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Rossie L. Blue, Jr., 78, of Dayton, Ohio, passed away on Monday, August 1, 2022, at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Blue was the owner/operator of Blue’s Barber Service for over 50 years. He was a well-respected businessman who provided high quality service to many in the community and beyond. He enjoyed sports and was an avid Cincinnati Bengals fan. Rossie was born on November 23, 1943, in Clarkton, NC, to the late Rev. Rossie L. (Sr.) and Annie M. Blue. He is also pre-deceased by his son, Dexter L. Blue; brother, Edward F. Blue; and sister, Mary L. Carter. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Tabitha Lewis Blue; his devoted daughter, Charmayne Blue Marvin (Craig); two sisters, Katrina Blue Robinson (Raymond), and Gloria A. Blue; four grandchildren; six great grandchildren and many loving family members and friends. His Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at Christian Life Center , 3489 Little York Road, Dayton, Ohio 45414. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Family will receive visitors at 12:00 p.m. Service at 1:00 p.m. A military honors ceremony burial will be held on Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Dayton National Cemetery. Professional services entrusted to House of Wheat Funeral Home , Inc., Dayton, Ohio.

Daryle Ward: Dayton Dragons Hitting Coach Daryle Ward returned to the Dragons as hitting coach in 2022 after serving in the same position in Dayton in 2017-18 and 2021. He is in his seventh year in coaching in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He served as the hitting coach with the Reds affiliate in the Arizona League in 2016 and with the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2019. He had been slated to coach in Chattanooga in 2020 prior to the cancellation of the season. Ward played professionally for 22 seasons from 1994-2015. He spent seven full seasons and parts of four others in the Major Leagues, primarily as a left fielder and first baseman. Ward played in 948 big league games with the Astros, Dodgers, Pirates, Nationals, Braves, and Cubs. His best season came in 2002 with Houston when he appeared in 136 games and batted .276 with 31 doubles, 12 home runs, and 72 runs batted in. He connected on a career-high 20 home runs in 2000 with the Astros. In the later stages of Ward’s Major League career, he emerged as one of the National League’s top pinch hitters. He led all of baseball in pinch hits and runs batted in as a pinch hitter in 2006 while finishing tied for first in pinch hit home runs. Ward played in 2,318 professional games before retiring at the age of 40 following the 2015 season. Ward, 46, was originally signed by the Tigers as a 15th round draft pick in 1994 out of Rancho Santiago College in California. He is a native of the Los Angeles area and now makes his offseason home in Riverside, California. His father, Gary Ward, was a Major League All-Star selection with both the Twins and Rangers as part of a 12-year Major League playing career. Source: https://www.milb.com/dayton/news/dragons-welcome-two-former-mlb-all-stars-as-part-of-2022-coaching-staff

SIGN UP TODAY AND SAVE THREE LIVES! Dayton, Ohio - The Dayton Dragons and Community Blood Center are teaming up for a blood drive on Friday, July 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Day Air Ballpark Plaza. Everyone who registers to donate willreceive Dragons gear, an exclusive water bottle from the Community Blood Center, and entries into a Reds ticket giveaway that includes a Cole Swindell concert. Appointments are strongly encouraged. Schedule online today at www.DonorTime.com or call (937) 461-3220. Blood donation requirements: Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past Community Blood Center donors are also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form available at www.givingblood.org or at CBC branch & blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds (you may have to weigh more, depending on your height), and be in good physical health. More Information: The Dayton Dragons are the affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and play a 66-game home schedule at beautiful Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Individuals and groups seeking information about Dayton Dragons group tickets, lawn tickets, the season ticket wait list, sponsorship opportunities or booking a Dragons speaker are encouraged to contact the Dragons by calling at (937) 228-2287, emailing at dragons@daytondragons.com , or on the web at daytondragons.com .

