Black Wall Street, they tried to break you down, burned your homes down to the ground. A horrific scene, a horrendous occurrence. Disrupted routine to cause a deterrence.  You kept your courage, kept your power. Used your strength, refused to cower. Rose above with faith and love. All the pain and hate displayed, just to never be repaid.  Still you fought, and justice sought, to save your lives, and stop your cries. We salute your fortitude, for all the things that you’ve endured. We’ll keep on fighting for black rights until our safety is ensured.  ..read more

Who Was Jackie Robinson? Jackie Robinson, an iconic figure in American history, was not only a renowned African-American baseball player but also a catalyst for societal change. His journey from humble beginnings to breaking the color barrier in baseball remains a testament to his resilience and courage. Birth and Childhood Born on January 31st, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, Jackie Robinson grew up in a modest household alongside his mother, older sister, and three brothers. His older brother, Matthew Robinson, served as a pivotal influence in his athletic pursuits. Throughout his youth, Jackie ex ..read more

Oh Black Wall Street, a place of dreams Where commerce flourished, and hope gleamed In the heart of Tulsa, a beacon of light A community thriving, shining so bright Businesses owned by women and men Creating wealth and prosperity, again and again Thriving in a world where hatred reigned But in Black Wall Street, love and success reigned Opportunity and dignity for all In this proud and powerful, vibrant enclave Educated and ambitious, they answered the call To build a future, bold and brave But jealousy and fear led to destruction An act of violence, of hatred and strife Black Wall Street was ..read more

My article in week five summarized the amount of explosives dropped on the Gaza Strip and how Israels pattern of attacks is against international law ..read more

This article discusses how republicanism and Mormons are linked. Mainly in the form of gerrymandering and in what bills have been passed. In the case of gerrymandering, “The Utah legislature chose to ignore the IRC’s recommendations and draw its own map that would make a federal Democratic victory nearly impossible” (McCabe). In the case of bills being passed, McCabe states, “The church’s influence has also shown up in the marijuana policy in the state which is much stricter than its Colorado neighbor, and in California’s Proposition 8 in 2008 — an attempt to ban same-sex marriage”. In the end ..read more

In this article the author talks about the decision that Switzerland made to decriminalize drugs and how it has had many positive effects. They thought that drugs were too big of a problem to completely get rid of so instead they tried to handle it safely while trying to treat people and get them clean. They distribute safe clean needles and drugs which alone reduced the rate of HIV and blood related diseases and overdoses from drugs laced with things such as fentanyl. They made it very easy to come to treatment centers to get help and over 75% of the reported addicts are currently in treatme ..read more

The standards and caseloads given to public defenders are more than 50 years old which shouldn’t be the case because of the constant change and evolution society as a whole goes through every year. The outdated standards, also come with requirements that state defenders need to take a minimum of cases per year that only allow them to spend 14 hours on each case. This is unrealistic because it takes more than 14 hours to understand and properly defend a case. This allocation of time is what causes defenders the need to triage and implement bias towards certain cases because of the lack of time ..read more

Marianne Wilson from Rose Park experienced pregnancy loss in 2010 due to the pollution in Salt Lake City, More specifically living in the west-side region for 17 years. The U of U has found that more than 1,300 women have a 16% higher risk of miscarriage from short-term exposure to elevated air pollution. The west side of Salt Lake County has been reported to have the worst air quality “The interstate highways that run through and past the area; the industries and rail lines within it; the jet engines revving at Salt Lake City International Airport; and the concentration of warehouses- and the ..read more

The declining water levels of Great Salt Lake threaten economic activity, local public health, and ecosystems. Utah’s local research universities formed a strike team to tackle this issue. To save the great Salt Lake, it is important to get the support of state, experts, and individual efforts. The strike team started the Great Salt Lake Policy Assessment that includes data trend research, and summaries of policy options. The team came up with Conservation measures such as conserving water to Great Salt Lake, optimizing use of agricultural water, municipal and industrial water pricing, etc… Th ..read more

The state of Utah has received ample funding and grants to improve our homeless crisis. In 2023, Salt Lake spent 83% of their allocated budget on hiring new police officers to combat the crime that is associated and caused by homelessness, while only hiring two new resource officers that work with the VOA in order to assist the homeless population. The biggest takeaway from Davidson was that each individual has a story. We must stop treating homeless individuals as criminals, shoving police in their faces, and treat them with compassion, offering them resources and assistance. Currently, 5% of ..read more