View the open letter and list of signatories here. Numbers have been updated as the casualties in Gaza have continue to climb.

We are child and nonprofit advocates of all races, ages, and backgrounds. We work across local, state, and national contexts, on issues ranging from racial justice to education, from violence prevention to democratic freedom. We are Americans who have dedicated our lives to justice, peace, and humanity.

We write today to implore President Biden, Vice President Harris, the administration and members of Congress to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank. We call for an end to the killing of thousands of innocent Palestinian children, women, and men by the Israeli government—killings financed by U.S. taxpayers against the will of a majority of U.S. voters.

We call for action now—not next week, not next month—because every day that goes by is another day these atrocities continue; atrocities that include targeted civilian killings, mass civilian incarceration and torture, and deliberate destruction of infrastructure at an unprecedented pace. The death toll stands at more than 20,000 Palestinians and counting, with more than 50,000 wounded. Without immediate action, tens of thousands more innocent people will die. Entire families are quite literally waiting to be killed as bombings of residential areas persist. Survivors are suffering untold horrors as they lose their families, their limbs, their homes, and their access to food and water. 

See more here...

If you were at our Black History Talent Show this year you were lucky to see Winner's Circle  amazing performance at the show! 

YOU can breakdance too! 

Tax filing season is in full swing as we near the April 15 deadline. For the past 20 years, United Way has partnered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to support MyFreeTaxes.com and offer the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. At a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, saving hundreds of dollars on tax prep can make an enormous difference. 

This year, United Way Worldwide is partnering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to promote Direct File, the new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) pilot program available to eligible filers in 12 states to file their federal taxes for free directly with the IRS. The 12 states participating are those which either do not have a state income tax or have a state-supported tool to file state income taxes: Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Nationwide, taxpayers making less than $79,000 can also file for free through MyFreeTaxes.com. 

Check out our Parent's page on Facebook to stay up to date on The Future is US events and let US know what YOU think as a parent/caregiver of students in Galveston county! 

Baby Talk starts up again at the Rosenberg Library Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 12 at 9:30 AM! Baby Talk is a free, fun, interactive time for little ones to develop their skills with their caregivers. For ages 0-24 months. 

When Community Action Task Force Lead, Phylicia French, isn't doing The Future is US duties and writing (she's an author too!), she is helping and empowering others! 

Co-Coordinator Shanice is on the Woodville Public Engagement Planning Committee in Gloucester, Virginia! 

The Woodville Rosenwald School Foundation in Gloucester County, VA, is collecting oral histories from people who attended, or whose family members attended, historically African-American schools in Gloucester County from 1871, when public schools first opened, until the year schools were integrated in 1968.

The Woodville School is the only remaining one of six Rosenwald schools built in Gloucester County in the 1920s and celebrates its 100th birthday this year—2023. The Foundation plans to open this historic building as a museum and community center once renovations are complete.

During the Great Migration, African-American families in Gloucester relocated to urban centers such as Washington, DC; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; and New York City to seek better employment and educational opportunities. The Foundation hopes to connect with this descendant community to add their stories to the archive.

For more information, and/or to share your experience, please contact the Foundation by email at info@woodvillerosenwaldschool.org.

From Black Alliance for Peace:
The Black Alliance for Peace’s (BAP) Africa Team and U.S. Out of Africa Network (USOAN) commend Niger for its decision to expel the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). We urge all African nations to reject U.S. neo-colonialism and remove AFRICOM from their territories. AFRICOM's presence has led to an exponential increase in terrorism, with more civilian casualties resulting from AFRICOM strikes.

Niger's National Council for the Safeguarding of Our Homeland (CNSP) has declared the U.S. presence in their territory illegal, highlighting the erosion of Niger's sovereignty since the establishment of U.S. military bases in 2014. Despite Niger’s declaration, the U.S. refuses to leave, dismissing Niger’s position as Russian influence. Local organizations in Niger have openly denounced U.S. interference in the country's ongoing transition process and the people have demonstrated in front of the U.S. embassy in Niamey to demand the immediate departure of AFRICOM.

BAP and the USOAN emphasize the need for African people to control their continent's destiny and we oppose all foreign military and all forms of imperialist intervention in Africa. BAP also expresses concern over AFRICOM's plans to expand by placing new drone bases in Benin, Ivory Coast, and Ghana. We denounce such expansions and call for an end to all military agreements between African nations and the U.S.

BAP's Africa Team and USOAN will closely monitor the unfolding situation in Niger.
 

U.S. Out of Africa! Shut Down AFRICOM!

Banner photo: Demonstrators in Niger against France neocolonialism hold sign that reads “A Dieu La France” (courtesy pbs.org/newshour}.