The Coalition on Public Protection is a coalition of concerned community members and organizations promoting transparency, oversight, and community participation in decisions impacting public safety. The coalition includes members from Black Lives Matter Dayton, Latinos Unidos, NAACP Dayton Unit, Leaders for Equality and Action in Dayton, Miami Valley Immigration Coalition, Dayton Hispanic Chamber, ABLE, The Access Center for Independent Living. The post below was taken from an email that is circulating in advance of the July 20, 2022 Dayton City Commission meeting. We want to accomplish two things with this email. First , we want to share with you our email to the Dayton City Commissioners which presented our serious concerns about the City moving ahead with installing ALPRs without approving an accurate and compliant Impact Report . . . which they are required to do. As a first effort to act on a new ordinance, what does it say about genuine transparency and accountability for such a failure? Our message to the Commissioners follows. Second, because this is an issue that needs citizen response, particularly at the scheduled public hearing on July 20 at 6pm, we want to meet beforehand, this Sunday, July 17 at 4 pm, via Zoom, to hear what you have to say, to prepare for the Forum, and to make sure all of our voices are heard in a constructive way. Please join us on Sunday. The registration is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvce6uqj4jEtMIvkHpjYSSXsWfOIsHZXEd . Our Concerns Communicated to the Commission Members On June 30, the Coalition on Public Protection emailed the Dayton City Commission with a list of concerns about the police’s proposal for license plate readers, which does not comply with the City’s Surveillance Technology Oversight Ordinance. We asked for the City to send the report back to the Police Department and direct it to draft a compliant impact report and use policy. PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE DAYTON POLICE DEPARTMENT’S AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER PROPOSAL The Coalition on Public Protection, which includes representatives from Access Center for Independent Living, Black Lives Matter Dayton, Dayton Unit NAACP, Latinos Unidos, LEAD, Miami Valley Immigration Coalition, ABLE, and other community activists, has reviewed the Dayton Police Department’s Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) Surveillance Impact Report and Use Policy. We do not believe the report and policy, as written, serve the purposes mandated in the Surveillance Technology Oversight Ordinance. These reports do not contain enough objective information and accurate, relevant data for the Commission to make an informed decision—as our elected officials—on the technology proposal. The Coalition previously requested that the Commission send this report and policy back to the Dayton Police Department to make revisions that make the documents more objective and allow the Commission to make an informed decision. This would necessarily require the hearing date to be pushed back. However, in order to comply with the current public comment deadline, we submit a list of our concerns and requests below: Surveillance Impact Report 1. Crime statistics. The explanation of the use of crime statistics, particularly the reliance of comparing 2018 data at the exclusion of data from 2019 that shows ALPRs do not result in crime reductions, is insufficient. 2. Unknown vendor. There is a huge question regarding data sharing with third party vendors since DPD has not chosen a vendor for the fixed-site ALPRs yet. Further, all of the community outreach and other information-sharing DPD conducted was with and regarding Flock Safety ALPRs: their data protections, data-sharing policies, images they capture, etc. If Flock Safety is not going to be the vendor, then the Commission and the community needs to be informed about what capabilities and datasharing/storage protocols the actual vendor possesses before the Commission can make an informed decision. 3. Adverse Impact of equipment on protected groups. This is one of the most important sections, yet it reads as an opinion section as to why the police should be trusted. It does not contain data or other objective indicia for why these ALPRs will not have an adverse impact on minority communities. 4. No independent, objective reports. We acknowledge there is a blog post by a former police officer and criminal justice professor attached to the current version of the impact report. However, we do not think it qualifies as an “independent evaluation” under Section 34.10(4)(b). There are other independent reports about ALPRs that the police is likely aware of that should have been included. It ultimately benefits the police to understand the potential risks and costs, as well as the benefits, of ALPRs that are identified by national experts. We attach to this comment two reports on ALPRs for your consideration. Use Policy 1. Police access to data. We also noticed that changes to the documents now allow for every police officer to access ALPR data, rather than certain command officers, as in previous versions of the policy. This is concerning. 2. Data retention. We still question why data needs to be kept for 30 days or longer and whether that is necessary and proportionate to the uses of the ALPR. It seems a period of 24 hours for data not related to a specific criminal incident would be sufficient. 3. Data sharing with vendors. There is not enough information about Evidence.com and the data storage and sharing agreement with Axon. A copy of this agreement should be provided. 4. Removal. While the impact report mentions a process for installing ALPRs through the Neighborhood Safety Plan, neither the impact report nor the policy mention a process for removal. 