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Durham, NC Just Finished Erasing $2.7 Million In Traffic Debt

Cinnamon Janzer

February 17, 2021 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Durham, North Carolina

The DEAR program (Durham Expunction and Restoration) put 11,084 drivers back on the road legally and waived $2.7 million in fines in a purge of old cases that had revoked driving privileges for unpaid fines and fees. The two-year amnesty program, part of a national movement, took aim at the often racially disparate enforcement of state laws that burden the formerly incarcerated and others with unaffordable monetary penalties. Deprived of the right to drive, people either miss out on work and educational opportunities, or risk more traffic tickets, arrests, and fines.

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If You Can't Get To Your Vaccine Appointment, These Cities Will Drive You

Taylor Moore

February 17, 2021 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

Some cities across the U.S. are offering "free or cheap transportation to vaccine distribution sites" as a means of increasing access for those who don't have access to a vehicle, are unable to drive, or don't live near a vaccination site or public transportation network. In Austin, the city converted their already-existing bus and commuter rail system, which was experiencing a decline in use during the pandemic, to a curb-to-curb service.

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The Bakery That's Owned by an Idea

Oscar Perry Abello

February 16, 2021 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Firebrand Artisan Breads hires people with high barriers to employment, such as people experiencing homelessness or who were formerly incarcerated. The higher-than-minimum-wage starting salary, paid time off, and insurance benefits provide sustainable and secure employment to people whose life circumstances make it harder to get a job. In order to raise capital while maintaining their employment model, the owner worked with lawyers to become a perpetual purpose trust, an alternative ownership model that allows the company to sell shares to private investors while ensuring their principles remain in place.

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For People Who Experience Homelessness, Art Catalyzes Economic Mobility and Rewrites the Narrative

Claire Marie Porter

February 15, 2021 |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

Arts From The Streets gives artists living with homelessness a path to economic mobility and housing stability by offering ways to make and sell their art. An annual show can bring in $100,000 in sales, 95% of which goes to the artists. The organization provides studio space, online marketing, and other sales channels. It's one of three programs or communities serving artists who are houseless profiled in this story. The others are MudGirls, an Atlantic City ceramic arts studio, and the thriving arts culture in Los Angeles' Skid Row neighborhood, which focuses on personal growth more than income.

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How New York and Paris Got Women Into the Bike Saddle

Phineas Rueckert

February 12, 2021 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Citi Bike started the NYC Critical Workers program, which offered free bike-share memberships to essential workers in New York City because of the coronavirus pandemic. The free membership started for one month but was extended to a year. Nearly 30,000 people signed up. Since a large proportion of healthcare workers are women, almost 60% of the new members were women, which increased the company’s female annual members from 32.8 percent to 38.9 percent. Several other cities also saw progress in the gender-balance of bike riders during the pandemic.

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How a Brooklyn Coalition Is Fighting Isolation in Seniors with Low-Tech Conference Calls

Emily Nonko

February 11, 2021 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

To address the growing isolation facing senior citizens, a Brooklyn-based organization started an initiative called The Sharing Network to connect volunteers with seniors via telephone calls. Taking the participants' interests into account, the initiative has expanded to include the moderator-led discussion groups that focus on a wide variety of topics, with more than 70 seniors signing up to be included.

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Seattle's Newest Community Hub Was Built, Literally, By Neighbors

Emily Nonko

February 09, 2021 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

A collective of artists in Seattle bought real estate for a community center with the help of city funding. Known as Black and Tan Hall, the space drew funding and sweat equity from community members who sought a safe and affordable place to gather. The initiative to buy the building is “an anti-gentrification model that combats displacement, keeps dollars hyper local, and sustains good jobs.”

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An Atlanta Neighborhood Will Finally Own Property as a Community

Adina Solomon

February 09, 2021 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Atlanta, Georgia

A new model for community-owned real estate is attempting to bridge the racial wealth gap and build neighborhood wealth in Atlanta. Instead of watching prime real estate go to investors who would hold onto the building for a profit without any regard for how the space served the community, The Guild is purchasing local real estate. The organization has previously worked with entrepreneurs and business initiatives to boost Black-owned business profitability and combat commercial gentrification.

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Reviving the Cherokee Language Is a Full-Time Job – Literally

Kristi Eaton

February 04, 2021 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Cherokee Nation, United States, Oklahoma

The Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program is an immersion program that pays adults to learn the Cherokee language, which is quickly disappearing yet important for preserving Cherokee culture. The program requires 40 hours a week for two years and participants are paid $10 per hour as an incentive to focus on their studies. When creating the curriculum, the Cherokee Nation looked to other Native Nations with initiatives to preserve Native cultures and languages. The program has grown over the past six years and now, when fully filled, has 32 participants taking part in the two-year program.

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By Telling New Stories, Youngstown's Historical Society Is Reinventing Itself for the 21st Century

Zeb Larson

February 04, 2021 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Youngstown, Ohio

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society reached a broader local audience "by asking tough questions and reshaping itself for the 21st century," bucking the traditional historical-society model of focusing only on white pioneers' history. The society has thrived, even in the face of its region's dramatic population drop amid industrial decline, because it embraces discussions of uncomfortable topics concerning racial and ethnic diversity and neglected histories. It partnered with other local groups to focus on African American history topics, which has helped draw crowds and donations.

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