at Costco, a brand that has won praise for continuing to honor DEI principles when many companies have rolled theirs back. Peña said it would take much more than an apology at this point to get her to go back to Target. 'A statement now ― it's too far gone,' she said. 'It would take a big push where you're actually trying to reach out to Black and brown small businesses, and trying to incorporate them into your business again.' Peña is one of the many people who are joining boycott movements led by Black and Latine organizers against the retailer due to its decision to end DEI programs. And it might actually be working. One-day, no-shopping pledges like the 'economic blackout' earlier this year can face criticism for being more symbolic than effective. But a long-term boycott of a store can actually spark lasting change. Nina Turner leads a labor advocacy group called We Are Somebody and is one of the organizers calling for an indefinite boycott of Target. Turner said one of her reasons for starting her group's boycott was because Target 'lied to the Black community,' pointing to CEO Brian Cornell's statements after George Floyd's murder. After Floyd was murdered by police near Target's headquarters in 2020, Cornell said that Floyd 'could have been one of my Target team members.' In the months after Floyd's death, Target pledged to increase its Black workforce by 20% and to dedicate $10 million toward 'advancing social justice.' But just a few years later, Target walked back this pledge when it ended its DEI initiatives in January. 'Target, more than other companies … made a specific promise to the Black community, and then they bent to bigotry,' Turner said. After Target's DEI rollback this year, Turner joined forces with an Atlanta-area pastor, the Rev. Jamal Bryant, and activist Tamika Mallory to popularize a 40-day Target 'fast' to coincide with the Christian observance of Lent. Right before Easter, the three leaders met with a Target executive to see if Target would 'do the right thing,' Turner said, and restore its commitments to the Black community, invest in Black businesses and not penalize its workers. But they left the meeting with Target feeling as though nothing would change. So the three are now calling on customers to boycott all Target stores indefinitely. Target disputes that it has dropped its commitment to inclusion. 'At Target, we have an ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all team members, guests, and suppliers. It's core to how we support and grow our business,' a Target spokesperson told HuffPost when asked about the claims of Target caving to bigotry. 'We remain focused on supporting organizations and creating opportunities for people in the 2,000 communities where we live and operate.' But until Target changes its DEI policies, boycotts like these will continue. 'The Black community is serious about this boycott, and it's going to continue. We're building a Black-brown coalition as we go,' Turner said. Pediatric surgeon Dr. Michael Galvez is one of the co-organizers of the 'Latino Freeze' movement that is urging Latines to take advantage of their purchasing power and redirect it toward brands that support DEI. Galvez said the 'Latino Freeze' boycott of Target was, in part, inspired by Turner's work: 'I don't want to buy at Target if they've stopped all these initiatives,' he said. And the more groups that boycott Target, the stronger this movement becomes. Trevon Logan, a professor of economics at Ohio State University, said that a 'coordinated response' from multiple groups like the ones led by Black clergy, civil rights leaders and the 'Latino freeze' organizers can make a difference because it 'reflects a strategy that is focused and could serve as a signal to other retailers in this space.' When Turner first launched a boycott of Target earlier this year, it coincided with Black History Month. During that time, Target's foot traffic went down 6.5% compared to its year-over-year performance, while Costco's shot up 7.5%. Turner said Target's CEO Cornell has now 'found out' what happens when you dismiss 'the power of the Black dollar and the power of Black people's commitment to not be taken advantage by corporations like him.' Foot traffic at Target stores, in general, has dropped for 11 straight weeks, according to while foot traffic at Costco has been steadily increasing over the past 16 weeks. Target did not respond to questions about whether a reported drop in foot traffic can be linked to its decision to end DEI programs. 'We will have to see what the first and second quarter results are, but foot traffic is a real-time indicator of consumer response,' Logan said, noting the importance of Costco, which continues to defend DEI, seeing its foot traffic increase. Beyond foot traffic, retailers also pay attention to brand loyalty ― and that can be one of the biggest strengths of a months-long boycott. The longer people go without shopping at Target, the more likely they are to realize they don't need to shop there ever again. 'It can be difficult to win back a customer who has become disaffected,' Logan said. 'If consumption patterns change and consumers settle into a new pattern, it becomes less about the boycott and much more about how the firm can attract new customers and old customers.' Galvez said it would take a major public apology from Target and reinvestment in racial minority groups and LGBTQ+ communities for him to consider shopping at Target again. But for now, he won't. 'This could be generational,' Galvez said. 'I'm teaching my kids: 'We don't go to Target anymore.'' Friday's No-Shopping 'Economic Blackout' Is Everywhere Online — And Experts Have Thoughts Worried About A 'Trumpcession'? Here's What Finance Experts Say You Should Do Now. We Work In DEI. Trump's Wild Anti-Diversity Claims Are Spreading Popular Lies.
Express Tribune
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
George Santos, former US Congressman, faces 7 years sentencing for fraud
Listen to article Former US Congressman George Santos is set to be sentenced this week after pleading guilty to 23 federal felony counts, including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Federal prosecutors have recommended a sentence of seven years and three months, portraying Santos as a 'pathological liar' who misused campaign funds and misled voters. In response to the news, Santos posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account. Soon. 🙏🏻 — Pants On Fire with George Santos (@MrSantosNY) April 25, 2025 Santos, once hailed as a symbol of Republican diversity as an openly gay Latine lawmaker, flipped a Democratic district in New York during the 2022 midterms. However, his political rise quickly unravelled amid revelations of extensive falsehoods and financial misconduct. Prosecutors allege Santos used donor contributions to finance a lavish personal lifestyle, including purchases from high-end brands, gambling expenses, cosmetic procedures, and a subscription to adult content site OnlyFans. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused him of showing 'a strong risk of recidivism and a lack of remorse.' A letter filed by Santos on 22 April expressed remorse for his actions, arguing that 'true remorse isn't mute.' However, federal prosecutors cited his ongoing social media activity as contradictory to these claims. In posts following the government's sentencing recommendation, Santos denied wrongdoing and accused the DOJ of targeting him while allowing 'sex traffickers and drug lords' to 'walk freely.' These insane accusation all done via 'anonymous' sourcing is not going to stick… Name names or stop the Witch hunt of the secretary of defense! — Pants On Fire with George Santos (@MrSantosNY) April 25, 2025 In their latest filing, the DOJ said Santos's actions suggest defiance, not accountability. 'Put plainly,' prosecutors wrote, 'Santos is not genuinely remorseful.' They warned his conduct could lead to the loss of any sentencing reduction granted for his guilty plea. Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December 2023 following a bipartisan vote, has since monetised his notoriety through Cameo videos and a podcast. In 2024, he also publicly revived his drag persona, Kitara Ravache, despite earlier denials of ever performing in drag. His sentencing, scheduled for 25 April, will be overseen by US District Judge Joanna Seybert in New York. As of now, Santos has not publicly responded to the DOJ's latest filing, though he remains active on social media. Whether his next chapter unfolds from behind bars will soon be decided.