5. Compliance. Section 34.11(k) of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Ordinance requires a use policy to disclose the mechanisms to ensure that the Use Policy is followed, including “internal personnel assigned to ensure compliance with the Policy, internal recordkeeping of the use of the policy,” safeguards to monitor misuse, and legally enforceable sanctions for violation of the policy. The ALPR Use Policy does not contain this information. 6. No independent auditor. During the ordinance process, the City committed to the hiring of an independent auditor to monitor DPD’s compliance with the ordinance. To date, that auditor has not been hired. Given the repeated compliance concerns with the various drafts of these reports and policies, the Commission should table the proposal until it can be reviewed by an independent auditor. This is the first proposal that is going through the ordinance process, and it is important that we get this right. 7. No safeguards against data sharing with ICE in policy. The ALPR use policy does not include the procedure outlined in the impact report that requires recipients of ALPR data to attest they will not share the information with immigration enforcement agencies. This is concerning, since it is the policy that will govern the police department’s conduct going forward. 8. Hearing. We note the procedure to hold a hearing every time a new neighborhood adopts the ALPR as part of its safety plan was omitted from the most recent policy draft. Why was that? What notice will be provided to the community if a new neighborhood adopts ALPRs? 9. Transparent use of ALPRs. Patrol vehicles should have a light or other signal that should be visible to the public when the mobile license plate readers in each patrol vehicle are turned on. If the goal of the ALPRs is to reduce crime through deterrence, it would make sense to let the public know when the ALPRs are actively being used. 10. Hit list. The Commission should limit approval of ALPR “hit list” for both mobile and fixed-site ALPRs to a list of certain infractions, such as terrorism hits, stolen vehicles, and amber alerts. 11. Cost/benefit analysis. DPD should be required to conduct a cost analysis every year to determine the monetary value of vehicles and other property retrieved through ALPRs compared to the entire cost of ALPRs (including personnel costs and any costs relating to data storage). We thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the ALPR proposal. As our elected representatives, we hope you will take our concerns and demands very seriously. Sincerely, Coalition on Public Protection Attachments: Vasudha Talla, “Documents Reveal ICE Using Driver Location Data From Local Police for Deportations,” ACLU.org (Mar. 13, 2019), available at: https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrantsrights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/documents-reveal-ice-using-driver-location-data Jonathan Hofer, Automated License Plate Readers: A Study in Failure, Independent Institute (Nov. 30, 2021), available at: https://www.independent.org/publications/article.asp?id=13893

Meet Wendy Shaia, an activist, social worker, author, and educator from Baltimore, Maryland, who predicts in her new Black dystopian fantasy novel that in the year 2024 there will be a racial civil war in America between Blacks and whites. Although her book is fictional, the concept stems from her knowledge of historical trends where white nationalism rises after pandemics, as well as the murders of Freddie Gray, George Floyd, and others. In the book, which is entitled The Black Cell , Wendy crafts an intense and provoking picture for use as a new tool in the fight for social justice. Imagine it’s 2024, and police brutality against Black people is at an all-time high in Baltimore and across the country. Corey Masters, a young Black man, is deeply troubled by experiences of racism during his childhood. After a false arrest and beating by police, Corey’s anger is at a boiling point. His roommate then introduces him to the Baltimore Cell, one of many secret groups around the country recruiting and training Black people for armed resistance. The Black Cell is grounded in the author’s experience as a Baltimore anti-racist advocate, professor, and social service leader. Unapologetically targeted to Black readers and others interested in Black liberation, this will appeal to readers of utopian fantasies like Octavia Butler (Parable of the Talents) and Ta-Nehisi Coates (Black Panther). Here is a short review by Baltimore journalist and author Lawrence Lanahan: “In ‘The Black Cell’, author Wendy Shaia draws on America’s recent history to paint a provocative portrait of its near future. What will it take for true Black liberation? How far will white people go to enforce white supremacy? This provocative page-turner imagines a 2024 reprise of our Trump-inspired white nationalist nightmare. Bursting with suspense, it will shake readers as it ponders what might go down when Americans feel forced to pick a side.” About: Wendy Shaia is a British-Jamaican social worker, activist, author, and educator that is currently teaching at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She is also the Executive Director of the Social Work Community Outreach Service. Her book, The Black Cell, is published by Publerati Publishing and will be released in September 2022. However, it is available now for pre-order on Amazon . For more details about Wendy and/or her book, visit her official website at WendyShaia.com For press inquiries and/or to schedule an interview with Wendy, contact Stacie J. Whitaker-Harris at sharris@wendyshaia.com or 404-514-6372.

