Mother Baltimore: End of the year
Wow. We’ve made it to the end of the year. I know that’s common for people to say when approaching the end of every year, but, for the second consecutive year, that sentence feels increasingly more like a relief rather than something that people “just say” during the holidays for the sake of saying something inspirational.
We’ve reached a point where “we’ve made it to the end of the year” isn’t something that people “just say”. There are numbers, faces, people, cases, lives and I-can’t-believe-this-is-really-happening moments behind that sentence now. It has a tangible meaning. And, as the Omicron variant becomes the trending topic to define the latter part of this year, the meaning of “we’ve made it to the end of year” feels even more tangible than it did just three months ago. Wow. We’ve made it to the end, indeed.
If you’re reading this, then you’ve made it. You’re still here. And that’s something worth considering as we enter 2022.
Now, here’s the latest news in southwestern Illinois:
East St. Louis High School students will return from holiday break to a new principal
Beginning January 4, Alonzo Nelson will serve as the interim principal for East St. Louis Senior High School. Nelson has nearly 40 years of experience working in the district, including 14 years working in administrative roles. BND reporter Carolyn Smith was the first to break the story.
More on education in East St. Louis:
‘An abundance of caution’: East St. Louis Schools locked down after fights, threat
Teachers in East St. Louis School District 189 have a new contract. Here are the details.
Cahokia Heights elected official resigns, moves to different position for city
Cahokia Heights now has one fewer trustee. Sheree Jethroe-Franklin resigned from her position on the city council last month. Jethroe-Franklin previously served as a trustee for Centreville. Mayor Curtis McCall Sr plans to have a replacement by next month.
More on Cahokia Heights:
Will infrastructure money finally solve Cahokia Heights’ flooding and sewage problems?
Police looking for man who robbed Cahokia Heights McDonald’s at gunpoint
Illinois State Police report progress in addressing crime in East St. Louis
Last week, Illinois State Police held a press conference in East St. Louis about how the agency’s PSEG (Public Safety Enforcement Group) has reduced crime in the area. Lawmakers, police officers and community leaders shared how they’re working together to curb violent crime in the area. Most of those efforts were helped by using trauma as a lens to address gun violence.
More on crime in East St. Louis
Identity of man shot and killed on I-64 in East St. Louis is released
East St. Louis woman pleads guilty to healthcare, public housing scams
What to do
This section of Mother Baltimore highlights upcoming events in the metro-east that are relevant to Black communities. If you have tips for events, send them to dsutgrey@bnd.com
PFAS Incineration Ban Town Hall
6 p.m. on January 11 via Zoom
United Congregations of Metro East will host a virtual town hall to talk about further action in eliminating PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) from being emitted in Illinois. The toxic chemicals are linked to cancer, high cholesterol and low birth weights, among other complications. Last spring, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill that would’ve banned the burning of the chemicals in the state, but the bill was vetoed. Click here to register for the town hall
What to watch
Insecure Series Finale
Yes, I’m talking about “Insecure” again. And that’s mainly because it’ll likely be my last time talking about the show. The series finale of the HBO comedy aired last Sunday and is available for streaming on HBO Max. In the spirit of endings, the finale mainly follows how the characters grow in both their personal and professional lives. Will Issa end up with Nathan or Lawrence? Will she choose herself? Will Molly manage to balance her demanding career and her love life? What will happen to the Blocc? Watch the series finale to find out. And, if you’re interested in learning more about the behind-the-scenes partnerships that evolved over the past six years to make the show, there’s a tear-jerking documentary about the show’s ending that’s well worth your time
What to read
“It’s Always Been a Show About Growth“
In this lengthy but insightful conversation with Vulture, Issa Rae shares her thoughts on motherhood, the finale that “Insecure” almost had and working on the groundbreaking show for five seasons. As told to Vulture’s feature writer E. Alex Jung, Issa Rae shares the similarities between her and the character she portrays:
What is Issa to you? I assume you’re processing things in your life through her.
This season finale, Issa and me are overlapped circles on a Venn diagram. So much of it overlaps with who I am and who I’ve become. The journeys are different, but where we are is very similar. I have had to be confident that things are gonna work out and confident about what I don’t know, who I’m not, and where I’ll never be, but optimistic that things will work out the way they’re supposed to and secure in the fact that I have these insecurities and these flaws, and I have so much more learning to do. I have nothing figured out yet, but I have just enough to be confident where I’m going.
That’s all she wrote!
Talk to y’all in two weeks!
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