Educating students of African descent has been the moral and academic commitment of Wilberforce University for 166 years. This year, Saturday, May 7th at 10 am, the nation's first, private, historically Black college/university (HBCU) will confer bachelor's and master's degrees to its graduates. Highlighting this celebration is the keynote speaker, Ohio's 11th District Congresswoman Shontel Brown (D). The Cleveland politician will address her fellow graduates and receive her degree in organizational management from the university's CLIMB program, a non-traditional curriculum designed for adults to complete their undergraduate degrees. Ms. Brown, formerly a Cuyahoga County council commissioner and a former Cuyahoga County chair of the Democratic Party, won her congressional seat in a November 2, 2021 special election. That victory replaced U. S. Representative Marcia Fudge, who in 2021 was confirmed as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Also during the ceremony, a special focus will be placed on Wilberforce's "Golden Graduates", the alumni who received their degrees in 1972. The university's Baccalaureate service will be held the day before commencement. Reverend Dr. Alphonse Allen, the senior pastor at Allen Temple AME Church in Cincinnati is the keynote speaker. Dr. Allen received his Master's of Divinity degree from Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio, and his Doctorate of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. WU Commencement: Saturday, May 7th at 10 am Gaston F. Lewis Alumni Multiplex Wilberforce University, 1055 N.Bickett Rd., 45384 WU Baccalaureate: Friday, May 6th at 6 pm Gaston F. Lewis Alumni Multiplex Wilberforce University, 1055 N. Bickett Rd., 45384

On Saturday, April 16, 2022, the Dayton Africana Elders Council, invited the community to the McClendon Institute. The purpose of this gathering was a rites of passage to induct Nation Builder Marlon Shackleford into becoming an Elder. The neighborhood reverberated from the sound of African drumming by McClendon Institutes’ very own Kuumba Drama Drum and Dance Company. Baba Bing Davis, paid tribute to Ancestors of African descent ancient and recent ancestors including Marguret Peters. Elder, Mama Olabisi Olakolade informed and educated the audience, explaining the deep significance and function of each symbol on the Alter honoring the ancestors. She stated that “we created a sacred alter with living things (water, fresh fruit, vegtables, and pictures of his ancestral family and community leaders) to symbolize the legacy and work that we all carry forth to generations to come”. The Inductee was surrounded by his fellow Nation Builders and Warriors who presented him to Elders, Kuumba David Greer and Baba Boikai Twe, They introduced and presented the Inductee to the community. Following the induction ceremony, a certificate was presented to him by Mama Nozipo. She also introduced the new Elder as Abiodun Marlon Shackleford. Afterward he stated that “Culture is our immune system and it’s the responsibility of the elders to strengthen and keep our immune systems stong. Elders must pass a lit torch, not artificial torch to nation builders etc… so they can run further than us! Operational unity, unify and uplift is our call to action”. Nation Buider Amaha Sellassie represented the Nation Builders and Warriors with their gift. The feast that followed was from donations collected by the Africana Village.

The members of Central Missionary Baptist Church invite you to the installation of Pas-tor Elect, Rev. Bryant Butler on Sunday, April 24, 2022. The public is invited to the morning worship service at 11:00AM and installation service at 3:00PM. Central Missionary Baptist Church is located at 5160 Derby Rd., Dayton, Ohio 45417. Rev. Butler was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He currently resides in Huber Heights, Ohio. He accepted the call to ministry at the age of 15 while serving as a Junior Deacon, Junior Sunday School superintendent, and a member of the School of Christian Growth at United Baptist Church. After graduating from high school, Rev. Butler enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Security Forces member. After completing basic training, he was assigned to Offutt Air Force Base, NE. While serving at Offutt, Rev. Butler joined Zion Baptist Church. There he held the position of Youth Pastor. In 2002 he relocated to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, continuing to work as a Security Forces Member. He retired in 2015. He began a second career as a Rural Carrier with the United States Postal Service and is assigned to the Troy, Ohio branch. He is presently a member of the New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Sardis, Alabama, where his brother, Rev. Byron L. Butler is pastor. His brother will conduct the installation service. Other churches, guest ministers, guest choirs and musicians have been invited to attend and take part in the installation service. Central Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1966 under the leadership of the late Rev. Raleigh Trammell. Rev. Trammell left a great legacy for the church, Dayton community, local and national civil rights and religious organizations.

For most individual taxpayers the tax filing and payment deadline is Monday, April 18, 2022. Those who need more time to file can request an extension to file . Taxpayers must request an extension to file by April 18, or they may face a failure to file penalty. This extension gives them until October 17 to file their tax return. An extension to file is not an extension to pay. Most taxpayers must pay taxes by April 18 to avoid penalties and interest on the amount owed after that date. Taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts have until April 19 to pay to file their returns due to the Patriots' Day holiday in those states. How to request an extension to file To get an extension to file, the IRS urges taxpayers to do one of the following: File Form 4868 through their tax professional, tax software or by using IRS Free File on IRS.gov . Individual taxpayers, regardless of income, can use Free File to electronically request an automatic tax-filing extension. Submit an electronic payment with Direct Pay , Electronic Federal Tax Payment System or by debit, credit card or digital wallet and select Form 4868 or extension as the payment type. Taxpayers don’t need to file Form 4868 when making an electronic payment and indicating it’s for an extension. The IRS will automatically count it as an extension. Some taxpayers may have extra time to file their tax returns and pay any taxes due. This includes some disaster victims , taxpayers living overseas , including members of the military, and eligible support personnel serving in combat zones . More information : What Is the Due Date of My Federal Tax Return or Am I Eligible to Request an Extension? This article was republished from IRS.gov. Share this tip on social media -- #IRSTaxTip: IRS reminds taxpayers an extension to file is not an extension to pay taxes. https://go.usa.gov/xz7WX

High School Boys 1981 & 1982 State Champions The Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame will honor the 2020 Class on April 9, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus. A longtime Dayton-area resident who seemingly always was around the game, Mike Haley is no stranger to the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. In fact, he was a player on the 1963-64 Ohio University team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and was inducted into the Hall in 2017. The Bobcats won the Mid-American Conference title in 1964 and stunned Kentucky in NCAA action. By that point, Haley already was used to playing the role of spoiler and pointing his team to success. He achieved southern Ohio legend status by leading Portsmouth High School to the 1961 Class AA title, which culminated with a 50-44 win over Urbana at St. John Arena in Columbus. Haley scored 20 points in that title game to cap off a memorable senior season in which he earned first-team All-Ohio honors. Scrappy as a player and just as fiercely competitive as a coach, Haley quickly established himself as a force on the sidelines. He began his coaching career at Roosevelt High School in Dayton but moved on to run the program at Dayton Roth after Roosevelt closed. He demanded his teams pressure the ball over the court and run the floor as much as possible. As a result, Roth displayed a high-octane style that few opponents could handle. The Falcons captured a state title in 1976 and won back-to-back crowns in 1981 and 1982. After Roth also closed its doors, Haley became the head coach at yet another Dayton Public League school, Dayton Dunbar, and put together another powerhouse outfit in winning the 1987 Class AAA championship – the first in school history. After resigning his post at Dunbar, Haley returned to Portsmouth and coached at Portsmouth HS through the 1994-95 season. He retired with a sterling career mark of 334-97 and four state titles. Haley passed away in April 2017 at the age of 73. He enters the Hall of Fame posthumously and also brings with him the recognition of a few of the state’s best-ever high school teams. Longtime Kettering Alter coach Joe Petrocelli considered Haley both a rival and a friend and said of him, “Mike was the most competitive coach in the city, and probably the toughest coach to beat I faced. No matter what we tried, he had a strategy to combat it.” 1980-81 and 1981-82 The success of Dayton Roth High School in the early 1980s was the result of many factors, but the constant was the demand for excellence and intensity of coach Mike Haley. “He taught us hard work, leadership and commitment, all sustainable skills important in all phases of life,” said Mark Baker, who would go on to star at Ohio State and is now the District Director of Athletics for Dayton Public Schools. With a Hall of Fame-level coach at the helm who believed in using every asset at his avail, Roth displayed a litany of greyhounds that could turn teams over and run them right off the court. Haley actually set the precedent for his program years earlier when, in 1976, he rotated in all 12 of his players in the state title game and benefited from 40 points from his bench in an 82-81 win over previously undefeated Lorain Catholic. Five years later, it was more of the same. The 1980-81 Falcons downed Wadsworth 73-66 in the Class AAA title game and a huge storyline was the combined 30 points of offense contributed by nonstarters Wesley Jones and Ricky Lacy. The team finished 26-1 and featured a balanced attack. Forward/center Fred Johnson and guard William Colston were named first-team All-Dayton Public League, post man Ike Thornton and forward Darryl Murphy made second team, and a fifth senior starter, guard Chuck Taylor, received Special Mention. Johnson also was named second-team All-Ohio. Johnson (Akron), Colston (Hawaii), Thornton (Texas-Arlington) and Murphy (Jackson State) all earned basketball scholarships; Taylor went to Howard on a football grant. Roth ushered in a relatively new cast the following year with the loss of seven key players, and the school’s sinking enrollment dropped the program into Class AA status. Still, the Falcons managed to return to the winner’s circle. With a young and athletic squad now in the fold, Roth took down Youngstown Rayen in the final, 68-56, and cut down the nets once again. The team included multisport star Keith Byars, who would go on be a Heisman Trophy runner-up as an Ohio State running back. Roth became the first Ohio boys basketball program to produce consecutive state championships in separate divisions – a mark that would not be repeated until St. Henry accomplished that feat in 1990 and 1991. The 1982 title run included an epic victory over Dayton Dunbar in the district final behind 13 points, 24 rebounds and 13 blocked shots from senior center Robert Maiden. The Falcons overcame injuries to standouts Mike McCray and Byars as 5-8 senior George Sims knocked down six crucial free throws in the fourth quarter and John Bailey, another role player, added four more freebies in the game’s final 37 seconds. Roth took down Urbana in the regional final then rolled to a pair of wins in Columbus, including one over unbeaten and top-ranked Willard. Senior Mike Carton was chosen as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He entered states with a team-high scoring average of 25.5 points per game. Steve Smith, a sophomore, was next at 20.2 ppg. McCray averaged right around 13 ppg while Byars scored 11 per contest and led the way on the boards with 13 rebounds a game. The 1981-82 Falcons, despite having no returning starters, finished with a record of 24-4. Just a few weeks after celebrating those inspiring back-to-back titles, Dayton Roth closed its doors for good and Haley moved on to become the new coach at Dunbar. Article originally appeared at The Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. https://ohiobasketballhalloffame.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/2020/2020.html

Create and share a list of gift ideas for everyone in your household. Take the guesswork out of gifting, and guarantee holiday magic. Gift tags Organize gifts on your list so friends and family can shop for everyone in your household in one place. Keep it a surprise Choose to see which gifts from your list have been purchased – or keep it a surprise until you're ready. Thank you list We keep track of who bought what gift and when, so it's easy for you to send thank you notes. 90-day returns Gift not quite right? It can be returned within 90 days. Gift Ideas

Remember that reading list your English teacher would give you before you left for summer break every year? We're curating the adult version! In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band. Malcolm Gladwell has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1996. He is the author of The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. Prior to joining The New Yorker, he was a reporter at the Washington Post. Gladwell was born in England and grew up in rural Ontario. He now lives in New York. After a traffic stop turns violent at the hands of the police, a young Black teen grapples with racism—and what it means for his future. Critically acclaimed author Nic Stone boldly tackles America’s troubled history with race relations in her gripping debut novel. Justyce is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs without cause. When faced with in justice, Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce and a friend spark the fury of an off-duty cop. Words fly, shots are fired, and the boys get caught in the crosshairs. But in the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack. " A must-read!” –ANGIE THOMAS, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give Brittany K. Barnett was only a law student when she came across the case that would change her life forever—that of Sharanda Jones, single mother, business owner, and, like Brittany, Black daughter of the rural South. A victim of America’s devastating war on drugs, Sharanda had been torn away from her young daughter and was serving a life sentence without parole—for a first-time drug offense. In Sharanda, Brittany saw haunting echoes of her own life, as the daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother. As she studied this case, a system came into focus in which widespread racial injustice forms the core of America’s addiction to incarceration. Moved by Sharanda’s plight, Brittany set to work to gain her freedom. This had never been the plan. Bright and ambitious, Brittany was a successful accountant on her way to a high-powered future in corporate law. But Sharanda’s case opened the door to a harrowing journey through the criminal justice system. By day she moved billion-dollar deals, and by night she worked pro bono to free clients in near hopeless legal battles. Ultimately, her path transformed her understanding of injustice in the courts, of genius languishing behind bars, and the very definition of freedom itself. Brittany’s riveting memoir is at once a coming-of-age story and a powerful evocation of what it takes to bring hope and justice to a system built to resist them both. Innocent young Black men jailed by a racist judge. Jim Crow trauma that still haunts. Can two women on opposite sides of the color divide unite to seek justice? Pop singer Regina Day, exiled at sixteen from her hometown in Arkansas, has learned to fit in with the white celebrity world of Los Angeles. But memories of her Jim Crow childhood still plague her. Does she dare go back for her mother’s funeral? Karen Whittier has worked for her father, the town’s racist judge, for twenty-five years. She longs for a true father-daughter bond, but in his eyes, she can do no right. She fills her barren life with chocolate and English romance novels. Can she muster the courage to defy him? In 1963, when the girls were teenagers, Jim Crow laws prevailed in Jefferson Springs, Arkansas. Whites and Blacks were kept apart, and intimate relationships between them were illegal. Young Black men could be jailed for merely looking at a white girl, and lynching happened far too often. Then, on the night of President Kennedy's assassination, all hell broke loose in the town, and Regina and Karen were embroiled in a tragedy that changed the course of their lives. Thirty years later, can they overcome the trauma of that night and unite to seek justice, and find answers to long-hidden family secrets? The Snake in the Garden is a collaboration between two women – one Black, one white -- that delves into the minds of both Black and white characters. The result is an explosive depiction of racism in twentieth-century America through the lens of four generations of interracial relationships. Set in different decades throughout the last century, it's a story that still resonates in our time. Filled with historical detail, it’s a powerful tale of transcendence over the scars of the past and offers hope that the “snake” of racism can one day be cast out of the garden. Reading The Snake in the Garden will leave you with a better understanding of how the poison of racism affects us all. But be warned! This book will cause you to look deep into your own heart to examine your feelings about race and justice in our society today.